Hi everyone,

I've been sailing on and off (mostly off) for 15 years, and have finally found that I have the spare time and money to actually get into the sport properly.

When I used to sail a bit, I used a plastic fantastic Bombora Tom Luedecke 184 slalom board, with a slalom sail. It was pretty damn fast but quite uncontrolable at high speeds, and everyone time I tried to jybe, it ended in disaster.

Lately I've been using a crappy old bombora capricorn long board, as I can't handle the short board anymore. After reading the forums a bit, I've come to the realisation that my boards are garbage, and it's really time I got something modern.

I weigh around 70 kilos, I'm quite happy using a harness and footstraps, but not very good at waterstarting and I cant jybe to save my life. I sail mainly at Dobroyde Pt in Drummoyne and at Botany Bay. I think I'd like a freeride board around the 130l mark, but noone seems to be wanting to sell these 2nd hand. So I'm looking at a wide 160l formula board instead.

I want something that will plane easily in low winds, will be stable in high winds, is easy to uphaul, and will help me to learn to carve jybe.

Some wisdom from the elders?

Halfabee,

I could just about say the same as Harrow myself. One key point I like -

'it was all thanks to getting some decent modern gear, and a commitment to improve.'


this was about 5 months back for me. I just wish my father would follow, he's in a similar position as you at the moment.

It all started happening for me as soon as I made the decision to jump on a smaller board. I began waterstarts and tried gybing more often on my tiga 120L before I moved to a smaller 81L waveboard (weighing 60kg back then)... Now, it did take me a few session to start feeling comfortable on it, but 4 months later, I'm now pulling off a couple full planing gybes, very consistant at slow flare gybes and now getting into the groove of jumping chop! (up at 70kg now)

Some quick points from myself:

Learn the waterstarts on something that can float you easy (perhaps your bombora)


If your going for a smaller board, don't worry about the gybes too much. I'll say so myself, my waveboard forced me to start gybing well and it worked!

Don't forget the different factors that come into play if you were to consider where you sail - pick a board for the right conditions


I'll follow this thread as I'm still weary of what to try and get father on. Perhaps my old tiga 285?

James.

Well, I'm a local at Halfabee's normal spot, and I think I saw him and talked to him about the way he was going with the Capricorn a few weeks ago - you rarely see them going as well as he had it going.

I' ve got very mixed views about this query. One one hand, you certainly don't need new gear to learn to waterstart and make just about all your gybes (depending on whether you're ducking, doing lay-downs, one hand duckys etc). However, the X-it you had is damn technical to gybe.

I'm very unsure, from my limited FW experience, about using one to learn carve gybing on. They are brilliant in their place, but AFAIK they don't fit Dobroyd all that well.

There are some modern-ish freeride boards that people have picked up second-hand, which perform really nicely in a Dobroyd north-easterly. I'm regularly surprised by how nice they feel when I borrow one, and how well they suit Dobroyd (buying one doesn't fit my quiver and needs). Maybe it's worth hanging on until you can find one?

Alternatively, an older slalom board like a Screamer comes cheap and is a good learning platform.

While the gear you have IS hard to gybe, it's probably not a big problem for waterstarts.

geez if your in the straps and harness, and weigh 70kg, Id be looking for a freeride board, like an F2 Stoke or similiar, around the 110l range.
Anything bigger you will hate when the wind gets up.

Waterstarting will be easier with a smaller board as well you will find.

I have a mate that only just learned to sail 1 yr ago, he weighs 80kg, and is on a 106l board, he said the waterstarting came easier on this board than his 145 litre board.

Hope this helps some. good luck.

quote:

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Originally posted by halfabee


Still it would be nice to have a low wind board. Decisions, decisions...

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Halfabee,

At 70kg, the 120 litre board would be your light wind board.

Regards,
Harrow.