Hey chaps,

i am looking to buy my first board and was looking for advice on where to purchase.

I'm in sydney in st leonards - where are the best retailers around north syd? or would it be easier to start with second hand gear?

what should i get, what should i look out for and what is the bare minimum i should get to hit the water.

i used to windsurf a lot when i was in my teens with my uncle on school holidays, but i have forgotten absolutely everything apart from how to get up, lift the sail, and tack. i mostly used a storm sail (this this was because i was still pretty light/small etc).

should i take a one day course to refresh? (there is a sailing school at Balmoral that takes day courses - 8hrs)

Will roof racks on my car be enough to cart the gear around? (sedan)

any other advice you could give me that will make sure i stay safe and have fun would be greatly appreciated.

cheers
Doug

Doug I'd definitely go secondhand

Look for a recent "widestyle" beginners board like a Starboard Go. Should be 150-180L in volume and have a removeable centreboard.

You also want a 2pc mast and about a 4.5 and 5.5m wavesails about 5yrs old but in good condition - they'll last you a long time. Try and get 2 sails form the same manufacturer and that will both rig on the same mast (probably 430cm mast)

The board on the room and everything else inside the car will be easy

I would not get lesson/s just yet as you will most likely pick it up really quickly as you have soem background and the new stuff is sooooo much easier to use than what you'd have used before.

The basic water rules as I know them make reasonable sense. Try to avoid a collision at all costs. Avoid swimmers and paddlers. Give way to anything bigger than you even if you have right of way. As a sail craft you have right of way over every motor craft except commerical craft, especially the ferries. The main sailing rule is you have right of way over another if you are sailing on starboard tack, ie the wind is coming over the right hand side of the board. There are very few motor boats on the lake and really not that much traffic besides a few canoes, racing dingies, swimmers and windsurfers, its pretty relaxed.

Not sure about the money side of things but if you budget for about $3000 all up and look at going second hand you should have a fair bit of change at the end of it. Best to go down to the shop and have a look and a chat. As Mark says, second hand is the way to go to start with.

Sailing on the lake is very safe. Basically its virtually impossible to be washed out to sea. The only contingency plan you need is to be prepared to walk a few kms around the lake if you get blown across to the other side and can walk back. If you try windsurfing in a NE wind at the western end its impossible to be blown away as its an onshore wind.

As far as I am aware its not a legal requirement to wear a PFD. If it is a requirement the law is not being enforced as yet. If its a nice day and you are on the lake there is no need for a wetsuit.

my advice on the sail sizes would be 5.0-5.3 and 6.1-6.3 (at least I didn't have the guts to go in strong wind at the beginning until I gained enough confidence, but it depends on the conditions you have, I surf in very gusty wind so it's very tough to cope with that as a beginner).

If you know someone experienced to help you when buying second hand gear it is very welcome, when I was buying my first gear I got ripped of and ended up with ****ty sail, mast and boom and the board was an old mistral explosion 130L 59cm wide (the guy said it was ment for beginners, but I found it easier to ride a newer 113L fanatic eagle that my mate has just because it was 7cm wider).

as Mark said at least a 150L board for start so you don't loose precious time riding and progressing because you have to deal with direction issues and catching balance all the time. I would suggest a Fanatic shark as I tried it and liked it a lot.

dougr, blatant pimping of gear but I have two gaastra sails - 4.8 and a 5.2, both 2008 in great condition for about $250 each. Let me know if you are interested.

dougr said...


- if i was going to do narrabeen lake (great idea!) what should be my emergency get home plan if i get blown out of the lake and can't get back in? (remember i'm a noob and will be sailing alone)

- given its summer, should i invest in a good wetsuit or can i hold off?

Narrabeen: from the Parkway, you can't really get lost on a NE. Walk upwind a bit before setting out, then you might get downwind a bit, back to your car, that's all.
Go in the morning, when the wind rises: easier to manage.

Another possible spot is Balmoral in the morning: on a NE you're straight on-shore - always back on the beach.

Wetsuit: no way. Hold off many months...

Agree with Roar. You'll pick it up pretty easy & something like Gustee's 133lt would be the Go .

But go down to Wind Surf & Snow & hire a couple of rigs, ask about a lesson to get back into it, then try either Narrabeen Lake or even better the nthn most carpark at Kyeemagh, Botany.

Ask for advise where you sail.

Definitely have a go, you won't regret it...
....but be prepared to become addicted.