Hi,
Have been windsurfing for about twelve months. Can tack, gybe, plane, beach start, water start, stay (mostly) dry , am interested in trying a bit of wave sailing but don't have any experience was wondering what type/size of board/sails to be looking at. Was going to try small stuff to begin with using second hand gear to minimise the impact on the $$$ and too many tears. Currently have a JP Funride 130L with NP fusion 6.1 and 4.9 sails. Oh, and I'm about 60kg and pretty strong.
Kale.
You'd be able to get a 90L ish freestylewave at your weight. Get comfy on that when on flatwater (ie able to waterstart it all the time no probs) and then go for it in small waves and slightly onshore conditions.
If you go straight to a dedicated wave board it is likely to frustrate you, and if you try with the 130L it will bounce like mad and be a bit hard.
Any shorebreak or dumpy kinda waves and the Fusions will get trashed, so try getting a 5m ish all X-ply wave sail secondhand
You're gonna love it
I'm thinking 80-95 litre board and 5.0m sail. With your weight, you will be able to get out in 15 knots easily. You want to go out in waist or smaller size waves to begin with and get a feel for what its like to get barrelled and then be able to water start out of it etc and build your confidence. Also with wave riding, you don't necessarily need really windy conditions. I have had plenty of excellent sessions in 15 knots just plodding out and riding in some really nice clean waves.
I am around ~70kg's and use a 93L thruster and its perfect for me with a 5.0 in those light wind days.
i was in your shoes about a year ago, i wouldn't waste your money on big gear it sounds like your quite capable, i agree with simpson's suggestion,. start with small waves to get confidence
its really not as hectic as your mind is telling you.
DO IT !!
You don't need new gear, just go and find some small waves and start having a go on what you have. You can use the smaller sail in underpowered conditions to get on the wave and then have a bit of fun!
A 60 kg dude on a 130 ltr funride in waves? He's not going to get it do anything. He also runs the risk of smashing gear not meant for waves then he can't sail anywhere. He'd be much better off picking up a cheap second hand 79 ltr waveboard and 4.7 sail. if he can do what he says he will have no problem.
You should actually find the smaller board easier to waterstart, and something in the 85 to 90 litre range will be floaty enough to comfortably slog around on when you get used to it.
Main thing at the start is to get used to the board away from the waves. You need to be able to gybe it consistently and if you can transfer your tacking that would also be good, but you would have to do it faster on the smaller board. Its something that your 130 is useful for while you still have it - to learn to tack well enough to transfer it to a small board.
There is space between your 4.9 and 6.1 for a wave sail. If you have a 4m mast for the 4.9, you could maybe get a matching 5.2 or 5.3m wave sail. If you dont have a 4m mast, you could maybe get a 5.3 or 5.4m wave sail to match your 430 mast.
At your weight, you might eventually end up with just a FSW of about 85 to 90 litres and a waveboard of about 70 litres, so 85 to 90 litres FSW could be a long term buy.
do a trip to maui in june- july or august :)
board + 2 sail is about 300 a week and you can change boards as often as you want. The waves that time of year are pretty small and unreal for learning on as the breaks are reaf breaks about 200 m off the main windsurfing beach.
with constant 20- 30 knots every afternoon you will learn more in a week there than in a whole summer in aus.
Male Female doesn't really matter.
60kg in WA 75ish litre wave board + 4.5m wave sail.
Get used to the smaller board at your local then try somewhere with waves.
As long as you can water start the smaller board, just go to the beach and have play around.
I still have concerns about a real waveboard. 65-70L is what she will end up on one day, but anything under 90L is going to be a major step down.
All you blokes recommending a waveboard, did you jump straight from a 180L beginner's board to a 80L waveboard? I doubt very many did...
There is a reason crossover stuff exists. Transitions - steps down, not giant leaps.
A FSW about 80 - 90L will still have a bit of planing flat in it - can you imagine how frustrating it will be to try and get a small waveboard planing if you've had a year on a 130L?
I say a year on a FSW, once you're used to it then sell the 130L to fund a waveboard and keep the bigger FSW.
Kale - when you say gybing and you talking holding the uphaul rope and walking around the mast, or a planing carve gybe with the rig flip (and caught on the other side)? That is gonna make a big difference
Talk to Windxtasy, she knows more about gear for your weight and progressing through a similar stage to you than any of the guys here who are way heavier and went thru that stage about 5 - 25 years ago.
I've got a 110L Naish Koncept, which i'm going to take out in the waves.
I'm 90kgs, Would a 5.3 in 15knts be a good way to start on small waves? maybe port beach or south leightons?
I tried it up in Gero at St.?? something park near bluff point and was pretty overpowered in +20knts and i only had a weedy on but caught a couple of waves and jumped a couple but where in perth would best suit?
[apologies for topic bombing]
Hey Cam11,
Wave sailing is an intire different wolrd to flatwater. My first tip- small spilling waves about waist to chest high, work on smooth drawn out turns in lightish winds around 8 to 14 knots. Step two- Once comfy with step one, repeat step one again but in stronger winds from 12-15 knots and you'll tear the waves to peices
Have fun and let us know how ya first session goes
Hi Kale,
as a fellow female windsurfing hopefully I can give some useful advice. I am 58 kg, so similar weight too. The sooner you can work down onto a smaller board the better, the more fun you will have. Smaller boards are much easier to water start and to control in strong wind. Would recommend you just buy cheap second hand boards and work your way down in size as you get comfortable with each (you can probably step down 20-25 litres without any problem at this stage). My biggest board now is 86 litre (FSW). My favourite board for stronger wind is 68 litre (wide wave board). It is hard to find FSW below ~ 85 litre. FSW are easier to get planning and are generally fine to surf on especially at the beginning. I am just getting into wave sailing myself but have sailed wave boards for years because only wave boards are small enough for small people in strong wind. My smallest sail is 3.6m, which I use in winter squalls, like today! 4.0m should be fine for most strong wind conditions. Where do you sail? There are a few keen women sailors down in Safety Bay if you want company.
Congratulations. Thats' a great progress in 12 months. I'm so envious