Harrow, largest sail I use in waves is 5.7 - I am a lot heavier than you at 90kg. I find I am alright above a steady 15 knots with 5.7, and rig down as the wind increases. I am going to get a freeride sail around 6.6 to go on my larger freestyle wave board for cruising. I think this is a good place for me to switch over to freeride style sails, and sizes are about right too. I have some slalom/race sails also... I find my 6.8 4 cam race sail works in about the same wind as my 5.7 wave sail...

I guess the 5.7 wave to 6.5-6.8 freeride/freerace/race range would be a good step as you already have a 5.7 wave sail. Alternatively, a biggest wave sail of around 5.2 to 5.3, with freeride/freerace/race sails of around 6.0 and 7.5 would be pretty sweet!

I hope this helps...

Why go to slalom, you are just making life hard for yourself unless you want to race or really enjoy going fast (which you wont do with big sails anyway). I have a wave/freestyle quiver- I wouldnt go wave above 6m but would then go to a freestyle(i wouldnt consider freestyle above 6.8)or good freeride sail.

anyone tried formula gear in the waves ????

how good ...... just wait at the break, sail flapping ... have a smoko... ahhh this wave looks alright.... sheet in and yer off.

hi harrow,

all of my mates that are your weight won't use anything bigger than a 5.3 in the surf. that does them from 15-25 knots. and they are on 85lt wave boards.

if the wind gets below 15 knots they are on 8.5-9m sails and flat water.

i'm 98kg and wouldn't go any bigger than 6.4 on my wave board. if it is below that i use the formula board with an 8.5 and up. got a 7.4 but no slalom board at ther moment so it sits in the garage. if i had a slalom board then i would use a 6.6 and 7.4

windymiller,

formula gear in the surf is great fun, but not really good when it gets over 12knots. i use an 8.5m formula sail. landing jumps is bloody scary, as soon as the 70cm fin touches down it feels like your ankles are about to snap.
wave riding is the best part. go out in 8-10 knots. the guy that makes my boards (my repairer) uses his formula gear in the surf regularly and he weighs about 65kg. i'm not talking huge waves.
burning around out the back is also good fun, tearing down the backs of 1-1.5m swell can't be described. pure adrenaline. the term the willies comes to mind. formula gear turns really well too. you won't be pulling of the lips or re-entries but it is fun to line up a long fat wave and carve all the way down the line. of course going back upwind is a breeze on this type of gear.

last time i was wave riding in small half meter swell i bottomed out and ripped the back of my board. so be carefull. repair is drying as we speak. the term accident prone has been used when addressing me.

WAVE, WAVE AND WAVE through and through. I totally agree with decrepit and gestalt. I'm 65kg and my biggest sail is 5.7m and this for me is HUGE! I hate using it especially in big surf as it is big and heavy and I am small and weak. Getting caught in the inside is hard to get the sail out of the water and into position to water start while confronting white water but I no complain coz I'm usually the only one out getting waves while others are grovelling or sitting on the beach. (Try saying that last sentence in one breath) When I use the 5.7m it's on my 86L in 15knots and I'm powered up 100% of the time. As decrepit said the clew is too far out and hits the lip. My perfect sail size is 5m in 18 to 23 knots. Powered 100% of the time and just the right size. As the wind picks up I go 4.2m and eventually 3.7m on 68L board. The smaller the gear the better. Easier to throw around

If you are looking for something above 6m to go back and forward across the water get a freeride sail- in general it would have a little more grunt, a little more locked in, a little lower foot and dosent depower as easy. But the freestyle sail will be a sturdier construction.