second set up required

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turd
turd
4 posts
4 posts
29 Apr 2008 10:15pm
i,m windsurfing on a 200 lt board with a 3.5 sail and i would like to buy a set up to help me advance . at this stage im only learning the basics .im 85kgs with resonable surfing experience and a fair bit of time to practice just not sure what size sail and board to get for an alrounder that should get me thur for a while i was thinking about 100 lt and 5 mt sail but im not sure any help is good
nebbian
nebbian
WA
6277 posts
WA, 6277 posts
29 Apr 2008 11:43pm
Whatever you buy, it would be a good idea to get something with a view to using it later as you progress. So I'd get, in order:

5m wave sail with mast -- This will be your light wind option now, but your high wind option later when you get better at it. A wave sail will be a lot more durable than a freeride sail.

Harness and harness lines -- Not really that expensive, but this will transform your sailing.

110-120 litre board -- I wouldn't go much lower in volume than this, considering your experience level, and this board will become your light wind board later on.

6.3 or so sail -- If you do your homework properly you will be able to fit the 5m and the 6.3 on the one mast (probably a 430).

Once you've mastered going flat out on the 120 litre board and the 6.3, then it's time to get a smaller board, but this is at least 6 months down the track. By then you'll have a better idea of what sort of sailing you like (freeride, speed, freestyle, wave) so you'd get a specialised low volume board to match what you like.

All the gear listed above will still get used as you get better.
thewindmap
thewindmap
WA
51 posts
WA, 51 posts
30 Apr 2008 4:41am
I think you'll find the step down from a 200 lt board to a 110-120 lt board a bit tough, though it might be ok if you're happy to fall off (a lot!) for a while. If there's a chance anywhere for you to borrow or hire a board somewhere in between, say 140-160L, that would be a great step in between.

If you want to get one thing first get a bigger sail, a 3.5 isn't going to provide much power or balance on a smaller board. Something 5m to 6m as suggested is the right idea. Also, get a harness if you haven't got one already - without using a harness you'll struggle in any decent wind with the bigger sail/smaller board.

Good luck!

555
555
892 posts
555 555
892 posts
30 Apr 2008 5:28am
How wide is the 200 litre board that you have at the moment? If it's a narrow older board and you're managing to wobble around with a fabric 3.5m sail on a fibreglass mast you'd probably be okay on a smaller board (100-110lt) with a newer rig (carbonfibre is soo much lighter!).

BUT.. you will make things much easier for yourself, and progress much faster by doing like thewindmap suggests and making your graduation a bit less of an extreme jump. I am around the same weight, and had a 152 litre board first up, but found that a 120 litre suited me better to progress.. Since then, I've used a 155 litre Go, a 230 litre Start, and a bunch of smaller stuff too (76, 85, 94, 104 litre).

If you sail somewhere where there's a decent amount of breeze, you could do a lot worse than a Starboard Go 155 or there abouts. They are stable, floaty, and really good to progress on, not to mention heaps lighter than the big old boards. The hull shape means they track up wind very well in the light stuff without needing a centreboard, and still perform comfortably in 25 knots.

But.. if you're fit, energetic, and a fast learner, on a tight budget I'd be inclined to look for something in the 120-130 litre range as that will last you for quite a while as a free ride board without being too much hard work as you get used to it.

It's probably best to describe where you plan to sail, and what the conditions are usually like so that you can get more specific advice.
nobody
nobody
NSW
437 posts
NSW, 437 posts
30 Apr 2008 6:09pm
turd said...

i,m windsurfing on a 200 lt board with a 3.5 sail and i would like to buy a set up to help me advance . at this stage im only learning the basics .im 85kgs with resonable surfing experience and a fair bit of time to practice just not sure what size sail and board to get for an alrounder that should get me thur for a while i was thinking about 100 lt and 5 mt sail but im not sure any help is good

Hi Tom,

Is the place you sail now near the coast or inland? (Shows how much wind your likely to get)
If coast, is it a sheltered (harbour/bay) or open (ocean)?
What state are you in?
How deep is the water? (For usable fin depth)
Do you want to buy new or second hand?
If you know, what type of windsurfing are you looking to do more of?
Eg;
Freeriding (flat water back and forth usually on a planing short board, 15+ knots)
Formula (Racing a short board with big rig and fin up and down wind, 10+ knots)
Slalom (Close to formula only usually racing down/across wind, 10+ knots)
Longboard sailing/racing (more days sailing with this option, any wind speed)
Wave sailing (Usually 15+ knots unless on a longboard)
Freesyle (long or short board)

You've told us your experience and weight, but it would be helpful to know the above.

The different styles of windsurfing have different gear and are often best in different environments or applications. On top of that the advise you get by all here is likely to be bias to some degree depending on our individual experience and where we live.
turd
turd
4 posts
4 posts
30 Apr 2008 8:57pm
cheers 4 the advice with the board ive got should i try using a 5.7 m sail on it which is in the shed in reply to questions sail in mandurah wa open ocean and an estury close by (waist deep) mainly 15 to 20kn thur summer looking to buy second hand and don,t mind older stuff its works well not sure what type of windsurfing probaly freeriding budget not to big
nobody
nobody
NSW
437 posts
NSW, 437 posts
30 Apr 2008 11:12pm
I'd go with what Nebbs said then. You may struggle to find big stuff second hand in WA anyway. When I lived in Perth I only had an old 120L board and < 6m sails. If the 5.7 is from last century you may find it hard work to start with. Only one way to find out though...
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