Hi All
I started windsurfing in the 80's as a kid and sailed my way to the late 90's till I discovered pubs/girls/cars/girls/hangovers etc! I did however manage to drag some gear out every few months to get it wet and keep a couple of skills in check. Managed to get out a bit more this summer and the bug is starting to bite down on me again. So of course my kit is all out of the early ninties. Fibreglass Trigger boards semi-floater and a sinker as well as some sails from the same era. My old pryde v6 sail is my fav!

I need to start updating my kit but where do I start? What brands have good reputations now? I have been reading alot of your posts over the last few weeks and most of you mention brands that Ive never heard of. Also who sails down the south end of the bay these days? I can remember sailing rye in the 90's and you had to constantly look over your shoulder to make sure there was room to gybe, I go down there now and I can have the whole place to myself.

Anyway thaught I should introduce myself and give alittle background so when I start asking the strange questions you might take pity on me and play fair!
Maybe Ill even end up sailing with some of you in the future.
Cheers All.

Welcome back and congrats.

Windxtasy is white: depends on a) the kind of sailing you wanna do at first, b) also the $$ you want to spend, c) where you want to go in a few years.

About all brands are good, or good enough at first if you're just out for fun.
If you want to slowly upgrade from current gear, then it might make for an awkward combo at first.
Ideally you could pick up used, not too old, not too expensive rig.
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"I discovered pubs/girls/cars/girls/hangovers etc!"

Funny that never stopped me windsurfing.
However me was sailing all the time with a bad headache when younger...

"few people on the water": yep the sport has gone down an incredible lot since then.

Thanks for the reply guys. I think it somewhat confirms acouple of my fears that the upgrade of gear will not be a straight forward process. I didnt know that you could hire or demo gear so ill have to have a chat to the shops about that, it could be a big a help.
Now if only the money tree in the back yard would flower id be right!

Hi,

I was in the same position back in 2007. Gear from the mid 90s that I used occasionally. However a move to Sydney plus a job where I had free time on the weekend meant I could get back into windsurfing.

When I decided to get a new board what surprised me was how boards changed in design. They were generally short and fat. What used to be a pretty radical board length of about 240cms was now pretty average. Sails were generally fairly similar to the 90s, no radical changes in design. General evolution and refinment of design over the ten years since I had been in the market for new gear. Similar situation with masts, booms and other fittings.

The changes are for the better. New style boards are generally much easier and more fun to use than the old style ones. New sails are more stable and lighter than the older ones too.

Davage,

I was in a similar situation about four or five years ago. I'm 80kg and windsurfed in the early 80s. I had no experience with footstraps and little with a harness but was pretty handy on a Wally. The first kit I got was about spot on:

125 litre Bic Techno (substitute any mid sized freeride board with strong construction to handle lots of stacks - traded without loss after first season)

5.3 metre Gaastra Manic (substitute and tough wave sail or crossover sail, mine handled many wipeouts and was perfect as I progressed as my smaller sail)

400 cm 30% carbon mast (quite possible you'll break a mast so don't spend big bucks)

160-200 boom will let you go one sail size up and down

I think I paid $1200 for the lot - board was 2nd hand but great nick, rest was new.

If you get it right, as you progress the first board becomes your lighwind board and your sail becomes your high wind sail - you can add a smaller board and a bigger sail and get more time on water.

Don't buy slalom gear, it's built for racing so it is harder to handle and more fragile