I grew up on Lake during the 80's and used to windsurf nearly every day after school. I was pretty good actually and had three boards including the original one design a Bombora and a sinker as well as 3 sails the largest of which was 6.8 if I remember correctly. I was comfortable water starting and used to go out in 35 know winds regularly.
But that was a long time ago so I'm expecting a huge a learning curve when I get back on the water and I don't know much about current kit so I'm going to post what I'm thinking so far and would love any comments or advice.
First of all I'm a big bloke, 191 cm and currently 135 kgs, I'm hoping to get down to around 120 with regular exercise maybe even a little less but because of my build I will never be below 110kg. I mainly plan to sail Altona in 15-25 know winds initially and would like to start next month. Also even though I'm old and fat I'm not completely useless and started kitesurfing last year. I'm pretty **** but can get up on the board.
Sail
I think a sail somewhere around 8.0 square metres sounds like a good starting point and I am currently thinking about buying a brand new 2021 Duotone E Pace in 7.8 metres for approx $1000
One potential issue with this sail is that the duotone website says that the sails end cap won't fit all SDM masts.
"Black.50 SDM masts do not fit inside the plastic top cap of the sail. Due to the rather low carbon content the Black.50 mast requires an increased wall thickness (to still achieve the necessary stiffness). And this makes this mast become too thick for our top cap"
So I would need to keep this in mind when purchasing a mast but its also hard to find information on actual measurements.
The sail seems to have pretty good reviews and seems suitable for my use case
Originally I was planning on buying most of my kit second hand but the second hand market in Melbourne is fairly small and I don't want to buy second hand from a private buyer interstate and most decent sails from the shops seem to be around the $500-600 mark. Buying a slightly old design new sail for around $1000 seems smarter and easier than trying to find something decent second hand.
But I wouldn't want to spend much more than $1000 on a sail tops. So I like the idea of a new sail at this price even if its a 2021 design so I would love to hear any thoughts on this particular sail.
But spending $1500 + on a new sail is also out at this stage so I would love any feedback on this sail if anybody has any. I could also go back to looking at second hand sails but I don't really want to put in the time
Mast
I like the idea of the two piece masts but don't know much about them. Are they as good as a one piece mast
I'm thinking about buying a Chinook 80% Carbon 460cm SDM 2 piece Mast for around $650 which has the right specs for the above sail but I'm not sure if the sails end cap that i mentioned earlier would fit this mast.
Because of my size I'm always going to be using larger sails so my thoughts are that i may as well buy a decent mast that will probably fit any other sails I might buy in the future.
Also it seems that a lot of sails are designed for a high carbon mast and my thoughts are that if I'm going to buy a carbon mast I would prefer to buy new instead of having to worry about delamination/ damage that can't be seen
Boom
I haven't done any research into booms at this stage but I am happy to buy either new or second with a max budget of $400-500.
If I get the E Pace sail listed above the maximum boom length is 212 cm and duotone are recommending a 180-230 cm boom.
Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated.
Board
I think that when it comes to my first board it would be better to buy something second hand that I can dump in a few months once I'm comfortable and have hopefully lost about 10-15 kgs.
That being said I don't even know where to start looking when it comes to boards. I don't think that I will need a true beginner board but I will probably need something fairly large due to my size.
Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated, even if you cant be bothered addressing everything I would love to hear what people have to say about even part of my queery.
I will keep this updated and let you guys know what i decide and how things go when I get out on the water.
Plus I would love to hear any insights or stories from people who have come back to the sport after a long absence
Thanks a lot
At 49 i return to windsurf after 20 years stop. I'am low 70kg and i was an average flatwater freerider. I sail now in lac lightwind. My maine sail is a 7'8 two cams simmer xs, modern sails are far easier to use than 20 years old one's. Because i an a board builder i make me an hybrid race but i try modern freerider find them easy to use too. Windsurfing seems far easier and funny for me now but all guys here only look at wingfoil...
Nice work mate, welcome back.
I know you mention a desire to buy new gear due to a limited supply of 2nd had equipment, but I've definitely noticed the availability of really good, slightly older windsurfing equipment becomes more prevalent as the weather warms up via FB marketplace, Seabreeze (obviously) and Gumtree etc. But if you can afford the new stuff, then happy days.
My recent experience (although I'm smaller than you) has shown me the wider boards (80cm plus) are really stable, get on the plane quickly and put a massive smile on my face!
Here's a recent example 
Cheers Robbo
Select to expand quoteSailboardGinga said..
Nice work mate, welcome back.
I know you mention a desire to buy new gear due to a limited supply of 2nd had equipment, but I've definitely noticed the availability of really good, slightly older windsurfing equipment becomes more prevalent as the weather warms up via FB marketplace, Seabreeze (obviously) and Gumtree etc. But if you can afford the new stuff, then happy days.
Thanks for your thoughts, I will be keeping an eye on second hand listings in the future and I'm still undecided but leaning towards a new sale and mast.
The E Pace I mentioed is roughly $1000 for the 2021 design and it sounds like a decent sail. From what I've seen so far I would be looking at $300-600 for something second hand. So based on the price difference I'm ok spending $1k and saving the hassle of looking. But I wouldn't be prepared to spend $1500+ if that makes sense. So unless somebody tells me that I'm making a mistake on that sail I will probably buy it.
Reason for buying a new mast is that I need a high carbon mast and I dont want to risk buying second hand in case of internal damage or delam.
My first board will definitely be second hand and I could really do with some advice from the people reading this. I don't even know if there is a common large board that would be suitable, who manufactures boards or what I should be looking for.
Thanks for the reply and that's a great shot
I agree with camless freeride sail, but dunno about locking yourself into Duotone with the funny mast.
Severne NCX and masts to suit are very common for example.
Not being condescending but sails are pretty mast specific now, and everything has changed a LOT so I recommend going down to a spot when its windy and talking to all the guys. Don't be in too much of a hurry, your logic re $1K for a new sail might be good but so might be $1K for two secondhand ones
Anyway, 145 to 150L freeride and a 7 and an 8.5 might be a good sorta thing
NO cams and not all mono will be far more enjoyable.
At 135kg you are gonna need a 170lt or bigger board. I'd lean towards a used windsurfer Lt to get you back into the sport then once you get your chops back start looking around for a 150lt board.
I sail with guys around your weight and they are all on race boards with big sails. They've all tried smaller wider boards and not enjoyed the session.
The Lt is a solid choice for you. The 5.7 pulls like a tractor.
you could also try an rsx, bic etc
The updated LT is the ultimate 1 x Board / Sail combo. Check the utube of Spotty at Corinations WA in +20knts.
Almost sail nothing else now.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
I agree with camless freeride sail, but dunno about locking yourself into Duotone with the funny mast.
Severne NCX and masts to suit are very common for example.
Not being condescending but sails are pretty mast specific now, and everything has changed a LOT so I recommend going down to a spot when its windy and talking to all the guys. Don't be in too much of a hurry, your logic re $1K for a new sail might be good but so might be $1K for two secondhand ones
Anyway, 140L freeride and a 7 and an 8.5 might be a good sorta thing
NO cams and not all mono will be far more enjoyable.
I don't think that there is anything actually special about the duo-tone mast. Its pretty easy to find a mast of the right stiffness and bend curve.
The issue is the external diameter of the top six inches or so of the mast. So duotone are saying that their low end masks won't fit because they are thicker but the high carbon masks have thinner walls and a smaller external diameter. I'm pretty sure most of the high carbon masts have a smaller diameter than standard masts
So I'm pretty sure that I will be able to buy a non duotone mast that would suit that could be used with other sails.
That being said two sails also sounds like a good option so I will definitely consider this.
Had already decided that I wasn't interested in cams.
Thanks a lot for your thoughts
Duotones are good sails but they do like Duotone mast ,
have you thought of Ezzy sails ,they will work on most mast .
but I suggest you get a two piece mast 60. % carbon and up ,
Surf & sail in west oz ,have some great 2nd hand sails ,a 8.5 cheetah would be a good choice
for you also a 7.5 .they has both in the used sail department ,so you would get 2 sails for 1000$
and in great condition ,SHQ in Melbourne have a big list and pages of 2nd hand on their website full of booms
mast extensions ,mast foots etc.used but fine ,I saw a few carbon booms ,which I would get
if you are a heavy guy,alloy booms once bent are throw away carbon can be fixed ,but way more stronger ,
I agree with they others a large board to start,
All masts are two-piece these days, that changed in the 90-ties and they are now very reliable and convenient to pack inside a car.
More important than the stiffness is the bend curve, which can be quite different from one brand to another. The best guide in this "jungle" is the Unifiber chart:
For your weight a carbon boom would last longer and deform less. Maybe you can buy a 2nd hand one ( preferably from a lightweight) 
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Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
Not being condescending but sails are pretty mast specific now, and everything has changed a LOT so I recommend going down to a spot when its windy and talking to all the guys. Don't be in too much of a hurry, your logic re $1K for a new sail might be good but so might be $1K for two secondhand ones
110% this.Select to expand quoteB_Rudge said..
I don't think that there is anything actually special about the duo-tone mast. Its pretty easy to find a mast of the right stiffness and bend curve.
That would be an incorrect understanding of the importance of getting the right mast + sail combo.
If you have plenty of money, then go out an purchase whatever you want. If money doesn't grow on trees, meet up with some locals as they are likely to offer some tips and/or have a go on their kit.
Like others have said, sail and mast are a set and need to match, yes you can mix and match but if you stick to the correct mast for a specific sail, rigging, tuning and setting correctly all become massively easer and will improve your sailing faster. Booms not so much, as long as the Pullies and the width are correct for your sail they can be interchanged. However, don't go blowing $1000 on one new sail, there are lots of people selling red hot top quality gear for a fraction of that price. Take your time, talk to the local sailors, work out exactly what gear works at your local and most frequanted location then go hunting for it. There are lots and lots of top quality sails sold for between $400-$800 that have seen precious little use. Hunt hard and pounce when you find bargains as they go quick.I have even purchased last years kit from over seas landed with duty paid quicker and for less money than locally available. (I hate saying it as I want local shops to survive but they just can't compete with high turn over stores who off load last season kit for massive reductions).
Regarding board selection, we would need to know where you wish to sail, lake? open water? choppy? flat water blasting even waves?
However I can't recommend the fanatic blast enough as a 'one board to rule them all' not too expensive second hand, tough construction so not too fragile, fun to ride , fast enough, easy to up haul and gybe, super forgiving and available in big volumes (145L even! but you could get away with 130l when you get a bit better) mostly remember you have asked for opinions, that's all we can give, people will argue about the advice your given, tell you other peoples ideas are crazy etc etc! Opinions are like ass holes we all have one! Go have fun enjoy the stoke!
