After many years of considerations and experimentation I think that's enough to cover everything, except a once-a-year storm.

These are approximate sizes. Mileage will vary with particular gear. I weigh 80kg. East coast. Never get to the surf.

1. Freeride/Freerace/Slalom at around 110-120 litres.
7.5m sail + 42cm fin
6.5m sail + 36cm fin

Flatwater speed gear. Good from 14 - 22 knots. Freerace/Slalom sails.

2. FreeWave/Blaster Thingy at around 95-100 litres.
6.5m sail + 32cm fin
5.5m sail + 27cm fin

Bump'n'Jump and general blasting gear for bays, open ocean and small surf. Good from 18 knots - 25.

3. Wave board at around 80-85 litres
4.7 sail + 23cm fin

I hardly use this but am glad when I do. Always memorable. 25+ knots

I can get al the above on tw... actually 3 masts. I used to have a 7.2 on the same boom I can put the 4.7 on.

I keep trying to come up with a quiver that will fit in a cupboard (yes really) and I can't; no room for a third board. At present I'm missing #1 from above and it's quite a hole in the quiver when there are light wind days after light wind days again and again.

I'd love to have a two board, three sail solution.

Wha'd'ya' think? Can you cover 95%+ of sailable conditions with something less, without compromising the 'peak experience' factor? Often gear, in any field, that does everything does nothing particularly well.

Used to only need 1 board (80 l wave) and 3 sails (4.2, 5.0, 5.8) and that was enough for every day I was likely to sail. Sailing mainly in Perth and north so normally pretty windy, 4.2 not used a lot some years but great when it is (and some years it got a lot of use).

Then the GPSTC bug got me, now its the above plus small speed board, mid and large slalom and 5, 5.5, 6.6 and 7.3 cammed sails and could probably do with a larger sail. That doesnt include the old slalom board that was supposed to be replaced by the middle one and the same with sails.

I am at the opposite side of the spectrum, I can only sail weekends so i want to be ready for anything: 5 boards including formula and speed-slalom, 10 sails , etc... but it's true that you can sail 80% of the time with the same board and couple of sails.

EvilPanda, you could try a 7.5 on the 100 lt. board, should be able to extend your light wind sailing starting at around 15-16 knts. That size is my most used in Sydney, I have stats to prove it : martignoni.id.au/most.php?query=sail

You could drop the waveboard and use a 25cm wave fin in the 95L FSW for the 25kn days easy

Mistral one design 3.72 m
7.4 sail
34 fin
one alloy boom

From 2 knts up to 35 knts including going in the waves

However I used to use 3 boards, 4 sails and many booms per year at that time...

Sounds like plenty of boards and gear to me, Evl. Perhaps even one too many (as Mark touched on). You've done well with one mast though. I think I'm stuck with 3.

I'm 78 kg and effectively have two boards (1) 111 Carve (2) 94 Kode. And with 5 free-ride sails (5, 5.4, 5.8, 6.4 and 7.4) Basically this covers me from 12-30 knots from flat water blasting, bump and jump bay stuff and my dodgy version of wave riding. Once you throw in GPS stuff, things get a little complex. But most freeride and fsw boards with do over 30 knots no probs, so I guess it's a matter of just excepting others on slalom gear will be hitting mid-30s on the same day.

Really, I reckon I could get away with just one FSW board (perhaps the 106 litr version of the Fanatic below) and 3 sails - 5, 6, and 7 mtre cross overs wave / freeride. But everyone is different I guess.

There's definitely positives with your less gear approach. And certainly less confusion about what board and what sail to rig when at waters' edge.

Less gear, less confusion

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powersloshin said..
I am at the opposite side of the spectrum, I can only sail weekends so i want to be ready for anything: 5 boards including formula and speed-slalom, 10 sails , etc... but it's true that you can sail 80% of the time with the same board and couple of sails.

EvilPanda, you could try a 7.5 on the 100 lt. board, should be able to extend your light wind sailing starting at around 15-16 knts. That size is my most used in Sydney, I have stats to prove it : martignoni.id.au/most.php?query=sail

Yeah - I'm thinking a 110 and a 7.5, or thereabouts. It's what is missing from my quiver, and probably what I would use most. I think my first year in Sydney was an outlier; first few sea breezes I was blown away on a 5.5 at 30 knots. Haven't seen weather like that much since.

The 80 litre and 4.7 is for those glorious days of 25+. I had it out in 40 and it just (or almost) handled it. The peak experience/challenge board.

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PhilSWR said..
Really, I reckon I could get away with just one FSW board (perhaps the 106 litr version of the Fanatic below) and 3 sails - 5, 6, and 7 mtre cross overs wave / freeride. But everyone is different I guess.

'Tis exactly what I have, but an earlier model . With a 5.5 and 6.4 crossover sail.

Can't really get away with much more than a 6.5 on it though. Just added a (massive for semi wave gear) 35cm fin.
If I had to have one board, which was its original intention, I would still pick this. Best all-rounder.

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evlPanda said..

I keep trying to come up with a quiver that will fit in a cupboard (yes really) and I can't; no room for a third board. At present I'm missing #1 from above and it's quite a hole in the quiver when there are light wind days after light wind days again and again.

I'd love to have a two board, three sail solution.

Heres a lighter wind 2 board / 3 sail option:
120lt Free Move: 7.2m
95lt Freewave: 6.0m, 5.0m

One thing to think about is what type of sailing you want to do because it can influence the size of gear a lot. For example, in a recent gusty 15 - 20 kts session, there was slalom guys sailing 7.5m, freewave guys with 6.2m and a freestyler with a 5.2m!

Actually, other option would be just to get the 106lt Freewave rather than the 96lt and keep the sails & wave board that you already have.

Just curious Evl, what wind strength (assume clean not gusty) do you need with the 106 Freewave and 6.5 to get planning? And what wind strength does it start to feel scary?

Cheers

^ Just bought a 35cm fin so not sure as haven't used it yet. Have only been using the stock 29 which is a little small.

The 6.5m + 105l + 29cm get planing in (what I think is) 16 to 18 knots. Once planing I can keep going in less of course.

My hope is that the larger fin will make this far more consistent for what is my light wind setup. I've found fins to be like camera lenses; best bang for buck and they can completely transform a setup.

The sail doesn't get scary when overpowered, just gets heavy with not much drive, starting at (what i think is) 23 to 25 knots. I rig down then, but if forced to I could stay out. It's a very tuneable sail (but not on the best mast for it).

So 18-20 is a sweet spot. Hot Sails Maui - SuperFreak by the way.

Woohoo! No wind again.

Starting to think windsurfing is like skiing; you do it on holidays to exotic locations.

I think its too much. I can cover it all with 2 boards and 4 sails and 3 fins.

Boards
111 fsw
*I would say take a full freeride board like a 104 or 11x JP magic ride instead for even better early planing
84 fsw

Sails & fins
7.0 freeride (1 fin) * could do freerace instead if it fits your mast
6.0 freemove (1 fin)
5.0 freemove * wave would be probably better (both the 5 and 4.5 share the tri stock fins of the small fsw)
4.5 wave

Masts
430
400

Booms
2 booms. Could do it with one if you would not go for the 4.5

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evlPanda said..
Woohoo! No wind again.

Starting to think windsurfing is like skiing; you do it on holidays to exotic locations.

This year is definitely starting to feel that way....its been a very windless year all autumn and winter and spring so far isn't looking much better.To answer your question, i weigh 75kg, i have a tiga swift longboard and a 80L "Extreme Torquay Sailboards" slalom board. The slalom board has done me for anything 15knts and above and the longboard is for anything under that.I use 2 sails mainly and a 3rd storm sail for when the wind is howling.

I have a:

6.6 KA Koncept (2008)

5.8 KA Koncept (2008)

5.0 Neil Pride cammed Race sail

...and also a 4m wave sail to teach people how to windsurf on my long board.

One 48cm mast extension and 400 and 460 masts, not really sure what brand they are but they work. And one 27cm Vector weedy that is my go to fin, hoping to get another smaller one soon though for the 5.0m sail.

In essence, 15-20knots plus --> Slalom gear and specialise for moderate wind rather than trying to plane in any puff of wind that comes by...

Anything below that you could just get a longboard and use the largest sail you have and have a blast.

@ MrSpinout: I think that is probably the best two board combination, and probably what I'll end up with in 12 months myself.

110 litres FreeRide and 85 litre FreeStyleWave. Sails and stuff to match. (I weigh 80kgs).
...maybe 90 litre, but thereabouts.

And with the amount of wind we get and rate of change in design it could last ten years or more.

90% of my sailing is GPS sailing in relatively flat water. 10% is bump and jump in high wind conditions. I weigh 92kgs.

My current gear is as follows:

2 off Slalom Boards: 137 lit and 112 lit
1 off Speed board: 95 lit
1 off FSW: 103 lit

3 off 4 cam race sails: 7.9, 7.1 & 6.3 m2
1 off 3 cam freerace sail: 5.7 m2
1 off rotational sail: 6.0 m2

2 SDM masts: 430 & 460
1 RDM mast: 430

1 Carbon race boom: 190 - 240
1 Alloy boom: 160 - 200

3 mast extensions

10 fins

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evlPanda said..
. . . I think that's enough to cover everything . . .
<snip>
Wha'd'ya' think?

I'm a minimalist - 1 board (122 litre JP xCiteRide Pro), 1 mast (460 RDM Ezzy), 1 boom (Prolimit alloy - 180 - 240), 2 sails (7.1 Naish and 5.8 Ezzy), and 3 fins.

I suggest you add a weed fin to your collection - makes a huge difference when weed would otherwise be a problem.

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evlPanda said...
@ MrSpinout: I think that is probably the best two board combination, and probably what I'll end up with in 12 months myself.

110 litres FreeRide and 85 litre FreeStyleWave. Sails and stuff to match. (I weigh 80kgs).
...maybe 90 litre, but thereabouts.

And with the amount of wind we get and rate of change in design it could last ten years or more.

Makes most sense for Sydney around I reckon. I'm also 80kg. You could even do a full wave board instead of the 84 fsw. If its that much wind it doesn't matter too much and you could still get a full wave experience if you plan to head south for waves. I use the 112 fsw 90% of the time in botany anyways.

I've directly compared the 104 JP magic ride with my patrik 112 fsw. The 104 seems bigger - maybe you have a chance to test a few boards and make a call from there.

Actually my masts are 430 and 370. If you choose your sails wisely you can keep them to a minimum. That's the reason why I went for the 5.0 freemove instead of a proper wave sail.

I had a pretty extensive quiver a while back: One board, one sail, one mast, one boom... had that gear seriously dialed though. Was nice not having to try and figure out what to rig.

Its easy.

90L QUAD
1 set of fins
4.7m, 5.3m, 5.9m
400RDM
430RDM
boom
extension

Thats 15knots - whatever Sydney can throw at me.

And i work for a windsurf company.

Just like to keep it easy.

I am a gear tragic. 7 boards, 7 masts, 3 booms, 11 sails, 4 wetsuits and 2 helmets. I will confess to rigging dilemmas but a damage does not impact my day too much. I require a trailer tho... I only have one harness, hmmm.

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JBFletch said..
Its easy.

90L QUAD
1 set of fins
4.7m, 5.3m, 5.9m
400RDM
430RDM
boom
extension

Thats 15knots - whatever Sydney can throw at me.

And i work for a windsurf company.

Just like to keep it easy.

what do u do for the solid 35kn storm in winter?

U must be missing something at either end of the scale with one board and 3 sails.

I've always been a minimalist with windsurfing gear, but now I live close to a great wave sailing spot .... 1 board, 1 mast, 1 boom, 1 extension, 2 fins and 2 sails.... Love not having to think about what gear to use

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Mark _australia said..

JBFletch said..
Its easy.

90L QUAD
1 set of fins
4.7m, 5.3m, 5.9m
400RDM
430RDM
boom
extension

Thats 15knots - whatever Sydney can throw at me.

And i work for a windsurf company.

Just like to keep it easy.

what do u do for the solid 35kn storm in winter?

U must be missing something at either end of the scale with one board and 3 sails.

To answer ti your question, 35kont storms happen very rarely.
When they do happen i just hold on.

If its lighter then 15knots i go home and twiddle my thumbs.

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JBFletch said...
Its easy.

90L QUAD
1 set of fins
4.7m, 5.3m, 5.9m
400RDM
430RDM
boom
extension

Thats 15knots - whatever Sydney can throw at me.

And i work for a windsurf company.

Just like to keep it easy.

Very close to my three sail quiver of 4.5/5.3/5.9 which I find is near ideal for mostly South coast of WA ocean sailing plus a bit of flat water every now and then. Certainly don't feel that I'm missing a sail size for usual conditions here and get very little use out of the 4.5. Think I could nearly get away with just a 5.0 & 6.0!!!!!! My two board quiver is not that far away from your one with an 85L FSW for the rough stuff and a 95L Freeride for everything else.

GO MINIMALISTS!!!!