Hi guys,

I'm looking for some advice about purchasing a beginners windsurfing set up. I'm a 50 year old male, reasonably fit and weighing 85kgs. I have no experience with wind/water sports, although in my youth I did do some surfing and I spent a few years in my 30's flying a paraglider in SEQ. I'm a complete beginner with windsurfing. Also I'm on the Northside of Brisbane, QLD. close to Sandgate.

I've notices a few shops (Jay Sails, Tasmania, Central Coast Board sports, Sunshine Coast) offer beginner packages, but these are pretty costly for my first (beginner) set up.

Any thoughts about beginner packages or better still anyone looking to sell a second hand beginner board and rig?

Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

P

Hi and welcome to forum! Beginner package will set yoy back financially more than secind hand but probably mean fewer mistakes and more likely to give you a quicker progression. Can always sell on later. Good honest broker for brissie sailors is Simon at Boardcrazy. Long time in the business and knows his stuff. If you go second hand route then you can get plenty of opinions here. Depends on your financial situation and how much you want to experimwnt. Finally there is a very friendly crew who sail queens beach north at redcliffe, with all different levels. Very friendly and not intimidating. There is a Facebook group or head up there and afternoon with a decent SE or Noetherly and introduce yourself.

Good on you for giving it a go mate.
Prepare to become hooked, addicted, obsessed. It's grabbed me over the last three years big time.
I could tell you what gear was right for me, but it wont work for you.

I had my brother mentoring me into. The gear needed to succeed at getting out 100 times in summer at out local spot is very different to everywhere else.

People will give you good advice here. But in addition to that i'd say go visit the spot you will be sailing and talk to sailors there.
You could potentially get a used suitable rig that way, or atleast have a better idea of what is working there for sailors of different skill levels.

I guess you asked where to get, more so than what to get, so maybe you allready know.
I had no clue what i needed until i progressed a bit. So getting the right gear first up is tricky, either from a shop (unless they really know the spot and windsurfing) or used, that is just as tricky.
I've got all my gear used just about. It has taken 3 years to accumulate it as i progress. And i've met some good people along the way and sailed new spots traveling to get it.

There is a Starboard Go 160 advertised here on Seabreeze for $450 at Canungra which is a good learner board for not a lot of money. Shouldn't have any problem picking up a second hand rig.

I would second the comment about the 160 Go. Would be a good board to start with and you should be able to sell it once you move up. Re Rigg. A 5 to 5.5 SQM wave sail or Freewave sail would be a good start. You should be able to find a decent carbon mast for about $200, sail for maybe $250 - $300, boom for about $150. Look for someone selling a set to get a better deal.

Shame you are not in WA. I am about to drop some gear on Seabreeze for sale that would for you.

Used to start, borrowed even better.

someone starting with zero experience in my opinion would be better with winging, much less equipment and car space requirements. You dont need a boom, mast, mast foot, extension,harness... And rig in no time without straining your back.

Id third the Starboard Go.
You will smash up your first board and sail. So don't buy new! Although that Starboard will probably handle it.
Go to the area where you think you want to sail and introduce yourself to the locals. They will have better advice than a shop. They also will happily steer you in the right direction, or better still, fit you out with appropriate gear at a fraction of the cost.
For this information, I will happily accept a slab of beer
Ps, don't go wing, kite or stamp collecting even though it looks cool.
Kool kids windsurf , and when you tell your grandkids about it, they will look up out of their phones. Kites, wing and foils don't do that.

my experience after 1 yr :

- make life easy for yourself in the 1st 20 sessions with large stable and light kit that suits local area. It will not be sexy but you will get the basics right and quick.- you will probably outgrow that kit quickly and want to move up to the more exciting kit, but it would be hard work to go there immediately. So I got simple easy kit and traded it as soon as I was ready to move up and kinda then knew what I wanted - then bought mostly new. I suspect economically its less loss to start by buying good second hand then sell on after a few months, if your area has a good market.

if I was to do it again I would have started with the Windsurfer Lt and just kept it. Easy to learn on and then a pleasure for all the family. But you need the right car, its not small.

don
't forget they make SUPs with mast bases. If anybody in the family will enjoy supping, that could be the way to go.

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decrepit said..
don
't forget they make SUPs with mast bases. If anybody in the family will enjoy supping, that could be the way to go.

Add a $300 5 m rig , perfect.

Traplog, that was me 15 years ago !. Although I started when I was 38. I never stepped on a board (apart from a 4 week stint in 1990 on an original windsurfer). No advice to offer, as there are plenty of replies. Just to say welcome to the best sport

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Jasonwave said..
So I got simple easy kit and traded it as soon as I was ready to move up and kinda then knew what I wanted

if I was to do it again I would have started with the Windsurfer Lt and just kept it.

I learnt on a 3m longboard Niel Pryde RSOne. Trying smaller faster fancier kit after 3 years now and still love going back to the RSOne sometimes.

There has been a RSOne board on seabreeze ads for awhile.

I found big boards very rare to find second hand. That Go will go quick.

Boards good for learning can be good for higher stages of progression too.

Is anyone offering lessons in the area or a sailing club maybe? As others have mentioned, you want to start out on true beginner gear. I don't recommend buying that as it's only for a few sessions after which you'll progress to a board that makes sense buying second hand (still nice and wide in the 140-160L range). Learning on such board will be frustrating though so a lesson or two or rental via a club would be ideal and if you'll like it you can source gear.

ptsf1111 He's 85 kgs. The Go 160 would be perfect volume. Those boards are wide and stable. I have a friend that started on the Go 160 and he is still using it at the moment.

Look at LT set up. New complete $3500 or find one second hand from $1k. I'd suggest to locate one of the yacht clubs that have LT races and ask for second kit and instructions. Or move to wa. Perth hosted the LT worlds with 250xompetitors and approx 70 from wa. It's a strong class Aust wide. Go for it.

Look at LT set up. New complete $3500 or find one second hand from $1k. I'd suggest to locate one of the yacht clubs that have LT races and ask for second kit and instructions. Or move to wa. Perth hosted the LT worlds with 250xompetitors and approx 70 from wa. It's a strong class Aust wide. Go for it.

Nothing against LT but I don't think it's the best way to begin windsurfing. Especially if you look at the package with the 225 boom.

The LT is a good path to learn on. Way back in the mists of time I initially learnt on a Windsurfer OD. I remember it being fun and easy to learn on, but a handful in anything over 15 kts. I sailed the OD from 1983 to 1985. The transition to sinker wave board in 1985 was also relatively easy.

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stehsegler said..
Nothing against LT but I don't think it's the best way to begin windsurfing. Especially if you look at the package with the 225 boom.

LT is a great board to learn on, although the rig isn't the best. I put a modern wave sail on mine for the kids to use and if it picks up the LT is great fun with a stable modern sail. I was putting about last weekend on a 6.0m sail and when it picked up it was a blast. I was out the back with a few juniors blasting about, keeping an eye on them. You can find second hand LT boards and then match it with a modern rig. Find out where they are being raced and someone might have a board /rig for sale. Or on here or MarketPlace. Get into it