I'm a total beginnner... i've been trawling this forum for months and figured there would be similar people around needing reassurance that they're not alone. I posted this on the SA page a few days ago a few people pm'd me and said i should post it on general page. So here is my story so far. I'll keep it updated as i go... any people with advice or similar experiences please reply because its so valuable to us all

Specs: 30yrs old. Male. 85kgs. 178cms tall. Fitness 7/10. Still playing tennis, golf, cycling, running, paddle a surf ski regularly, Snow skiing, Wakeboarding but have never windsurfed or sailed. Office Job. Engaged. Looking for a few sports to enjoy before golf becomes more common in future years.

My Start: I was given a bunch of 20yr old gear by my uncle, because he wanted the space in his garage and i was silly enough to say yes. Inventory = 360cm learner board, 265cm slalom, 235cm wave board... none of which i can balance on. Also got 4 x Simmer Style sails at 4.00m2, 4.90m2, 5.00m2, 5.25m2. 1 x 441cm Mast, 1 x 465cm Mast. 2 mast foot extensions (700 + 500), 2 booms both adjustable. 1 Neil Pryde yellow harness made for someone 5-10kg skinnier than me.

Progress: Christmas 2013 i am given 2 x 2hr beginner lessons with Windforce at Nedlands in Perth. Lessons taken almost immediately in late December 2013. Starboard Start equipment. Winds 5-10 knots. Picked up the skills pretty quickly and could sail both directions, steer upwind and downwind, carve gybing, etc. Loved it. Easily best in class. Confidence sky high. Started sifting the internet for affordable second hand gear and even looked at flights to windy destinations for future trips and qantas luggage regulations with regard to windsurfing gear. Can't believe people on these forums think windsurfing is harder than kite-surfing... i could be a legendary kite-surfer if that is the case...

Small Initial Investment: Massive amount of internet research leads me to believe a that mysterious SeaBreeze Forum calculation of 85kg Me + 20kg Sail/Mast/Boom = 105kg and theoretically that any board above 105-110L i will be able to uphaul since 1L displaces 1kg water approximately. Its 12 years since I graduated from year 12 with a B in Physics but it seems to make sense, especially when you account 10% extra flotation for salty water because its more bouyant. So on 1st January i purchase a 112L 265cm Bic board with sexy new fin off Gumtree from a friendly dude who gives me a bag for the board for free and a tonne of advice. Bag was apparently bought from some epic shop called "Naish" in Hawaii, so i pretended that was cool and I knew where it was. Great Guy. Intermediate windsurfing world... here i come.

The Real World: So a breezy evening with 10-12 knots comes along and i head down to the swan river. I realise on arrival that i don't have any base plates whatsoever and can't connect the mast extender to the board, so I head to windforce on closing time to buy a couple of parts. The guy at the shop was great, was not dismissive about my ancient gear at all, and gave me a few bits and pieces for free and only charged me for the major equipment. Total gentleman. By the time i get back down to the water its getting dark and wind is almost gone. So i email a buddy of mine and the next night we head to JH Abrahams Reserve when its 20+ knots. Experienced blokes everywhere. I rig up the 112L Bic and my 5.25M2 sail - get everything tight & right with a bit of help, and i'm in the water ready to go. One problem. The board sinks when i stand on it so I can't uphaul, and i start to curse the anonymous post which provided me with the calculation mentioned earlier. Second problem. Water-starts in 20 knot winds are impossible when you've only seen it done on youtube. Whilst my mate is struggling a bit he's got a sweet Starboard-something-or-other which CAN be uphauled so he's getting going... eating sh-t... then getting going again. I have spent 45 minutes wrestling with my sail in the wind like a seagull trying to eat a taco tied to a wind sock. Completely exhausted, i unpick the equipment and pack it back in the car... i'm NOT intermediate. I'm definitely beginner and i will be for a little while. So I need a bigger board in the 130-150L category, a smaller ego, and more time on the water.

Weekend ahead... rental of some more Starboard beginner gear.

To be continued.

Below are a couple of questions i can't quite answer yet... seeking wisdom from the fountain of forum knowledge;

1.1970-1990's windsurfing gear - why is it all in fluro and hypercolour? Is it a safety thing for when you wipeout and can't waterstart the awful thin boards? Was it the fashion? WTF?

2. If I get a 130-145L modern learner/progression board... can i get something like that up and planing? I notice the hired starboards with 4m/5m sails still plough through the water slowly whereas the experienced guys around me are up on top of the water and flying along... can i produce similar planing results with a bigger board that can also be uphauled? If yes... which board(s)? This kind of board would be excellent for my current beginner stage, and any future intermediate stage.

3. Last time i went out i wiped out and I lost my $250 sunnies in the Swan River. That's easily my biggest investment in windsurfing so far. I need some of those unfashionable sunglasses leashes so a similar incident is not repeated... anyone got recommendations of where to get them?

4. Adelaide. I spend 3 out of 4 weeks a month here... but i have no idea where to hire gear on ad-hoc basis. In Perth its easy, there's a bunch of people down the Swan River every day. Does anyone in Adelaide provide easy rental of learner equipment at a regular location?

Sounds like you're doing awesome

Q1: it was a fashion thing, I'm sure

Q2: yes, you will definitely be able to get a bigger board like that planing, much easier than anything it sounds like you've ridden to date. A bigger intermediate board like a starboard carve or JP funster, or something of the like, will plane much more readily than the starboard start/go boards. The start boards will plane, but it takes a lot of effort (and wind) to get them planing. A more modern intermediate board will typically be lighter and wider than the older gear you've got, which helps when you want to plane. Sail size is the other factor to planing once/if you're comfortable getting round with a 4/5m sail, go for something bigger

Only thing with a big board like your talking about is it'll get airborne and sideways(scary sideways) a lot easier in higher wind strengths (somewhere round 20knts things'll get uncomfortable)by the time that's happening you'll be wanting a smaller board.

Q3: bias boating hardware up the rd (Stirling hwy, nedlands/Claremont) from peli point is where I got my sunglasses strap from. Most boating shop sell them though.

Q4: you'll have to wait for an SA person bout that one

Don't be discouraged by a bad day there'll be plenty of good days ahead., don't be afraid to ask the more experienced guys at the beach, they'll be able to give you a whole lot more advice about what gear you should look at and general advice in a short space of time.

One final hint. Keep the $250 sunnies for dry land, buy a cheap set for sailing. I've lost track of all the sets of sunglasses I've lost to the briny, even with a strap on them

Hello Gos, you sound a lot like me, only I'm 44. I started out 10 months ago on an old Bic battle ship of 200+ Litres and one 5.4 Mt sail - all really old gear. After a few weekends of uphauling, sailing, falling, uphauling, etc I decided I really wanted to progress and I wanted to get family into it as well.

I spent a lot of hours researching trying to decide what I needed and what I could afford. Short story - at that point there was so many different parts, mast sizes, joints etc etc, I just gave up and decided my time was valuable and just contacted windsurfing Perth. I ended up getting a 145 Lt JP Funster (with centre board) and 122 Lt Starboard Carve, 3 sails and a variety of masts and joints etc. I was 90+ kg at the time so the Funster was a good board flotation and width wise. About three months ago I got myself a 130 Lt Exocet RS6 which is a really wide stable, but light board for blasting on.

Since march, I have sailed pretty much every weekend and after work when I can and wind permits. I am now happily using harness, foot straps, water starting, and working on planing gybes so you can progress quickly with commitment. Like d11wtq says, you just need to keep plugging away and spending as much time as you can on water.


Good Luck and keep at it.

With sunnies I bought a floating pair from Whitworths (boating suppliers) and put a neoprene strap on the back. I use them both for windsurfing and SUP. Most days Suping I loose them about twice but quickly find them floating around in surf. Had them 2 years now. I also used small cable ties on to hold the neoprene strap on. Total investment around 55.

Hi,

I started out just over a year ago by getting myself a new JP XCite Ride (146l) driven by a 5.7NP Firefly. The only experience prior to this was back in the 1980's when I used some hire equipment a few times. Frankly, I did not know the difference between the uphill and downhaul. No one told me about catapults either.

I have learned a lot over the past year or so and it has been a lot of fun without too many bruises. I have preferred the steeper learning curve that goes with using a board that is more for the intermediate. I have also added a larger sail to my quiver this season. In my first season I was able to get planing, in the harness and footstraps to boot. Water starting is now becoming much easier too. Gybing and tacking...that's another story though.

Two of the best things you can do is have plenty of time on the water and to soak-up all the info you can get on DVD and the Internet. The "Beginner to Winner" DVD is an excellent resource for instruction in all the essential skills. Peter Hart has a good book (found it in the local library) as well as a number of magazine articles accessible online. Likewise there is a lot of material on Guy Cribbs website...all gloriously free. Even so, it is best remembered that 'no one size fits all', meaning that you need to take what these guys teach and apply what works for you and your needs.

The bigger boards we are using are great in lighter winds. As the wind increases, issues can arise as you get planing. I found that the 48 cm fin supplied with my board could give a rather wild ride in winds over 15knots or so. A smaller board, around 110 litres is being considered as the next step as I speed into the choppier conditions. Still have a lot, lot more things to learn though.

Trust that you will enjoy the journey. Remember, it is all about having fun on the water (and being faster than your mates!!!).

Great topic! Hey Lauire something like this would be good to have as a constant post that beginners could refer to so they can share experiences - how about a beginners / newbie forum where all the related posts could live?
I enjoyed reading all the stories brings back memories..
Gos great yarn..Re glasses- I lost a pair of $500 prescription sunnies to the bottom of the lake with a bad catapult even though they were tied on and under a helmet.Since then I've had a hole drilled in one or two arms of the glasses ( get optometrist to do it) and then you can tie fishing line through the holes and onto the glass ties .That way they can't slip off the arms.
Tie the glass tie to your wetsuit leash or similar. Because I only use my sunnies for sailing or driving I have this system on only one arm and it hangs down ready to be tied on.A bit daggy but it beats a $500 bill!

RE QUOTE
1.1970-1990's windsurfing gear - why is it all in fluro and hypercolour? Is it a safety thing for when you wipeout and can't waterstart the awful thin boards? Was it the fashion? WTF?

2. If I get a 130-145L modern learner/progression board... can i get something like that up and planing? I notice the hired starboards with 4m/5m sails still plough through the water slowly whereas the experienced guys around me are up on top of the water and flying along... can i produce similar planing results with a bigger board that can also be uphauled? If yes... which board(s)? This kind of board would be excellent for my current beginner stage, and any future intermediate stage.

3. Last time i went out i wiped out and I lost my $250 sunnies in the Swan River. That's easily my biggest investment in windsurfing so far. I need some of those unfashionable sunglasses leashes so a similar incident is not repeated... anyone got recommendations of where to get them?
4. Adelaide. I spend 3 out of 4 weeks a month here... but i have no idea where to hire gear on ad-hoc basis. In Perth its easy, there's a bunch of people down the Swan River every day. Does anyone in Adelaide provide easy rental of learner equipment at a regular location?

Answers
1 Some of the Blame has to be pointed at pro surfers and Euros ....it started with wetsuits (ripcurl) TOM CARROL AND OTHERS, HE loved his fluro wetsuit and boards who would question the pipe master , guessing robby naish and his Pink sails set a early high standard, fluro was the only thing that could upstage it..........blame that on the Euro wind heads

2 Yes more wind more sail size..........

3 You should only wear your sunglasses at night.........oh..... when you work out a method to keep them on................ post it we would love to see what you come up with

4 Theres only one man to see whom will solve your Adelaide problem ASK for the Iron Shek MR Batchalor Geraldton 1995 Australian finalist at Onboard located in Glenelg...Im sure they will even throw in a pair of sunglasses, for no eyes in Adelaide should go unprotected especially during the day.

You will catapult at least 20 times. And the rest. 20 year windsurfer. Catapulted hooked-in in 10 knots last week
you will smash the nose of your board twice. 20 year windsurfer. Smashed my first one... guess...? last week.
You will buy a station wagon. or van!
Due to work and other commitments you'll miss a lot of good days. Get used to it. Due to windsurfing you'll miss work and other commitments. Get used to it.

evlPanda said..

TheSailingMoose said...

Gos said..


1.1970-1990's windsurfing gear - why is it all in fluro and hypercolour? Is it a safety thing for when you wipeout and can't waterstart the awful thin boards? Was it the fashion? WTF?

I learnt last year on a massive 200L+ board from around 1985. Its sail is blue and white thug but i know what you mean about all the fluro pinks a greens

Subsonic said...
Sounds like you're doing awesome

Q1: it was a fashion thing, I'm sure

Fluoro yellow and fluoro pink are back baby!!!

Normal colours reflect the light with wavelengths of the same colour, and they absorb light with other frequencies.
Fluro however converts incoming light of one wavelength into visible light of another wavelength, so the material seems to "glow" with a color corresponding to the wavelengths being emitted. /it's cool man.

Basically I got myself a sail that looked yellow and was actually fluoro yellow, and pink, upon opening. And I really like it. Honestly. Dare I say... it's rad!

__________

You'll come back to the 112l board one day and ask yourself "how couldn't I uphaul on this?"
In 2 years you still won't be carve gybing.
You'll give up at least 3 times.
Your legs will soon figure out how sharp fins are.
You'll pray to god to get you back to shore at least twice.
Whenever you see water on TV or a movie you'll guestimate the wind speed on it "looks like 15 knots."
Your family might have an intervention.
You will catapult at least 20 times.
you will smash the nose of your board twice.
You'll dream about Maui but never get there.
You'll hate winter. Detest it. Loath it like nothing else.
You will buy a station wagon.
You'll try to get all your friends into windsurfing.
Due to work and other commitments you'll miss a lot of good days. Get used to it.
You'll be tempted by kiting from time-to-time.
You will get your mast pieces stuck together, twice.
You will hit a sandbank at least twice.
You will inexplicably nearly hit a navigation pole.
You'll hate jet-skis.
You'll wish you had just splashed the cash on good gear the first time.
You will contemplate getting a windsurfing tattoo.
You will spend too much time on seabreeze.

evlPanda said..

I nearly forgot.

At swan bay...
Stingrays........Imaginary stingrays everywhere (in 2 foot of water).

evlPanda said..
You'll pray to god to get you back to shore at least twice.

LOL, plus the rest of the list...pure gold!!

evlPanda said...

TheSailingMoose said...

Gos said..


1.1970-1990's windsurfing gear - why is it all in fluro and hypercolour? Is it a safety thing for when you wipeout and can't waterstart the awful thin boards? Was it the fashion? WTF?

I learnt last year on a massive 200L+ board from around 1985. Its sail is blue and white thug but i know what you mean about all the fluro pinks a greens

Subsonic said...
Sounds like you're doing awesome

Q1: it was a fashion thing, I'm sure

Fluoro yellow and fluoro pink are back baby!!!

Normal colours reflect the light with wavelengths of the same colour, and they absorb light with other frequencies.
Fluro however converts incoming light of one wavelength into visible light of another wavelength, so the material seems to "glow" with a color corresponding to the wavelengths being emitted. /it's cool man.

Basically I got myself a sail that looked yellow and was actually fluoro yellow, and pink, upon opening. And I really like it. Honestly. Dare I say... it's rad!

__________

You'll come back to the 112l board one day and ask yourself "how couldn't I uphaul on this?"
In 2 years you still won't be carve gybing.
You'll give up at least 3 times.
Your legs will soon figure out how sharp fins are.
You'll pray to god to get you back to shore at least twice.
Whenever you see water on TV or a movie you'll guestimate the wind speed on it "looks like 15 knots."
Your family might have an intervention.
You will catapult at least 20 times.
you will smash the nose of your board twice.
You'll dream about Maui but never get there.
You'll hate winter. Detest it. Loath it like nothing else.
You will buy a station wagon.
You'll try to get all your friends into windsurfing.
Due to work and other commitments you'll miss a lot of good days. Get used to it.
You'll be tempted by kiting from time-to-time.
You will get your mast pieces stuck together, twice.
You will hit a sandbank at least twice.
You will inexplicably nearly hit a navigation pole.
You'll hate jet-skis.
You'll wish you had just splashed the cash on good gear the first time.
You will contemplate getting a windsurfing tattoo.
You will spend too much time on seabreeze.

You're a guru... awesome post. Best thread I've read so far.

Dear All, thanks for your help, advice, experiences, etc. Just brilliant how good the windsurf community is... special thanks to the guys down at Pelican Point whose names i don't know but are consistently friendly and offering tips to me.

MarkSSC - thanks for the note about Guy Cribbs, i've been having a look at some of that material and its really good.

NetoMx - your english is great! Keep writing, we can understand you perfectly. Seems like you are a pioneer in your corner of the world.

Ok so latest update 13 Feb 2014: I have decided that in the short term, hiring starboard learner gear is the way to go. the windforce crew are parked down at the river daily and its pretty easy to just take their gear out and a chap called Toby is quite helpful as far as trying new things.

Each hire session at Pelican Point (3 in the last month) has seen small improvements in technique and control, particularly my turning (the names of which i always mixup), although beach starts have so far eluded me which is frustrating me. Most of all, i'm having a lot of fun and enjoying the challenge of being on the water in different conditions, and even learning to adjust to changing conditions whilst i'm out there. About a month ago i learned to laugh when i fall off instead of being frustrated... and so now i spend a lot of time laughing at myself instead of cursing.

Equipment: I've been scanning SeaBreeze and GumTree and various websites for affordable learner boards in the 130L++ range but i am consistently 6-12 hours too late to actually purchase what is advertised. There seems to be quite a few boards like the Starboard Isonic 122L and a couple of others around the 96-120L range which are tempting... but my experience with failing to uphaul the 112L BIC has got me spooked and i'm determined to stick to my plan and pickup something 130+. Generous feedback from folks on this forum has led me to believe that a big litre board will still be fun to own for many years to come even if i do progress onto one of my shorter/faster boards. I'm keen to persevere with the old sails i've got, at least until i feel like i've progressed to intermediate level and looking into spending another lot of hard-earned cash on this sport.

Last week i was also given a redundancy - which has come with a bunch of mixed emotions. Whilst losing my job sucks, its absolutely brilliant to be back in Perth fulltime and enjoying the weather, water and more time with the missus. I'm lucky to have a bit of time up my sleeve to look for work. Unfortunately in the process of packing/ lifting boxes and suitcases i managed to tear a disk in my lower back. It is hell. I haven't had a back issue in 10 years and now, in my first glorious week of uninterrupted windsurfing (unemployment)... i am restricted to moving between the couch and the fridge. Thank goodness for Winter Olympics, Big Bash and Test Cricket. Unfortunately the number of Litres required for my new board are going up by the day.

And finally... Temptation: So my fiancee came home yesterday with my Valentines Day present (48 hours early as she's concerned i'm becoming depressed with my busted back and too much television) and she's bought me $400 worth of Kitesurfing lessons! So now my windsurfing progress has two headwinds... firstly the crook back, and secondly the flirtation with a kite.

Once my back is sorted, i'm going to give this kitesurfing thing a crack and see whether it meets the hype.
In the meantime, my hunt continues for a modern, Perth-pickup, high-litreage learner board for $250-600...

Gos

leftfield - yeah i just sms'd the guy with the Starboard Carve 145L and he said its sold. I have to get quicker on the button!

Great thread!
Hang in there with the back mate I've had it go on me 3 times (slipped disc's) make sure you buy something to help you down haul the sail when you get out again. Pulling down on the downhaul is nasty if you've got a dodgy back, try and find a downhaul crank tool or check out Sean Obriens site where he demonstrates using a harness
carbonsugar.com/technique/save-your-back-rig-it-right/

Not a problem. You'll feel this sport is far superior than anyone else's. And everyone else who replied is spot on. Lastly, the end result of their answers seem to be getting zanier by the page. You better pick your own wind tree and not let anyone let you see checking it out even at night. Lotsa luck!