I windsurfed a little bit as a kid and then had a taster course a few weeks ago.

I decided I'd like to get into it properly and bought a rig off ebay.

5am this morning at Sandgate I put it all together and had a go. Imagine my horror when I stood on the board and it sank! Like not just a bit, all the way I was about up to my waist and it was on the sand!

Is that supposed to happen or did I buy a lemon? However hard I tried I couldn't get me and the sail up fast enough to get moving before it sank to the bottom.

New board or more practise?

Noony, firstly good choice in sport.
Mate any descriptions would be useful in helping your dilema.
It seems to me you have bought a wave or small slalom board.
In your course you would have used a big, wide floaty board. this is what you need to get - at least for the first few months. You need a board @140L minimum. rule of thumb is your body weight plus 10kg will sink a board.
Pics and details for better explanations.

Shopping on ebay is your first mistake...

How many litres in the board(volume)....If you know, And how heavy are you?

The board you've bought is probably and old school slalom or wave board....Not suitable for beginners.

Post some picks so we can have a look.

^^^oops stu beat me to it

I don't know the litres but photo's I can do...it's a Wind Action Lite

So I've made two mistakes

1) Ebay without knowing what I was looking for
2) Bough a board that's way to advanced for me?

Hopefully I can still use the masts(2), sails(2), booms(2) etc and just get a more suitable board - would that be right? The whole lot only cost $105 so I guess I was lucky I didn't go for the more expensive auctions only to find out the same thing!!!

Plus this one is very pink...it's embarrassing enough playing submarines with a windsurf without it being very, very pink when it does surface ;-)

Given it all cost you $105 I think you might be able to sell it and get your money back. This looks like an very old fibreglass wave board. Next to your car, I am guessing its something like 70 litres (though they never talked in litres when this was made I think).

Get on the buy and sell forum here. You need a big stable board, so agree 140 litres +, and wide, 75cms or so.

Then I'd get a 5.5 sail, a 430 mast and a boom to fit. You're not going to get anything worthwhile for $105 dollars (except maybe a decent 2nd hand fin). The whole lot might set you back around $1500 and you'd get some decent gear.

Just looking at that board again - its tiny! Maybe take the foot straps off and test it as a surfboard.

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Sputnik11 said..



Just looking at that board again - its tiny!.

People were skinnier back in the 80s.

Spot on Sputnik.

N00b, what do you weigh? 140L is a minimum for an average ish fella. If you are 120kg you may need to go bigger

I think Windaction (Peter Cochrane) from the Moreton Bay Mob or Greenleader would know what day and time of the week that board was made. Board actually looks like it's in pretty good shape - WA were the duck's nuts in the eighties and I dreamt of owning one.

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sausage said..
- WA were the duck's nuts in the eighties and I dreamt of owning one.

I know where you can get one for $105......

Massive thanks for all the replies and advice!

I weigh in at around 75Kg, There wasn't much wind this morning so I guess I didn't pick the best conditions for the board either.

The whole ebay package came with...

?board & fin ("Windaction sailboards" "Wave-Light" ...)
?board bag
?harness
?mast step (1)
?2 masts
?2 sails (one 4.9 metres, other not sure)
?2 booms
?spare batton

I'm hoping I can take some of that to a new board to learn on. What board would you guys recommend.Is 140 litres still advisable given my weight and limited experience?

Hey Noony,

A 140-150l is perfect for your weight. Look for a beginner board or a similar size free ride board. When you head to Sandgate next, send me a message and I will come down and say Hi. I have a mate who sails there quite often that can help you out. possibly with a board.

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Mobydisc said..

Sputnik11 said..



Just looking at that board again - its tiny!.

People were skinnier back in the 80s.

..I know I was..

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sausage said..

I think Windaction (Peter Cochrane) from the Moreton Bay Mob or Greenleader would know what day and time of the week that board was made. Board actually looks like it's in pretty good shape - WA were the duck's nuts in the eighties and I dreamt of owning one.

I had a 9' wind action slalom board I used to take out in the surf.. great graphics yellow and red 1/2 each side in a jagged design..mmm Wish my current boards looked as good..

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Mark _australia said..

If you are 120kg you may need to go bigger

that cuts deep mark

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sboardcrazy said..

Mobydisc said..

Sputnik11 said..



Just looking at that board again - its tiny!.

People were skinnier back in the 80s.

..I know I was..

Twenty years, 10 kgs.

Thats pretty poor.

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sboardcrazy said..

Mobydisc said..

Sputnik11 said..



Just looking at that board again - its tiny!.

People were skinnier back in the 80s.

..I know I was..

yeah i was skinny too - but that board would still have been too small for me

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jsnfok said..

Mark _australia said..



If you are 120kg you may need to go bigger

that cuts deep mark

Still not quite through the subcataneous tissue though Jase.

If you have the space, keep it, for one hundred dollers its not bad for a collectors board.What board did you use on your taster course?

Thanks for the awesome responses.

I'll definitely shout next time I'm going to Sandgate (when I get a new board).

I'm not sure what I did the taster course on, just that it was bigger and you could stand on it, get your balance and then pull up the sail without it sinking!!!

So...on the lookout for a board that can be used from beginner to intermediate 140 litres...anyone selling?

something like this would be ideal

www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Windsurfing-Boards/~a2m8u/2010-Starboard-Go-250-cm-155-litres.aspx?search=6dS%2bE7kXONTPPUCuUxz%2f5tjwWanYUx%2bRbOSNe23i94tip%2bbIfHs6cL8H3lY6YSDVHQ2tlFgjV%2fw%3d

^^that would be good to learn on and will suit you to advance on up to the performance stages of windsurfing.

Or this is closer to home and cheaper as well: www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Windsurfing-Boards/~af1j_/Starboard--260-cm-250-litres.aspx?search=EjQ0DoWvNYgAPBE%2bhUkjBpvx2nzBo1d2
Cheers
Marty

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MartinF2 said..
Or this is closer to home and cheaper as well: www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Windsurfing-Boards/~af1j_/Starboard--260-cm-250-litres.aspx?search=EjQ0DoWvNYgAPBE%2bhUkjBpvx2nzBo1d2

CheersMarty

In my opinion that is to big for his weight and because he has already had a go on a big board he can go a bit smaller. 150ish litre board is perfect and you wont progress past this size for a while

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Jezstrt said..

MartinF2 said..

Or this is closer to home and cheaper as well: www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Windsurfing-Boards/~af1j_/Starboard--260-cm-250-litres.aspx?search=EjQ0DoWvNYgAPBE%2bhUkjBpvx2nzBo1d2



CheersMarty

In my opinion that is to big for his weight and because he has already had a go on a big board he can go a bit smaller. 150ish litre board is perfect and you wont progress past this size for a while

Understand but if you are paying $100 bucks of eBay for gear to have a go, I can't imagine he want's to spend $1000+ on just a board to find out if he want's to pursue further. The START is a lot cheaper to see if he want's to continue and we all know once the bug bites he will be upgrading anyway cause there is no sport better!
Cheers
Marty

Ah, bitter-sweet memories, it was 4 years ago that I also purchased a full kit on ebay and arrived at Narrabeen lake. Me too sank after uphauling...I was lucky I met Martin, he had a Mistral Maui in his garage and with that I learned the basics....