Hello there,
Im posting this forum for plain advice on where i should be at on my level of gear in the wikid sport of windsurfing?

Ive been windsurfing for 3-4 weeks now, i try to go out for a sail 5-6 times a week, whether the wind speed is as little as 5 knots or blowing at 25 knots. I currently only have a 4.7 sail to adjust to these various wind speeds, and im learning on a 155 lt board which has been great to me since i bought it.

My level of windsurfing; Beach Starting, Tacking, Planing, 50% successful water starts, 20% successful pivot jibes, and ive just started to try to use my foot straps and harness.

Well anyways back to my question, im getting all these different opinions on whats the next step for my gear. People telling me that its a good idea to go buy a 95lt board, straight after braking the bank and buying my 1100$ 155lt board, and people telling me to go buy a 7m sail, and others saying to buy a 5. if you see where im at, i would just like some personal opinions on what would be the smartest thing to do.

btw im only a 17yr old earning like 350 a week, so my budget isnt that great.

~cheers

By the stats on your waterstarts you're doing very well.

A smaller board may get the interest peaking, maybe a jp x-cite ride 110l and a 6.5 freeride sail.

Don't know how much you weigh...70kgs?

i'd aim at smaller gear, and work your way towards wave sailing (or bump and jump if less than ideal conditions) or freestyle. you'll find freestyle a good challenge to work towards and you can do it almost anywhere. i personally wouldn't go for the speed/race tpe bigger gear as its a bit boring for me. go for a 100l freestyle board, it should be a good board to help progress, pretty forgiving and will be great later on when you get better. don't get a sail much bigger than a 5.4, if theres not enough wind for a 5.4 then go do something else. or just head back to gero and pull out your old 85l board once your waterstarts are perfected. have fun anyway

Mate your doing great. Don't stress about gear for a little while. Just get time on the water. Even buy a cheap 6 ish meter and master gybes and water starts. Once got them sorted then re post with your weight, conditions your love ie flat water, speed, rough water and then get some good advice. Everyone will have different opinions just get time and skill base up so you can make an educated decision because you will get so much conflicting advice.

So in summary save up some coin over the next couple of months and get a really good kit when you are better and can make just the one jump to a kit which will last you a while. Otherwise you may just go backwards and waste money.

Rip it up.

Yeah around the 70kg mark,
im not even sure if i should be looking for new gear yet. I would like to master jibing and the use of my harness and footstraps before i go spending.

my interests arnt in the speed/race sailing either, when i think of that all i can think of is just waiting for a perfect day just to go 2kms faster than last months perfect day. i would love to just keep on learning new things and expanding my skill in the sport.

What prices would i be looking at?
another question; 10year old gear = good to learn on? or just not bother on the older technology?

i started windsurfing when i was a little older then you, but seriously, at your age you will learn quick, so get about a 100L board + 6m sail (i spent about a year sailing on 96L freestyle board + 5.9m wave sail), for qld that will get you out most of the time. Even now it is my most used board+sail sizes. Its the best size for learning how to freestyle and you can get into waves as well. Arguably a 5m sail would be better for manouevres but truth is in SEQ, a 5m sail is probably something you only use 20% of your sessions.

sell the 145L board.

you would only get a 7m sail if you were into racing in my opinion, if you wanna learn general manoeuvres etc, then nothing bigger then 6m. A 5m is a bit small for SEQ.

i'm 73kg, my most used board is a 92L fsw, and the sail i use 80% of the time is my 5.9m wave sail.

You're doing really well.
Well done!

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h20 said...

Mate your doing great. Don't stress about gear for a little while. Just get time on the water. Even buy a cheap 6 ish meter and master gybes and water starts.

I wouldn't rush into buying another board, you'll definitely benefit from another sail in the short term.

I reckon something around 6 - 6.5 m will keep you going for a good few months, then look for a cheap ~100l board.

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Scully said...

another question; 10year old gear = good to learn on? or just not bother on the older technology?

I personally would not go older than 4-5 years if I were buying a second hand board. The shapes from 10 years ago to now have changed significantly from long and narrow to much shorter and wider boards.

I would also go for a 100l board when you are ready to purchase. It will give you a lot of freedom to try new things and still be big enough to get around with a 6-6.5 on lighter days given that you are 70kg.

6m sail it is, which i believe also means i need a new mast+boom so i can ACTUALLY use it
$$$$

hey .. i was in the same boat this time last year .. i was 16 and work as an aprentice earning 360 a week .. i only bough USED gear for the start knowing i owuld misstreat it and have a bad stacks ... depending on the average windstrengh u are planning on sailing is what sails u should buy .... i only own a 75l wave boars 3.8/4.2/5m sails and i weight 65kg ..
i use that gear on the lake and at the beach .. some time i take the 3.8 and my lil board 7sl in less than 5 knots just for practise .. practise uphauling and tacking and jybes ... help in in the big stuff .. .... look around on ebay for older gear .. board that are at least 5 years old .. doesnt matter if they have water or ding and scratches cause its only a stepping stone for your next board .. and if u sail as much as u said ull be on a sinker board in no time .. at the boardcrazy down here on lake macquare .. i bough my used sails for 300-500 bucks depending on what condition they were in ... i went thru 3 5mrevs in my first 2 years ... my first small board cost me $1400 and was in perfect condition 2 years old .... hunt around for bargans ....BUT WHAT EVA U DECIDE ....DONT GIVE UP .. STIC WITH IT AND ULL BE BOTTOM TURNING LIKE A PRO

well down our way we have a consignment system where you can sell ya board in the local windsurf shop and they take 30% off of what ya sell. Alot of my friends have down that and got most there money back on there boards. So you could always do the same with your big board and get a smaller all round board. your sail size is all wrong, dude too. you need at least a 5.5 and a 6.5 or 7 m sail. seabreeze has heaps of sails at good prices, second hand.

dont bust ya bank again my friend. When ya ready to upgrade to a smaller board put ya board on consignment and get a 120 liter starboard, futura or carve.

Don't buy anything. Just ride what you've got and build your skills and experience until you can make your own decision.

You will quickly get to a point where you can rip on the gear you have and see the things you are missing out on and then you can decide on the direction you want to go and the gear you need to get there. (ie. waves, slalom, freestyle, etc)

You've only been going for 3-4 weeks so you have barely begun. There's heaps of stuff to learn and plenty of time.

Avoid the temptation of getting a mongrel collection of gear that doesn't work together. Plan your purchases and buy stuff that works as a system and helps progress you.

It's probably best to think about your rig before you spend too much money on boards. A decent set of sails with matching mast and boom can be used with multiple boards.

There are massive bargains to be had in second hand gear. There's heaps of guys selling full quivers ... because they've switched to kiteboarding and they don't need all that stuff anymore. [}:)]

I agree with some of the other comments about going for a 6-7 metre sail. It'll open up a whole new world with your 155L board in terms of plaining, footstraps, harness etc. You'll never stop using it (unless you want to sail waves exclusively) and it will work on any board from your 155 down to an 85-90l board.

Also, you'll need a bigger sail no matter what you want to upgrade. A smaller board with your 4m sail will be useless unless you want to sail in 25+ kt wind.

All these varied replies can be confusing. Pay the most attention to the ones who live in your area and know the local conditions, especially if they are around your weight.
Happy sailing

cheers for the advice fellow windsurfers.
it looks like buying a 5.5-6.5 wave sail mabey sumtime in december/january is the best idea,
and if i must, a rig to cater for the larger sail.

OR i could just win that Flying Objects competition and take home a Severne Rig hahah