I have been reading plenty about comparative merits of these boards but like a few old retired mates, am at a crossroads, and appreciate any comments.

Like many I have too many toys across all the types.
I am spending more time in the camper at cool beach/river entrance places like Maroochydore this week, and after struggling to work out which board/kayak combination to bring have spent most of the week having an absolute hoot all over the paddock on a Fanatic Fly solid windsup with flat battened 6.2 in medium winds. It just glides around, albeit with some sideways motion upwind, but the fun in the little waves is nuts, and the peace trips gliding up the river are surreal. I have even been gybing on the face and caught one clew first while laughing loudly.

So thinking of reducing the kit as the body rejects some of the toys on some days, what about a Windsurfer LT ?

Sup.
Wave play toy.
Race board substitute for cruise days if I bring the 8.5.
Shallow water Bay board that I can easily pull the fin out to slide home in the Shorncliffe shallows when the tide runs away.
Could even join the crew for a race OD.

You might say just keep using the Sup but it doesn't really plane in good breeze, and there have been many times that a centreboard would get me quickly to the place I want to be.

Thanks for any help (or a used board !),
Peter

If it's purely for fun and versatility you can't go past the BIC 11'6 x 32" Windsup IMHO
Has centreboard and mast track, great for supping and sailing in light winds and goes upwind really good.
Planes up early 5kn+ although a slooow plane due to a fair bit of rocker, and great in shallow water as the supplied 25cm fin is all you need

I'm probably a bit nostalgic because I grew up with the one design but the LT performs really well in the surf as a windsup. I love playing russian roulet with those waves knowing if you stuff up there will be tears. It is great to race but crap as a paddle board in the surf. I think the price of the LT is still pretty good.

From my experience, the LT is a very different kettle of fish from a windsup in terms of speed under sail. The rocker, rails and the big, stiff centreboard and fin are all designed for sailing. There's a lot of ex-Raceboarders, including national and world champs and a couple of Olympic medallists, who are loving them.

I've only played with one gently in waves. It's certainly dramatically better than the One Design but since I've never sailed a windsup in waves I can't really compare.

Thanks so far, after the windsup nearly left me stranded trying to get upwind against tide, the LT is looking more likely. Very interested on feedback on how it would go with bigger sails?

i'd not give up my windsup over an LT if the focus was waves. my windsup is the board i take away for camping trips. surf when there is no wind and add a 5.6m when there is wind. the LT can't touch it when it comes to surf.

on the other hand if i'm sailing lakes, open ocean and bays. the LT is real hard to beat. it's also easy to rig and very quick to get on the water.

you need both.

the exocet wave longboards were the middle ground. flat water, waves, they plane early....... pretty much what you are looking for but they aren't made anymore.

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Gestalt said..

you need both.

Was there ever any doubt?

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Wet Willy said..

Gestalt said..

you need both.

Was there ever any doubt?

Never.. lol

Yep, I agree the LT is really quick and easy to rig and sail away. Also, when I bring out my LT, it is like a big magnet. Everyone on the beach is automatically my friend! You will never be lonely while you have an LT :) I have bought an inexpensive SUP paddle and ankle leash for supping with my LT. The LT slips through the water so easily that it can go a long way away from you very easily if you fall off while supping!

Cheers,
sf.

Come borrow my LT Peter if you like for a week, the ultimate test.

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Bone's said..
Come borrow my LT Peter if you like for a week, the ultimate test.

Great offer thanks, will pm.
I love this place!

www.facebook.com/windsurferclassaus/videos/609520166306348/

LT will go in the waves. Just got to get that centreboard up once you're on the wave and try not to nosedive!

Sorry guys
whats LT again

I have been windsurfing with a Fanatic Fly 10'6 Bamboo (177 lts) for a couple of years now.

Good handle in the medium breeze, I usually have a blast at 4-5bft using a 5.5 sail. Bit hard to tack around, especially in high winds (like most longboards). When the wind turns side-shore (quite often at my home spot - Loutsa, Athens, GR), it is relatively easy to catch the small surf on my downwind run back to the beach (especially with the tri-fin setup), which is always good fun.

All in all, a great board for me, for the medium breeze range. Combines longboard sailing ability with relatively little weight (due to the bamboo construction). For anything below 10 knots though, it could really use a centerboard as it gets increasingly harder to go upwind. I don't tend to go out when the wind is that low though.

I will stick to my Fly, but having said that - I am currently also looking for a freeride shortboard as my 2nd option.

Can't really comment on the LT, as I've never tried one. I have to say it looks too heavy and cumbersome for me to carry around. On the upside though, the LT is a rapidly growing fleet worldwide, with plenty of clubs and racing done every year.

In summary, I guess it comes down to what your priorities are: if you are looking for some quick and versatile longboard windsurfing, the Fly is a great board in my book. If you are more interested in e.g. organized racing etc on the other hand, the LT is definitely the way to go.

Mostly my 2 cents, hope it helps to an extent.

Best regards

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anodizer said..

Can't really comment on the LT, as I've never tried one. I have to say it looks too heavy and cumbersome for me to carry around.

The LT can feel a bit heavy and long when putting it on top of the car by myself, especially after a long sesh. I have bought a kayak-trolley for my LT so I can leave the car at home. I trundle the LT (with the boom, sail bag etc, on top) all the way to the beach and then to the water's edge where I rig it up. It's a 15 minute walk, so maybe using the car would be easier lol, but nevertheless, it feels good to roll everything to the water's edge.

Cheerio,
sf

LT holds its value better than any SUP which depreciate massively and that is going to worsen for SUPs in my opinion given their day in the sun has passed and with the new era of foiling and wing dinging. Also LT has the advantage of "one design" racing which is tops. Australian Master Games in October in Perth will have LT fleets. We are seeing interest from SUP users and kayakers who having seen regular racing (fleets of windsurfers are or have been a rarity prior to the LT) are now wanting to learn buy an LT and start racing at our club. The LT can be used as a surfboard, windsurfer on flat and waves and also as a SUP. The best use of it is racing around a course but it has many other uses and I am confident it will outperform any SUP around a course and most times anywhere I think with a sail. It is only 15kg and so 5 kg lighter than the original Windsurfer.