Hi,

Any advice on which size of sail and what board can I start with ?

I'vbe sailed for many years but have done windsurfing just a couple of times like 5 years ago.

Any advice welcome, Cheers

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How do we advise you on gear choice, without any information on your height/weight/skills/location/what sort of windsurfing you want to do - more info you give us, the more we can help.

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gustok said...

Hi,

Any advice on which size of sail and what board can I start with ?

I'vbe sailed for many years but have done windsurfing just a couple of times like 5 years ago.

Any advice welcome, Cheers

The best advice is to go an do a lesson or two with an instructor and then discuss your options with him. Don't just go out and buy kit. It will be an expensive mistake to make if you balls it up.

I'm in almost the same boat, except I'm after a second hand board I can put my kids on; 10 - 13 years old. I'm a reasonable sailor, but it's been many years since I've been on a windsurfer. Are there any 'rules of thumb' in working out the 'best' height/weight/displacement of a board and sail size? Are there any pointers to what's what when it comes to boards and sails? I assume a fair bit has changed in the last 20 years!

Pop into a windsurfing shop. They will only be too delighted to show you what they have and advise you on what would suit your size, skill and type of windsurfing. If you don't like the budget they are proposing you then have an idea of what to look out for on the buy and sell here.

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coldwombat said...

I'm in almost the same boat, except I'm after a second hand board I can put my kids on; 10 - 13 years old. I'm a reasonable sailor, but it's been many years since I've been on a windsurfer. Are there any 'rules of thumb' in working out the 'best' height/weight/displacement of a board and sail size? Are there any pointers to what's what when it comes to boards and sails? I assume a fair bit has changed in the last 20 years!

Love your profile pic..!

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coldwombat said...

I'm in almost the same boat, except I'm after a second hand board I can put my kids on; 10 - 13 years old. I'm a reasonable sailor, but it's been many years since I've been on a windsurfer. Are there any 'rules of thumb' in working out the 'best' height/weight/displacement of a board and sail size? Are there any pointers to what's what when it comes to boards and sails? I assume a fair bit has changed in the last 20 years!

This applies to you too gustok.

Try the most accepted formula, (W) + (R) = (V).
W is your weight
R is the rig (sail/mast/boom/wetsuit/ringing wet etc.) which rounds out between a generous and theoretical 20-30kg.
V is the volume total in kg and convert to litres; 1kg =1 litre

Example: My weight is 100kg + rig 20-30kg = 120-130 litre board

This should give you a board that you can uphaul. Going larger is OK and offers more floatation and is better for beginners. Going smaller is for the ambitious or someone with previous solid windsurfing experience expecting to sail in mid to high winds. Be aware though that modern boards are much wider and shorter than they used to be and more stable because of this.

It's a pretty big ask I reckon for a rig to suit all of you. Sail sizes are difficult to recommend, kids especially 10-13 can vary greatly in height and weight with the 13 year old maybe creeping into the small adult sizes. Chances are they would not be able to use gear that suits you and use it comfortably even if the sail is a smaller size. It can be done but I'm sure it would put them off the sport pretty quickly as it could be too bulky for them. Kids rigs are the go.

I've returned to the sport only this year after a 20 year hiatus too, and yes the gear has changed and is mind boggling. However all board and sail makers do have designs to suit from kids to pros.

I think WA has the most windsurfing shops in the country, drop in and ask to see what beginner stuff they have and take note of brands. It took me nearly 6 months of research to work out what I needed for the type of sailing I wanted to do. This forum helped me heaps.

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nosinkanow said...

coldwombat said...

I'm in almost the same boat, except I'm after a second hand board I can put my kids on; 10 - 13 years old. I'm a reasonable sailor, but it's been many years since I've been on a windsurfer. Are there any 'rules of thumb' in working out the 'best' height/weight/displacement of a board and sail size? Are there any pointers to what's what when it comes to boards and sails? I assume a fair bit has changed in the last 20 years!

This applies to you too gustok.

Try the most accepted formula, (W) + (R) = (V).
W is your weight
R is the rig (sail/mast/boom/wetsuit/ringing wet etc.) which rounds out between a generous and theoretical 20-30kg.
V is the volume total in kg and convert to litres; 1kg =1 litre

Example: My weight is 100kg + rig 20-30kg = 120-130 litre board

This should give you a board that you can uphaul. Going larger is OK and offers more floatation and is better for beginners. Going smaller is for the ambitious or someone with previous solid windsurfing experience expecting to sail in mid to high winds. Be aware though that modern boards are much wider and shorter than they used to be and more stable because of this.

It's a pretty big ask I reckon for a rig to suit all of you. Sail sizes are difficult to recommend, kids especially 10-13 can vary greatly in height and weight with the 13 year old maybe creeping into the small adult sizes. Chances are they would not be able to use gear that suits you and use it comfortably even if the sail is a smaller size. It can be done but I'm sure it would put them off the sport pretty quickly as it could be too bulky for them. Kids rigs are the go.

I've returned to the sport only this year after a 20 year hiatus too, and yes the gear has changed and is mind boggling. However all board and sail makers do have designs to suit from kids to pros.

I think WA has the most windsurfing shops in the country, drop in and ask to see what beginner stuff they have and take note of brands. It took me nearly 6 months of research to work out what I needed for the type of sailing I wanted to do. This forum helped me heaps.

I think Id err on the add extra kgs ( > 30kgs) to be safe.Im 64kgs & I have a 95ltre board ( weight + 30) but I havent learned how to uphaul it in anything more than flat water & Im an intermediate..Maybe if I persevered I could but it would be too much for someone just starting out..

Thanks no sink & crazy. That's just the info I need to be able to start asking sensible questions. It looks like I'll probably need two sails for the kids given their different weight and strenght. I'm not so worried if I can't use the board as well. It's more for their benefit atm.