Hi All
I am keen to get back into windsurfing next season after a long break and plan to buy some gear. I can (could!) waterstart easily on a waveboard, and ocean sailed in WA, but never managed to nail my gybes. I'm thinking about buying a floaty easy gybing board to practice my gybes on at the Spit in the Richmond River (for anyone who knows Ballina), before getting back into ocean sailing on small/ flat days on the spring nor easters. I weigh 60kg, and was thinking of buying an 104 litre All Ride or something similar to get started on - ideally pick up a simple second hand rig for around $1000, and upgrade when I've slayed the gybe. Early planing in marginal conditions would fit the bill. Even if the kit is a few years old, it's going to be far more update than the last gear I sold from the mid 90s! Your suggestions gladly accepted.

You are a brave man sailing in that river. Too many bitey things and current for my liking. Good luck!!

Starboard atom 100 would be a real good board to get the most around fun ,easy to jibe good top speed and can take 5mtr up to 7 mtr with ease.

Give us a yell when you get some gear as I sail there a bit but always looking for others to sail with.

Great place to sail, sailed it for over 15 years.

welcome back...at 60kg a 104 will be a good floater for you.as well as handle a good blow .
sails .5.5 and 6.5 is a good start for you .
It s good you have a few contacts that sail there.they are the boys to talk to .

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nerdycross said...
Starboard atom 100 would be a real good board to get the most around fun ,easy to jibe good top speed and can take 5mtr up to 7 mtr with ease.

Excellent advice. Get the smallest free move board possible: atom, firemove, rocket wide, gecko, magic ride, etc..

First go on the forum I'm impressed!
Thanks Ezric for the give us a yell offer. Will do, cheers!.
Sick_em_rex, I'm hearing you. Once I get that gybe sorted you may find me back in the ocean. At least we've got the shark planes round here at the moment!
F2, good to hear a thumbs up for the region, really looking forward to getting back in the water.
Nerdycross, I've read the reviews and love the sound of the Atom. Frothing. Hard to find secondhand from a superficial scan of the classifieds, but will keep an eye out. Will also research MrCranky's alternatives (ta). Can feel a bigger spend coming on. What the heck.
Tardy, sail sizes noted, should have me covered for a range of scenarios I reckon.
Signing out, goin shoppin. HW

This one has your name on it.
www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Windsurfing-Boards/~v9ui7/2016-Starboard-Atomiq-3Dx-239-cm-104-litres.aspx

You'll be able to keep it as light wind board even after you have improved enough to go for smaller boards. They have massive sail range, are very stable under foot. I think they sail different to traditional freeride shapes - you don't really camp on the back foot, you need more front foot pressure, more like a fsw. After I got my rocket wide, I quickly progressed to a small fsw because of this (I had struggled mightily with small boards when I had a traditional rocket). Imo, freeride, freerace are all converging on the same wide thin shape ie freemove. Just look at the shape evolution of the freeride and freerace boards on the manufacturers sires.

You are gonna love it. Ive just got back on the water after a 15 year break. The new gear is so nice.