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KOLoughlin said..

... I have managed to pick up a JP Funster board which looks good but need a rig. Manly looking at freestyle riding at this stage. Any comments are greatly appreciated...............many thanks in advance.

...........KO

Have a look at www.windsurf.co.uk/test/ for some information on various sails. There is never usually a clear 'winner' since the magazine doesn't want to alienate any potential advertisers, but at least you can get a general idea of performance against comparable products for a category. I know the guys who do the tests (from the OTC), so if you have any particular questions I'd be happy to follow up for you. Buy a mast that suits the sail you get, and go as high a carbon content as possible if you can afford it. I don't know about the local market since I bought all my gear whilst I was temporarily living in the UK, but a lot of brands would sell their previous years stock for 40-45% off which is worth considering if an option.

As for sail size, depends on your weight and what conditions you plan to sail in. I only started sailing again a couple years ago after 20 years off and my first sail back was a Gaastra Matrix 7.0 which suited me for most conditions at around 85kgs. If you start off with a no cam sail in the 6-7 range you would be pretty safe, and then you can grow your quiver from there.

Cheers,

Justin

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KOLoughlin said..
Hey thanks to all who replied to my post. It 's been an interesting read !

I had no intention to offend anyone or any retail outlet. Perhaps I used the term "token" a little bit too loosely. I was referring to the many shops we had here in SA back in the 1980's and 1990's and the abundance of second hand equipment around.

Thanks to all those who replied to my post publicly and privately. I have learned a lot more than I expected and now have several avenues to chase up. I am most impressed with the Seabreeze site and all its members..................Cheers

Hey I wouldn't apologise for using the word TOKEN..... and if the peanut who owns it wants to have a dig at SA sailors and Windsurfing SA, Id say get a new business plan cos Im sure his attitude on here has encouraged no one to visit Windsurfing central.... Strathalbyn. hahaha

Youll find 99% of windsurfers super helpful on the water and beach, not to mention the second hand gear that everyone generally has in their shed.

It has been made blatantly clear to me here that a large number of windsurfers in SA have no interest in having a windsurfing shop in SA and certainly not one in Strathalbyn.

Have to agree I made a mistake locating it in Strathalbyn it was a bit too far for most to drive. Being located on a road to Goolwa and Middleton from Adelaide was a mistake.

Bringing brands not currently being sold in Australia was also a mistake seems most people are reluctant to try something different.

Looks like there is no point keeping it open.

Probably a good thing as it has never made money in 5 years and I have not paid myself. I was stupid to think that people might appreciate someone investing hundreds of thousands of dollars and time and energy in windsurfing in SA but I am obviously wrong. I guess when you are not making any money on a sale you tend to become very indifferent when people treat you like **.

There seems to be this idea there is lots of money to be made from selling windsurfing gear in Australia. I never expected to make any money just breaking even the market is not big enough (Windsurfing shops have been closing down or getting out of windsurfing in SA.) but have been frustrated by the assumption of many of the huge mark-ups made.

I tried to ensure the shop was well stocked with gear and people could come in and get the majority of windsurfing gear they wanted without having to wait for it to be ordered in. It has been good to hear when people first come into the shop to express how much gear is in stock. I guess that was not enough as the shop is still referred to as a token effort usually by people who have not been to the shop.

Guess it is easier for people to buy online. Interestingly the most positive support for the shop has come from interstate online customers not sure what that says about SA.

It is probably better someone else to throw their own money away on the growing and thriving windsurfing community in SA.

I am sure there will be trolls out there that will rush to post their vitriol.

I guess it is time I get off my a** and do something for windsurfing SA (Strangely I am still listed as a windsurfingSA member on the windsurfing SA website!) www.windsurfing.org/sa.htm. I need to get off my A** and spend my money on myself rather than supporting a unwanted windsurfing shop.
Thanks for the hypocrisy saying you endorse what was said then the next line claim the windsurfing SA is crying out for people. If it is not in decline why are you crying out for people surely there are lots of them around. Interestingly there has not been another WindsurfingSA post here maybe I had a point.

Windsurfing is a great sport but running a windsurfing shop quickly destroys all your delusions.

Now you have a dilemma do you red thumb the post or Green thumb the post. Either way it can be read both ways!

G'day KOLoughlin
I recon that getting a sail and mast in the same brand is important. It sounds like a twin cam 6m would suit you. There's a $225 6m HSM twin cam for sail on Seabreeze in SA at the moment. I think Gareth is selling HSM Hot Rods 97% masts to suit for $260 ( normally $650 there abouts) The HSMs are soft tops and this makes them easy to use in gusty condition, in all conditions. If your wanting a bigger sail, i have a 7.3 in the same model as the one above and you can have it for $200. Buying one brand is a sensible thing to do.
A stiff boom is also important, especially where it attatches the mast. Find a second hand Aeron V grip or carbon boom and check the tight fitment.
Fins are sooo important. They must grip well when u push on the tail. The thinner narrower ones are slippery so find ones that are wider and longer till you get the feel of what is going on.
Some advice for Gareth. I worked front counter retail for more than 20 years and noticed that my first boss never upset a customer with opinions , personal or otherwise, ever and he is highly regarded in our community. As soon as you have an opinion you loose half your customers, and if you have many opinions, well you know where i'm going. The red thumbs are your clue.

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sputnik said..

Unless Aeron have produced wider models of the V Grip, I would avoid them like the plague. They are extremely heavy and the model I owned was basically a wave sail profile, which was no good for freeride and slalom sails. I wouldn't recommend them for a beginner. If KO is under 80kg, then a wide Aluminum boom will do the job during his beginner and intermediate phases. Further down the track with some skills under his belt, he can then decide to go carbon.

Yeah, I agree with you about the fins They are a personal accessory. I like wide chord fins like the Black Project and Makani fins, but wide chord does not suit everybody.

Jason, the weight of the boom is not important in this instance. However, the strength is. I have broken many allu booms but the V grip has almost broken me. There are other brands of V grip that would also will be strong and affordable second hand. The one hanging in my shed is freestyle profile and has been 37 knots.

KOLoughlin, i would not advise buying a round profile allu boom. They always break, especially if you've got muscles.

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sputnik said..
The one hanging in my shed is freestyle profile and has been 37 knots.

OK, you've done 37 knots, I haven't. I won't argue with you

After all the bitchy whining from legless and the rest of you girls.
Did anyone help this bloke out with some gear.

Mate i reckon i've got a 5m severne protoype you can have to get you going.

Ha ha ha , that was an awesome read.
I just windsurf cos it's fun.
Heaps of good secondhand gear dirt cheap if you talk to the right people

Wow it has just become quite obvious to me that it hasn't been windy for a long time and it's really making some people crabby! Surfing season is so on!