(Reposting from the general forum)

"Adv. Beginner" gear for Port Phillip Bay sailing.

Wall of text background ( www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/23-days-in-Vass-a-trip-report/ ).

tldr; I weigh 75-77 kg. Can waterstart, but not much else. Use the harness a bit, but still get catapulted a lot.

Best board I've used was a Fanatic Gecko 135 - very wide, thin, like a Fanatic Shark that's been steamrolled. But I only used that board once and I was told that it wasn't quite so gusty on that particular day, hence my planing success on the day. One foot in the straps at most.

Next goal: to consistently plane with both feet in the straps and to get really low (use the harness more and my poor forearms less). So what are my choices for sailing in the Bay in Melbourne?

2014 Tabou Rocket 125 L
2014 JP X-Cite Ride Plus 125 L
2014 JP Magic Rde 118 L

The last one is the most Gecko-like. I was told the X-Cite Ride Plus is less beginner-friendly in the latest shape.

Boom, mast - all alum OK?
Sail sizes?

Thanks in Advance

P.S.

I'm thinking of going somewhere really windy again for 2 weeks over X-mas. Could I be getting gear I'll be bored with soon? Ideally I want to get stuff that I'll never want to sell. I also want to buy new to get going, because I don't feel like going through the process of matching bits and pieces... Not yet, anyway. Will probably buy additional sails second-hand.

BTW, I noticed that the Classified are full of wave boards, but few intermediate, beginner boards. Years ago, when I tried my hand at hang-gliding, it was the same thing. Advanced gliders were literally a dime a dozen, while beginner/intermediate ones were fractionally cheaper than new.

Just go into one of the shops and talk to one of the guys who know windsurfing. They will give you the best advice.

Hey Dude,

Firstly good on you for taking the sport up.

The boards you are looking at are on the money. There are also other boards from the Fanatic, Naish and Starboard range that will also work well for you.

Now is also a good time to buy new kit as there is a lot of NEW last year stock getting slashed, so for a 2013 board and sail you should be saving around 30% give or take.

Its awesome that you are water-starting. I was in the straps and harness well before I got competent at water-starts.

For you a 130L board looks like on the money. And something a little free-ride orientated will be more forgiving on the bay chop.

The magic ride is really wide and may be a little harsh on the windier days, but both the other are proven in the bay. Also look at the JP AllRide. I hear that its a great bay board.

So a board that you can buy now and never sell eh... well I am a real advocate for WindSUPs and some even come with foot strap holes which is great. WindSUPs are so versatile that you will keep it pretty much forever.

After that there are a whole bunch of intermediate freeride options from all the brands and as you know there is nothing out there second hand because everyone keeps them.

As for dedicated windsurfing boards to learn on. You will grow out of them, regardless of what they are. They will be either tricky to learn. I would get something that's good for your level now and then simply resell it. You will get a good price, because as you know they are like hens teeth.

Look at spending around 1600 for your first new board.

Sails:

Get sails that are reinforced. They don't have to be new, but strong panels will forgive your catapults. Second hand you should be getting 1-2 year old sails for around $300 and the main size for your ability will be between 5-6m. Again, look at freeride sails with x-ply panels and no cams.

Mast: Get something thats at least 60% carbon. 430-460 to suit the sail size.

Boom: At your level Alloy is OK. This could last 2 years depending on how delicate you are. They eventually bend over time and you will end up getting another one. If money is no object then carbon is the dogs bollocks, although it is overkill for a learner. You will notice the difference once you get more competent. If the object.

Get a mast/nose protector. This will save you hundreds in repair costs.

Regarding Holiday: Cheap getaway would be Sandy Point ir Inverloch. Inlet is great for learning and Surf beach is great for wave sailing. My advice is to stay in the inlet for the time being. 2 weeks in the inlet you will be planning in the straps and maybe even gybing depending on how persistent you are. There are also heaps of helful windsurfers there on any windy day. I am sure that they will help you out with you technique.

Most importantly, for the future of your windsurfing, so that you continue and not get bored of it - get some windsurfing mates. Best that they are just above your level. Sail with them, make it social, egg each other on. Film each other. Get involved with the what's going on around you. Lone windsurfers have a tendency to become complaisant.

Good Luck.

Solid advice there jermaldan.

I second all of it.

Hey cranky.

To answer your question from the other forum I'm 75kg

Cranky

There is a starboard futura 133l for sale in Vic right now. $1100. Jump on it!

Click on the buy & sell button

jermaldan,

Awesome advice. Thanks! I learned to waterstart before straps and harness because there was no other way where I learned. Uphauling was just ridiculous in such strong gusty winds.

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jermaldan said..


get some windsurfing mates.

Yes.... apart from a few shortcomings that windsurfing mates have

You're all ready to sail together and they walk off to buy a strong latte halfway through rigging up (Kurt)
They drag your kit through the weed at the end of the day (Jerzy)
They don't sail because they have torn their ass muscles (James)
They phone you up at 6am all winter trying to talk you into driving to Sandy when you're tired (Tom)
They take up stupid sports like flying helicopters (Tom), supping (everyone seemingly) and kiting (it's ok, you can marry one another, I'm happy for you, I wouldn't mind if my son was one etc, but to have a mate become one all of a sudden is something to adjust to)
When you phone them at 6am in winter they refuse to share driving to Sandy (Kurt)
Get incredibly hungover and refuse to sail in 35knots at ricketts at dawn
Call up when you're hungover and try to make you sail in 35 knots at dawn
They ask you relentless questions about whether yours is monocoque and how many litres it has (Kurt)
They fall asleep when you're driving back (me and Evan)
Have an amazing day's sailing on days when you want to blame the conditions for having a **** day (Darren and everyone else)
Have a bad day's sailing and sit in the van with a grumpy face all the way home meaning that you can't bang on about what a great day you had (various)
Catapult onto the nose of your board (nathan)
Tear holes in your sails (various)
Scrape your fins up the beach (various)
Complain when you land their boards flat in front of them (various)
Get good too fast and make you feel like a loser (various)
Not complain when you take them in conditions that are well outside of their comfort zone then proceed to make holes in their own faces with their kit in the shorebreak (Stuart)
Laugh when your break your kit in comedy ways (me - sorry Jan)
Get new girlfriends who stop them windsurfing (people I've now forgotten)

Yes.... apart from a few shortcomings that windsurfing mates have

You're all ready to sail together and they walk off to buy a strong latte halfway through rigging up (Kurt)

They drag your kit through the weed at the end of the day (Jerzy)

They don't sail because they have torn their ass muscles (James)

They phone you up at 6am all winter trying to talk you into driving to Sandy when you're tired (Tom)

They take up stupid sports like flying helicopters (Tom), supping (everyone seemingly) and kiting (it's ok, you can marry one another, I'm happy for you, I wouldn't mind if my son was one etc, but to have a mate become one all of a sudden is something to adjust to)

When you phone them at 6am in winter they refuse to share driving to Sandy (Kurt)

Get incredibly hungover and refuse to sail in 35knots at ricketts at dawn

Call up when you're hungover and try to make you sail in 35 knots at dawn

They ask you relentless questions about whether yours is monocoque and how many litres it has (Kurt)

They fall asleep when you're driving back (me and Evan)

Have an amazing day's sailing on days when you want to blame the conditions for having a **** day (Darren and everyone else)

Have a bad day's sailing and sit in the van with a grumpy face all the way home meaning that you can't bang on about what a great day you had (various)

Catapult onto the nose of your board (nathan)Tear holes in your sails (various)

Scrape your fins up the beach (various)

Complain when you land their boards flat in front of them (various)

Get good too fast and make you feel like a loser (various)

Not complain when you take them in conditions that are well outside of their comfort zone then proceed to make holes in their own faces with their kit in the shorebreak (Stuart D)

Laugh when your break your kit in comedy ways (me - sorry Jan)

Get new girlfriends who stop them windsurfing (people I've now forgotten)
Extented version:

You all decide on where to go, everyone is on their way or rigged up, then you say I'm going somewhere else 50km away (Stuart GP)

You recommend the smallest sail possible, and smallest board available, and then mock your mates for rigging bigger - all the while you pretend the walk of shame is completely normal at Elwood (Stuart GP)

Post sail beers you buy a round of drinks for your mates, when you were drinking pints, now you are drinking pots (Stuart GP)

You turn up an hour before planned, rig up, then dance around your mates complaining how slow they are at rigging up, and they only just pulled into the car park (Stuart GP)

You draw large cock and balls on peoples cars GP

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Rosobot said...
You draw large cock and balls on peoples cars GP

Average size cock and balls

Other short comings...

They get new shiny kit that means you have to buy new shiny kit (all team riders)
They emigrate to wa and you can't hang out with them anymore (Nathan)
They buy vans without rust and make you feel jealous (everyone else)
They get tans instead of red blistering (beautiful people)

They talk you into sailing at their local, where you end up covered in red pubic hair like weed, underpowered on a 7m and smelly, while others have gone another beach have sailed powered up on 5m. (GP)

They invite you for a weekend sailing at Sandy and stay at a cabin they have access to, then tell you at the last minute "that will be $150 please". (GP)

They tell you to hurry up and get to the beach for a sail. Then you turn up they are not there because they decided to make cupcakes for their wife. (GP)

Talk you into wave sailing and tell you they'll film you , and when you have a great wave or stack they are too busy laughing and filming the sky! (GP)

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jermaldan said...
Talk you into wave sailing and tell you they'll film you , and when you have a great wave or stack they are too busy laughing and filming the sky! (GP)

The violent contraction of every muscle in my body meant I could barely stand upright, let alone see through the tears of laughter

Learn how to carve gybe in 1993, then spend the next 20 years doing jack all and hanging crap on people. (GP)

Talk yourself up as the alpha male extreme mans man, and then continuously send you mates picture of your cats. Awwwww. (GP)

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jermaldan said...
Talk yourself up as the alpha male extreme mans man, and then continuously send you mates picture of your cats. Awwwww. (GP)

But Vladimir is so cute.

And you're right, I do curse my own lady DNA every time I see you check in at sandringham emergency on Facebook after a big free ride session at Bonbeach. And I'll never get through 7m sails like you.. you big hairy Russian man beast.

Be careful, as they may fain support as you are learning with a comment like "I'll keep an eye on you if you get in trouble", only to go off and enjoy there own sail time whilst you do in fact get in trouble. Later, coming to the rescue, they then use their own heroics to chat to the hottest girl on the beach! (GP)
... Or during rigging up, they debate the use of their 82 ltr board, 83, 84, 86, or 87 ltr board, ultimately picking one of them and a small sail, talking you in to the same, before letting you be totally underpowered whilst he is off leveraging his 20 plus years of experience and constantly planing. (GP)
... Or keeping an emergency roll of toilet paper on the dash for "emergency" purposes only for that emergency to occur 20 seconds from the house at Sandy (GP)
... Or always announcing his departure from a hard days sailing at the Sandy inlet with a series of donuts in his front wheel drive, rusted van at close to 4kmh (GP)

Hmm. This thread has somehow become very me focused.

In hindsight windsurfing mates... I mean... who needs enemies when you have mates like this? LOL

Just illustrating the fun you can have with windsurfing mates!