Hi guys. What do you consider as a minimum wind for windsurf sailing for a 186 lbs guy? In a beach break up to 1m wave and an intermediate windsurfer? In theory I will be using a 5.5

If you get a board that is at your minimum uphaul volume, like a 115L dyno (I'm similar weight to you), you can get out in non-planing wind on a 5.5 and just do float and ride.

You just need enough wind to get through the shorebreak. It's easier if it's not dead onshore wind, but more sideshore. And if you are having problems waterstarting you can just lower your boom some more to get closer to the board. It's better with more wind but having a small sail is also pretty chill for float and ride sessions.

It's harder when there's more ripcurrent, and you'll want to be well powered and have the right fin(s).

8 -10 knots for float and ride if you have the uphaul and tacking skills.
Lots of fun being able to tack just in front of a wave and get on it just as it gets steep.
Good idea to get a board +25L above body weight in Kg say 110L and then go smaller as the skills improve.
Is the 1m the shore break or the size of the wave?
Need a bit more wind or good timing with shore break. Don't start in onshore wind as the wave gives a wind shadow and makes getting out and front side riding harder.
Good luck

I'm the same weight as you and use a Goya Custom 114. I prefer to go out in where I can just barely waterstart so as long as I've got a gust at 13-14knts occasionally I can go.
I can uphaul but generally want to be able to waterstart especially in high swell.

DC

It really depends what the wind direction looks like. If very off shore sometimes you can waveride with 8-10 knots. If cross-cross on you would like to plane, otherwise can't get out neither ride a wave.

Assuming the wind is cross-shore, here are the setups I prefer at 75 kilos:
No planing but reliably waterstart-able, down to about 14 knots: 5.9 on a gunny 92 liter if the faces are head high up to triple overhead, and 5.9 on a 100 liter if not much over head high.
Possible waterstart but may need to uphaul: 5.9 on the 100 liter. Uphauling in anything much over 10 foot faces gets pretty sketchy.
No chance to waterstart and waves not much bigger than just overhead: 5.3 on 120 to 145 liter wave-SUP with mast attachment. Once the wind is too light for the 5.9 to add waterstart power or power on the wave, the 5.3 is easier to uphaul and lighter to throw around. This works great down to about 5 knots if the waves are not over one meter or there is any kind of channel. Easy to uphaul, easy to tack, and pleasant sailing with the longer waterline. A wave-SUP with a sail getting trashed in anything much bigger than overhead usually means that something is going to get damaged. The reason I go to SUPs once over 100 liters is that I don't like wide -tailed boards in the surf, and my wave-SUPs have nice pulled in tails.

What 5.9 are you using? My biggest sail is a 6.3 Fringe but I'm finding it just too big for my biggest waveboard and marginal on the WindSUP.

I'm 92kg and use a 104L waveboard if I can waterstart reliably, a 106L Hypernut if I can't or if the faces are under shoulder high.

It's rare we get more than head high without significant wind.

Select to expand quote

obijohn said..
Assuming the wind is cross-shore, here are the setups I prefer at 75 kilos:
No planing but reliably waterstart-able, down to about 14 knots: 5.9 on a gunny 92 liter if the faces are head high up to triple overhead, and 5.9 on a 100 liter if not much over head high.
Possible waterstart but may need to uphaul: 5.9 on the 100 liter. Uphauling in anything much over 10 foot faces gets pretty sketchy.
No chance to waterstart and waves not much bigger than just overhead: 5.3 on 120 to 145 liter wave-SUP with mast attachment. Once the wind is too light for the 5.9 to add waterstart power or power on the wave, the 5.3 is easier to uphaul and lighter to throw around. This works great down to about 5 knots if the waves are not over one meter or there is any kind of channel. Easy to uphaul, easy to tack, and pleasant sailing with the longer waterline. A wave-SUP with a sail getting trashed in anything much bigger than overhead usually means that something is going to get damaged. The reason I go to SUPs once over 100 liters is that I don't like wide -tailed boards in the surf, and my wave-SUPs have nice pulled in tails.

Really good notes. I'm jealous of the conditions where you're at!

Select to expand quote

Grantmac said..
What 5.9 are you using? My biggest sail is a 6.3 Fringe but I'm finding it just too big for my biggest waveboard and marginal on the WindSUP.

I'm 92kg and use a 104L waveboard if I can waterstart reliably, a 106L Hypernut if I can't or if the faces are under shoulder high.

It's rare we get more than head high without significant wind.

Try the KS3 for light wind wavesailing. I use a Fringe 6.3 with a 105 L Pyro and a KS3 6.7 with a 116 L Goya Custom Quad. The 6.7 is much easier to use in the surf. Caveat - we seldom see over shoulder high in Florida.

Nice piccie of the Fringe with a new board! It looks like there were some whitecaps out the back so you did have some wind that day. I guess that this spot is on the east coast somewhere to have attracted a bit of swell. Cheers Jens

if you want to get out in really light wind, a sailable sup is the answer. There's a guy here that can wave sail in about 5knots, he certainly beats the kiters out. He has the break all to himself.

Select to expand quote

decrepit said..
if you want to get out in really light wind, a sailable sup is the answer. There's a guy here that can wave sail in about 5knots, he certainly beats the kiters out. He has the break all to himself.

Indeed. I'm finding it's less about the added volume (in my case) and more about dimensions that have enough stability to easily slog combined with a rocker designed just for turning at slow speed.
That said I with I had another 10L in the Hypernut.

What wind/wave direction? Type of sailing moves?

depends how much effort you want to put in