So basically I am looking at buying some windsurfing gear because I love the water and I dont have a boat right now and when the wind is up I cant surf.
I have done some windsurfing before and have the basics down.
Im looking at getting some gear that will allow me to go out when it is in the wind range of 15-30 knots and will help me progress. The main aim is to have a bit of fun burning around and if i get good enough have some fun in the surf.
Right now I have zero gear but money to spend.
Im around 180 cm tall and weight range is 72-80 kilos.
Bascially I need some help and advice and maybe some guidance on what I should buy in terms of sail, board and other gear. I will mainly be sailing in semi-enclosed harbour (Coffs Harbour, NSW) or exposed beaches if I am good enough.
I've had my eye on neil pryde sails and JP boards.
Any comments/suggestions on sail and board brand and size would be helpful
Cheers
Rhys
It kinda depends on whether you want to emphasise flat water sailing or open ocean sailing, not necessarily wave sailing.
It's hard to go past a JP Freestyle Wave board, as an all-round do-no-wrong board that does everything well. They plane easily, gybe well, and are very forgiving. They are also very popular and so there are plenty around and they have good re-sale. I'm a smidge over 80kg and found the 101L a good size, though many people would suggest bigger.
Alternatively, a Freestyle board makes a great light wind blaster on both flat and broken water , and I swapped my FSW for one this year and have been very pleased with it. They plane easily, are very fast, and gybe very well. Probably not as wave friendly for down teh line line stuff of big steep swells, but that's what the other board is for.
I had to get a bunch of new sails this year, and went for Pryde Alpha wave sails. A 6.2 is a good size, lots of grunt but holds 22-25kts at a pinch. I'm one of those simian grunts that likes being over-powered though, rather than being under-powered. I got a 5.8 too, which is a sweet sail.
Lots of cool Starboard boards too. The GO range is attracting my attention at present for light winds and flat water.
Both the 6.2 and 5.8 will rig on a 430 RDM mast grab a nice new extension and boom and you are set to go.
I reckon you need to try some gear out before making the decision.
Board choice will depend on how far you've already gone with the basics and how quickly you're likely to improve, which probably relates to how much time you're going to spend on the water.
You can get caught in the dilemma of maybe buying a board which you can grow out of quickly, versus buying something a bit too advanced that's bloody frustrating in the early stages and slows down your progress.
I'd get together with someone who can let you try a board or 2 and let them have a look at where you're at, then advise. If you don't know someone, then someone in your area on the forum might assist, or else there are always the shops.
Hi guys
You need the following:
1. A lovely large rack of 2010 model boards to choose from
2. A lovely large shed of Rigs to choose from
3. 25 kots every day of Constant S.E. trade winds to play in.
4. Warm tropical waters - NO wetsuits needed here!
then you can decide, now where could that be? Try Fiji.
Rgds
Warren
Good on ya for wanting to get back into it, I'd suggest you try some secondhand freeride gear at first, even amongst the freeride gear you can get stuff biased toward blasting or waves so look around. Don't get too hung up on brands yet, better to look at some of the board test write-ups and see what boards suit your intended direction. I prefer the Loft O2 freeride sails as they have great wind range and are a good price. I also use KA koyoyes but feel they are much more of a freerace sail, wave sails may be a good direction too if your looking that way. Also beware the NP sails use a different mast bend to 'most' other sails so its hard to swap sail types later if you've got NP masts to use, I've been there and won't go back, BUT they do make very good sails. Don't get into second hand masts or booms, just my 2c. Good luck
If you have the basics and are looking to progress board and sail brands are irrelevant. You won't notice the difference.
What basics do you have?
Being able to uphaul, sail 100m and then do a wobbly tack holding onto the uphaul rope and come back without falling in, in say 8 knots, is very different to the same skill set but you have been planing in 15knots of breeze and using a harness a bit.
One thing that is certain in getting back into it is you will crash and catapult a lot. Don't waste your money on the best and latest yet because there is a good chance you will smash the nose of your board or put your harness hook through the sail. Especially if you're like I was at the start and go out in conditions you were strong enough to handle but lack the skill and finesse to really control the rig.
Only thing that may matter in relation to brands at the start, particularly sail brands, is that some seem to be geared towards high performance at the expence of durability, and that performance will only be apparent when you're an advanced sailor. Personally I love lots of x-ply in my sails.
Good luck
rhysmara, i believe there are some friendly locals your way that post on this forum, you should try having a chat to them on the beach, they would be able to help you out with what gear is best for where you sail, and also, may have some second hand stuff that would be good for learning on. Thou atm, its not that windy, and pretty cold so they may all be in hibernation.
Try 'dism'.
btw, you may need to give more detailed information about your skill level. Are you planing in footstraps and harness? What sized gear have you sailed in the past?
Based on what you have said thou, I think a big wavesail 5.8-6.2m and a freeride or freestyle wave board about 100L or bigger would be something that would get a lot of use. Brand is generally irrelevant, most of the major brands sell pretty decent gear.
If you are looking to buy new, take a look at the Naish and Fanatic range, they seem to have officially lowered their RRP prices due to the AUD doing well, so the brand new boards are going for <$2000 instead of $2500+ that they were at the start of the year. At this stage I haven't seen any of the other brands officially lower their prices, thats not to say that they haven't. There seems to be a lot of big price variations on the market at the moment, so shopping around can save you a lot of money
Hi,
I have two Tabou Rockets and I've found them to be very good boards. Both were bought second hand and at this stage there is no need for me to update or replace them. I'm sure other board brands are as equally as good so if you can get a second hand board that is less than five years old then it should be fine. When I got back into windsurfing after a bit of a break I bought a Tabou Rocket 140. I found it an amazingly easy and comfortable board to ride.
A board of around this size will always be useful as there are so many days where its good to have something that easily floats you and is stable enough to ride home if the wind drops. Perhaps go a bit smaller if you want one board to sail in stronger winds on rougher water.
With sails again if you get a sail reasonably modern then it should be fine. Last year I purchased three Loft 02 sails, a 5.9m, 6.6m and 7.4m. What attracted me to them was the price, the good reputation they have and the fact they have variable tops. The three of them can rig on a 460cm mast. The price was quite good, they were 09 models purchased towards the end of the year and I bought the three of them for about $1600.
I used to live in Coffs and sailed in the harbour. It wasn't too bad. There used to be a lot of people windsurfing in Coffs but there are not that many people sailing there anymore.
