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And that was.... You're going to have a hard time trying to up haul and get moving when it's blowing 12-15k onshore with around 0.8m swell and breaking waves. Climb on, uphaul, board moves side on to the swell, things get very wobbly and back into the drink I go before building any speed.
location was Seaford/Carrum beach in Vic on a SW breeze. Can anyone recommend any better spots nearby for this type of breeze that's more protected?
Felt like i me I just wasted my bloody time today. 
In a SW you'll struggle to uphaul anywhere from Carrum around to St Kilda by the sound of it. The wind is going to be onshore to cross onshore all the way in a SW'er.
What sort of gear are you on?
Thanks Sputnik - I'm on a Starboard Rio (180ltr) and 6m sail - I'm 188cm and 100kgs - guess I just have to wait for the SE & NE breezes
Head down to rye just right of the sailing club, nice and flat,plenty of sandbars and is a great spot to learn,can be sailed in any wind direction with lighter winds.
Keep at it DaveSeaford - it's a great sport and lots of really nice people out there happy to help. Like you Dave I am also a learner - I did cheat a bit with a bigger board 220L, it was a bit more stable for my heavy weight - I am 105kgs.
I have been told that onshore is best (safest) for us learners - if we run into trouble as we can, it is just a matter of sitting on the board and the wind blows us to shore. I head to different spots in varying wind directions always where there is onshore breeze. One exception Lake Cootharaba, near Noosa, where you can stand up virtually all over the lake so if I get into trouble I can walk to shore 
Time on the water they say and as you learn you will find it hard to spend as much time as you would like out there - stuff gets in the way - like work lol
I learned to beach start very early in my learning curve, to help with those situations.
Have fun and keep going
Cheers
Morgan
I have found my 180l Starboard Rio is quite wobbly for uphauling and as a slow speed learner board since it is not excessively wide at 76cm. But it is a fantastic progressive board that has performance (does 20-24 knots easily) and manoeuvreability (just plant a foot on the inside rail and it turns well when planing). It also handles all wind speeds up to 25 or 30 knots, and it is rock solid stable at speed. So certainly worth persevering with it even in the waves, but you probably want more wind (>15 knots) for a fun session in those conditions - you need to get it planing to really cope well with the waves.
We've all had days like that. As you get better at the sport they will get less and less and one day you will feel the magic. Planing over the waves is an experience that you will love and yes it is addictive. It takes effort but the rewards are there. As others have mentioned, beach and water starting are going to make it much more enjoyable and easier on the back. After you can reliably get up and going this way, the wind direction shouldn't matter.
Don't forget
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/If-it-was-easy/
The good news is, the days that are giving you the hard times now are the same days that will give you the great times when you get the hang of it,.. water starts etc.
Keep at it. It makes success all the more rewarding. 
Frankston bottom of Olivers hill. SW is straight cross there headout on port tack. Gets gusty tho if more southerly in because of the hill. Good rig up spot behind the bus stop. Just sail out up wind of the no watercraft zone.
Just wait until the wind drops when you are out on your 78 liter board and you have to uphaul with the water lapping around your knee caps to get home. Then you'll know the definition of wobbly. 
Yeah. Dead onshore with waves can be very, very tricky. Add in marginal wind, short wave period and you'll look like a kook, guaranteed. Add in kites buzzing past you and you'll want to give the sport up.
even if you can water start very well if the wave period is short you just get up, in a wind shadow, and "bang" there's the next wave. Again and again.
Cross-onshore is the best for learning in waves me thinks. You have the right angle to get over any oncoming waves. Cross-on is damn fun actually and any intermediate will be ok in small surf. Highly recommended and some of if not the best sessions I've ever had.
then usual.
Sandringham yacht club or st Kilda yacht club and protected from the swell and easy for learning.
A 76cm wide board is too small to learn on. Especially at 100kg.
Get your hands on a 90cm wide board for a couple sessions and then go back to 76wide. Eg starboard go
You used to be able to sail at Lysterfield lake, there's no chop but it's pretty muddy. Might be ok for learning. Also try walking out beyond the shore break into deeper water.
I started sailing on a lake and it seemed to be going very well. I didn't fall in for the first 45 minutes and got to a level where I was sailing with my back to the sail - all on hired gear. I thought I had got it pretty well sussed.
Then I bought a board and went to the sea in an onshore wind and had exactly the same problem as you - in smaller waves.
Depending on how big the waves are and how onshore the wind is, you may not be able to uphaul in the shorebreak.
In directly onshore, if the waves are small enough, you have to have everything in the right place. Mast toward the rear of the board, get on very quickly and use the sail in the water to steady yourself against the first wave, but have it ready to pull it up fast and be able to balance with it by the time the next wave hits (and you need to get the board turned a bit nose to wind as well).
So very onshore wind is best avoided - as is shorebreak that's too big.
Even beach starting in a direct onshore wind with 0.8m waves is difficult, but it's a lot easier than uphauling.
