Hi All
I am starting to buy my own windsurfer. I trained at a school last season, and have
had 9 months absence from windsurfing. I was at the progression where I am ready to
learn harmless, foot scraps and planing.
For my 1st rig, I am thinking about buying a 2nd hand board, and a brand new sail,
boom and mast.
For the sail, I know pretty much what I want... so, I'm thinking about going new
(Global 5.4 wave? sail , mavi sails alloy boom, mavi sails SRS75/400 skinny mast).
However, I have been quoted a funny sort of mast called a "skinny". I have never
used one. I was wondering: Has anyone had a play with one of these ?
I find the board a bit difficult to decide. I am thinking about getting a 2nd hand
freeride board (with centre board), approxmately 130L or so. I may or may not
grow out of the board. If I do, then i've only paid 2nd hand price. Nb/ I'm about
62kg and about 175cm high.
I'm still a total numpty (be gentle ;), and I would like some advice with my thoughts.
I figured that once I get a few weeks of solid windsurfing under my belt, I will
get better and I will quickly out grow the board... but I don't want something so
hard to control and so over powered that I won't progress.
Cheers ;)
Jason
well with the skinny question,
skinny masts are the best thing since sliced bread, unless the sail isnt designed for it...
i dont know about the sails your asking about, but with the super freak, a skinny or RDM, makes it a more powerfull and wave feeling sail, where as a SDM makes it a more low power free ride sail, giving it limited wind range... but that isnt to say for all sails,
best thing is ask if you can rig the sail up on the skinny and if it doesnt look good, get a sdm but only if it is a better shape, because most sails now are going towards skinnies for best performance..
so i hope that helps
Get a decent new style board of the volume you suggested. A board of this volume will initially make your sailing easier. As you progress and get better you can alway purchase a smaller board and keep the bigger one as your light wind board.
I weigh around 75kgs and bought a second hand Tabou Rocket 140. Its a very nice and easy board to sail. My biggest sail is a 6.5 and I find I am getting going as quickly as anyone else where others are using 8 or 9 meter sails.
As funds permit I will look at buying a smaller Rocket and larger sails, but that will require bigger booms, longer masts......
Get a Starboard GO. Great board to learn on. I have been progressing quite quickly since I got mine. And the good thing is they have good resale value if you want to move to a more advanced board.
I wpuld strongly suggest a Satrboard Carve 99ltr, or 110ltr
You can get a good second hand one from about $400 upwards.
I bought one when i moved to Perth and it really has bought my sailing on in leaps and bounds.
I had been struggling with my carve gybe for some time but when i got this board i cracked it the second time out on it and now im getting about 90% of them.
Ive also learnt to jump with this board and its the best feeling ever.
I really feel that my sailing has progressed so much in the last 3 months because of this board so
Starboard Carve is the way to go bro!!
)
I noticed the HARMLESS and FOOT SCRAPS typo but just thought it was ment to be a joke... and a funny one at that
hey mr knuckle,
i am also learning this game, i am 90Kg and a 144 starboard go is doing me the world of good. i would recommend a 133 or 122 go, we sound like we are at similar levels, foot slaps are the next step for me. let me know how you go, couple of good threads for advice today.
get in touch for a sail. divaldo and arlo are also in SA (dont know where you are). they are decent sorts who have helped me learn a little.
I thought the harmless was what you use to tie yourself to the wishbone thingie so you can push your weight onto the mask? It's meant to help take your weight off your feet so you don't smash your toes on the foot scraps when you're trying to get planning
Don't worry PeaKnuckle - the boys are just messing with you in a good natured way.. Don't take it too personally!
My old man has a Go 155, and it is a great board. I had it out last night in 20 knots with a 5.7m sail and was jumping it off chop. I would have been more comfortable on my 104 litre freestyle board, but it was fun overtaking the boys who were planing on their waveboards! At that size it'd be too big for you except in very light wind (I'm 85kg after a dunking).
I'd suggest not getting something too big if you're planning to progress fairly quickly. It's actually more about width than volume, because the trouble mostly comes from getting too much air under the board and being flipped over backwards. If you are a heavy guy (which you're not) you can hold more board on the water. You're pretty light, so I'd look in the 90-110 litre range to be comfortable uphauling, and somewhere around 60-65cm wide (or less) to get you planing.
The Carve as suggested earlier would be a good choice. Probably wise to look at free-ride oriented boards at this stage of your progression - freestyle boards are a bit more technical to ride.
. but she sleeps nice and sound in the shed with all the others....
. but she sleeps nice and sound in the shed with all the others....
exactly rite 555, i have figured that women are just a creation to keep you from going windsurfing and owning nice things. unless of coarse they have a van and a full windsurfing quiver than thats a different story.
Ahh jordo your gunna cry when you tear that baby in two peices up at lano on a mast high day[}:)]
still a few weeks, but im walking pretty well now, been off the crutches for a week, and its getting most of its strength back, still need it to be strapped if im on it for a while but i think by the middle of jan i will be out there again. very latest is late jan i think but i will be more carful next time i go for a heli tack in highish wind.
PK - If you want some advice look at the "buy and sell" on seabreeze - there are a few good sails on the S.A search and heaps from interstate - you could get two good recent sails a 6.0 ish and a 4.7, mast and boom for the price of a new sail.
Have a look at last years sellouts in the local shops and some of the trade -ins - don't get sucked into paying $800 or $900 for your first sail that you will probably trash while learning - you need to be a bit careful with second hand - but most of the crew around town seem to be pretty honest.
Board wise there are some bargains out there too- take Divaldos advice and talk to some of the local crew that sail we all have odds and sods - but just cannot be bothered advertising.
Good luck with getting your gear - you just need to find somewhere with water to go for a blast - see you on the water!
Thats correct Russ, we have a shed full of stuff, just that the wife is a hoarder and refuses to let it go!
We have 6 boards, at least 8 sails, only 4 that we use, as well as old harness's and other goodies.
I,ll chuck in my 2 bobs worth . PK , I don't wish to offend , but it sounds like you are still quite a beginner ?and you wish to progress to harness and planning ect ?
If so I think the smaller Starboard Go would be a good choice . Due to it,s width and stability it will be easy , and progress you fast . Sure , you will grow out of it fairly quickly , but they hold their value better than any other windsurfing board so you will have no trouble selling it later or trading up .
RPS in Melb do a really good package with Go,s and KA sails , but as you are in SA I would ring Glasscraft and put the pressure on them for a package deal . Get a good boom and mast as they will last you many years if looked after .
Thats my advice , take it or leave it .
Regards Martin
Yup.. all about context. If you don't state it, you mislead people! Such is the joy of the internet..
I'm confused though, in one post you're arguing that Jason is a beginner, and in the next we're not talking about a beginner?? Odd seeing as this is an almost beginner thread!
For the sake of correctness, the Start which I spoke of cost me $350 nzd, came in a padded bag with a 40cm fin, is 230 litres, has an eva (soft rubber) skin and is most definitely not a fragile Formula board! I believe the design is based around a formula board, but made more grunty to suit the beginner abuse. It even has a little centre fin that you can bolt in if you want. (not that you need to..)
Nothing wrong with centreboard boards. Equally, there's nothing wrong with specialised raised track-racing bicycles, but I wouldn't want to learn to ride one as my first bike!
There are pros and cons either way in the wide/narrow debate.
Hope you had a good sail!
Hi All. Wow ;). Thanks for the replies:
jord070: So, the skinny is for a specialised wave sailing rig ?
(IE: not for a beginner like myself).
greenroom: ahh, sorry. I mundle up my words when I don't proof my
messages properly. I'm a picture man ;).. with the nick, sorry about
that too. It seemed funny when I registered it.. but there again, it does
suit me.
Maveric040: I thought a free rider board was a beginner board ?
OceanBlue64: many replies seem to be recommending the Starboard GO.
It sounds like the way to go. Note also, the board must be light enough
for me to lift it on and off my car and carry it to the beach. I'm starting
to get a bad back now (it's fine, but I have to go easy with the lifting).
divaldo: I live in Elizabeth
grandfromage: Absolutely. That sounds good ;)
mr love: I am a beginner. I did about 30 hours training on a few
different rigs.. from the old long boards to the new easyride rigs. This
was at west lakes (a lake in Adelaide). I've only had two sessions on
the ocean. It did very well. I had a little go with the foot straps and
harness, but found this too difficult. This was 9 months ago.
divaldo & russh: Thanks ;). yeah, I've been looking at the buy/sell
section. If you want to sell any of your stuff, then I wouldn't mind having
a look to see if it's compatible with my skill level.
Somebody also mentioned "why am I gettting a wave sail ?" or something
like that. The reason I guess is because I really liked the handling of the
Gastra Grind 5.4 sail. When I got a quote from one of the local retailers
in Adelaide, they matched it to a Global Wave 5.4 sail.
Thanks for your advice all. This site is brilliant ;).
Cheers all ;)
Elizabeth, fark, thats a hike to the beach! Semaphore would be your local break eh?
PK, nicely done replying to all!
Free ride isn't particularly a beginner style, it's just a more cruisy, and less specialised 'discipline'. More accessible if you like. Not suited to sailing in waves, but good in most water conditions where it's not too choppy.
Skinny masts (otherwise known as RDM, or Reduced Diamater Mast) are a relatively new invention - probably everyone would use them if they could afford to. They are a smaller diameter, so upset the airflow less, and apparently spring back to shape more quickly than a regular (SDM - Standard Diameter Mast) Some sails are designed specifically to use RDM. I'm putting off trying RDM, because apparently SDM feels like rubbish after and it's really hard to go back!
The Go is pretty light for a bigger board with EVA deck(that's the foam stuff to make it soft on your knees and elbows) - around 12kg I think, although the earlier ones were a bit lighter?? http://www.star-board.com/viewpage.php?page_id=29
Wave sails tend to have an On and Off kind of approach to power where a free-ride sail has a softer progression between idle and full throttle which is supposed to be easier to learn with.
Hope that helps a bit!
