Light wind sailing

Dunno - the SUPs normally have a lot more rocker than a Windsurfer. The only time I tried one, in about 15 knots with a good rig, it didn't plane like an old Windsurfer.

The guys from Hot Sails Maui, who pretty much lead the sail-on-a-SUp thing, reckon that a SUP won't plane like an old longboard.

Of course, the SUPs are much better in waves and as SUPs because of the extra width and rocker.....horses for courses.

Some SUP's have flatter rocker lines so as a result do plane a lot easier than the really surfy SUP's. Mistral Pacifico, Amundson Aquaglide, and the Naish Glide are some of the better options to get planing.

The Naish Glide being a downwind paddle has a much longer flat at the back end and to me looks like it would plane easier than some specific windsurf longboards. You should take it for a sail some time WOD.

Sam.

No wind in SA.......... so SAD.

Couldn't KIte.... wouldn't Kite.....

next few days in SA r looking good.... but as all ways, BOM looks good but will wait and see.

FINGER CROSSED 20 - 30 KNOTS. PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE

I dont mind light wind days at all, it gives me time to get out and practise those moves, im trying push, heli tacks, duck jibes ( although for some reason all i do is eat my sail ) sometimes its just nice to lenghten my harness lines hook in take the weight of my arms and just cruise along the bay. Its better to get out than sit by the side and grumble about the lack of wind, anytime on yourt board is good time.

SUP = stand up paddleboard. Pioneered by hard core watermen in Hawaii, it's an oversized surfboard that you stand up on and paddle with a long canoe paddle. Some come with a mast track so you can also windsurf them. (The sport was actually pioneered by myself and others in the 80's, mucking around on our old windsurfer one designs in small waves when there was no wind.)

Hope I dont offend anyone but whats the point? Why not use a seakayak when you want to paddle?

I bought an old Mistral Equipe 380 a few months ago and finally got it on the water over Easter. With the light 5-12 knots conditions it was awesome to sail. The way those boards rail down as they drive up wind is a hoot. I was using a 6.2 which was a little small but the sun was out and the water so clear you could see little penguins and cormorants as they dived underwater.

I have sailed the 12 foot Starboard SUP and it planed OK. On that day we had been paddling into a little 2 foot shore break when the wind picked up to 10-15 Kts. While it felt a little sluggish sailing into the onshore slop once running with the waves it was great all that extra rocker and soft rails made it nice and loose.

This weather is frustrating. I only have one slalom board (130l) which sinks slowly under me (I'm 100kg) and one 6m sail.

Anyone can advise me what sail to buy to sail in 6-10knts winds on that board.
The gear is too expensive for experimenting, and the Pelican Point guys' largest sail is 5.5m so experimenting through rental is not an option.

Is there some kind of a formula to calculate board weight, sail size, sailor weight and wind speed?

Sigh...

Who can give me a tip on how to convince my wife that it is a necessity to also buy a formula board as well as 8.5m sail, matching mast, boom, fin...

Couldn’t we just bribe the Bureau of Meteorology to send us some wind?

Always stress to dear wifey that it's a safety issue

Rave on abit, using words like......wind dropped, swim back, sharks, drown, tired, don't deserve it etc........

The idea is to make em think it was their idea,

worked for me for many years (new motorbikes sailing gear etc) until it finally dawned on her and she divorced me so don't push it.

Obelix, I know of somebody with a Starboard Free Formula for sale. Send me a PM and I will give you his details. It could be perfect for you.

5.4 sounds wayyyyy too small, no wonder you wouldn't plane.
At a demo last year, for a show, in 20 knots, I dumped the 100l and jumped on an old Windsurfer with a 6.2 meter old triangle sail. Was fun, but you need at least 6 on those monster boards.

No haven't gotten the SUP loaner for trial yet. Doubt those boards would be my cuppa, but I don't mind trying. I know the sail is a 6.5, gotta be at least that.

Will let you know (at least the ice is mostly melted now...)

could be relating to your boom height.

i guy i know was having some troubles with his kona, i jumped on and realised fairly quickly his boom was to low. pushing it up to shoulder/chin height had the board planing and in more control straight away.

like the longboards of the day they like higher booms.