Hello, I'm looking for some used gear to get into windsurfing this summer. I've found some gear on the various used sites in the area but I don't really know what to buy for my first setup. Also what gear is compatible with what. I'm 190 lbs, 6'0" tall, novice to intermediate surfer(comfortable in overhead surf) and an avid sailor. Any gear advise and sailing site advise would be greatly appreciated. This is a great site that I check everyday. Thanks C.C.

Having myself just started in December, check out where I asked these questions and where they were answered. Good luck.

http://www.bigwavedave.ca/phpBB2/viewto ... ght=#16701

http://www.bigwavedave.ca/phpBB2/viewto ... ght=#16691

How was the 155L board for learning? I'm also looking for a board that I will not grow out of right away, as I am kind of broke. Any sail combo suggestions?

The 150 or 155 L go board is a good investment and not one that you will grow out of quickly. I learned to uphaul and waterstart on mine and still use it to go out in lighter wind. It is hands down the best investment we made in terms of learning to sail. (I recommend the foam top over the rough "Tuffskin")

In terms of sails - It depends where you are sailing and what conditions you are in. Based on your size, a 6.0 will probably end up being the sail you use most (at Nitinaht), once you've learned to sail well.

For learning though it is useful to have a smaller sail. A 4.0 to 5.0 is useful for sorting out the mechanics of balance, and uphauling. When learning you don't want the full power you will need later to plane.

When you begin learning to watestart it is in my opinion better to be overpowered rather than underpowered. So a 6.0 then would be a must. A 5.0 and 6.0 can get to rig on the same mast and use the same boom so you can economize that way.

There are usually a lot of older sails you can get quite cheap. You are probably going to beat on the first sails you get anyways so it is kind of a waste in my opinion to buy them brand new when there is a lot of good used gear out there.

Get out to the lake as much as possible this summer and that should help you develop your skills.

155L board is great for learning, really stable and helps you get the mechanics of windsurfing down. As far as progressing past it too fast, that is entirely up to you, your determination and of course some talent. I used a 6.3m sail mostly and learned over this (now past thankfully) winter.

I might sell my 155L here pretty quick, I don't think I will be doing light wind sailing like that anymore after tasting the higher winds and waves. But being broke makes this sport tough, because decent used gear is still NOT cheap!

Well its official, i'm on the hunt for a setup. There seems to be lots of gear out there, but hardly anyone puts any specs on their for sale ads. I have a few more questions about compatibility. Are mast and mast extensions standardized? What about how they fit into the boards? Are there different systems. There are different sail sizes, what about sail shapes? Should I be looking for a specific shape of sail? I understand a 5.0 and 6.0 are good sizes of sails to start with, should I be looking for any other sizes? Also what size of mast and boom goes with those sails? If anyone has any beater gear they want to sell ie: cracked up boards(Im good with fiberglass) or ripped sails(I can sew) fell free to PM me or point me in the right direction. Thanks for your answers so far. Im sure i'll have lots more questions soon enough. C.C.

Cap'n,

Try to stick with gear less than 10 years old. Stay within 5 years old if it fits the budget; this way compatibility won't be such an issue. A 155 L "Go" board made by Starboard is a great way to advance your skills quickly into sailing lower volume, high wind boards sooner (if that is your aim). For a mast, you'll need a 430 cm for sails 6.7 down to 5.5. A 400 cm mast will be better for sails 5.3 down to 4.5. Anything smaller will require a 370 cm mast, just to give you an idea. To start, just buy one 430 mast and make it work.

Buy one boom and make sure it is adjustable from about 150 cm - 195 cm or so. The boom should be a "clamp-on" type (no tying or knots).

Some masts are skinnier (less diameter) and require skinny extensions. These are usually geared more towards high wind and waves due to their thicker (stronger) wall. Regular or standard diameter masts require standard diameter extensions, and are just fine for most types of sailing.

For sails, look for nice, light, full battened sails with no camber inducers (the chunks of heavy plastic that snap onto the mast). Camber induced or racing oriented sails are heavier and not good for learning. Wave or "freeride" sails from 2002 onward should be fine. Look out for excess batten wear, rips, fragile monofilm, and rig the mast with each sail to insure it has the right shape when in the wind. Get someone to help you with this.

Read lots of the forums: star-board.com (beginner forum), www.boards.co.uk/forum/, etc to get familiar with what you'll need. Also check out the links section on this site.

If you find some suitable gear and want someone to check it out before you buy it, I'd be glad to help if it's within Victoria.

Good luck!

Chris

it might be best to go to the beach next windy day and ask some questions, writing about the origins and technicalities of windsurfing will take a while. Looking on for example the Windance.com or Windsurfingdirect.com sites in the gear section will answer a lot of the questions

Beater old gear makes it very tough to learn but you can become a good swimmer
Make sure to not buy sails older than mid 90's (tough to tell as they are not dated usually, some are now and you can find MINT crappy design sails in a lot of basements), old alu booms (likely your best investment new) or one piece masts or those that are not 400, 430 or 460cm long Boards make sure you have at least 110L to learn on at a length not exceeding 3m.

and yes, not the sport for someone broke unfortunately....

Dave, maybe we need a beginner and technique, Q&A section

i have an big ol' poly longboard and rig suitable for light winds <10 kts. if you want to give it a go shoot me an email or PM. Beware though, this is the exact stuff some people will tell you will convince you to quit the sport.

I loan this stuff to anybody as long as it gets returned, i just want to be an enabler. only hitch is i am out in cobble hill near shawnigan lake.
dave