Advices needed badly for buying my 1st windsurf full set.

[raptor86]

I'm very interested in fast speed board and sail that can grant me faster speed. I prefer AHD's shaped style board compared to formula's.

However, i've yet to learn how to use hooks,footstraps. I wish to use my new equipment to aid in learning them...and most importantly..to aid me in learning gybing.

I'm 67kg and started windsurfing for about 10months now.

Meanwhile, i've been surfing on approximate 240 vol long board. Would it be ideal if i progress to a much lower vol ones now? let say..about 170+?    

Based on the above given information. i'd like to know which of the board and sail combination will fit my requirements.

I'll be very grateful to whoever that can lend me a hand. Thanks alot alot.. =)

[sukhdev]

volume is irrelevant, dont think 170 or 165 or whatever. what you need right now is stability and that you will only get from width and volume, not just volume.

Using something unglamorous like the START, you can learn getting into straps and harness in a matter of weeks. From there, get hold of an old (cheap) formula or free formula hull to keep your water time high.

don't get seduced by a sleek shape (whatever the brand) and end up looking cool only on the beach. there is no substitute for water time. ever. and in singapore if you dont go big outside the monsoon you dont get water time.

as a reference, i can think of 5 sailors at least who went from zero to using footstraps and harness in 10 months; all of them did it on wide boards. if you are not there yet then get some lessons in technique and ditch that long board. go wide. if not you are going to take a long time to get over your current plateau.

[raptor86]

Oic.. i thought the larger width and larger volume of the formula board will sacrifice much of the speed which i could otherwise have.

Well..here comes another question.. is the formula's board fragile for people like me?

Thank you for your advices Sukhdev =)

[sukhdev]

Vincent,

if you buy a good used board fragile would be moot; you would get at least 2 years use out of it. Most of the damage happens to the bow area and this is not a critical part performance wise, looks ugly cosmetically but makes NO difference to the board's performance as long as it doesnt take on water. If you want to save this area a nose protector (either a quality one or even a "home brewed one) would help alot. An ideal board would be the freeformula in DRAM construction.

Your first sail will take more abuse as you will wear it out uphauling it against the non slip etc. Expect to throw away the sail after about 9 months or so, so for the sail buy something cheap and junky that you can literally thrash in your first year. Don't go near any sail with cambers at your stage.  Booms, masts, extensions last a long time so these are usually worthwhile investments.

If you have not started on a harness start with a waist harness. Again this is not in line with what most people advise but its FAR easier to learn with one (at least in my 0.02cents opinion).

Most of all get some knowledgeable coaching. Many people involved in the teaching end of the sports themselves have no idea how much the sport has progressed/changed in the last few years.
Anyone not able to be blasting in straps and harness in 9 months or so needs to check the teaching method and gear they are stuck on.

[raptor86]

Thank you alot sukhdev. Im grateful to you. =) Can't wait to get into waist hook asap. The pull of the sail is killing my palms in wind higher than 12knots. Sighz.

To share with you people. Today a Thai guy on his Mistral One did a chop hop right in front of me.. O Man.... Hope i can be liked him someday.

[Meng]

Hi Vincent,

Drop by at Pasta Fresca from 28 till 31 Dec 03
The S'pore open is held there.

Regarding the chop hop that u had seen, if I'm not wrong, that THA guy is only about 17 yrs old.

Catch the action there, u will see lots of chop hops and endless tips on improvement.

Glad that windsurfing has hooked u 1st.

Happy Sailing
Meng

[raptor86]

What?! Same age as me!! O no....

I've asked those competitors they said they themselves don't know where the venue of race course will be also.

Alright! =) I'll will go down tomorrow for the actions! Thx Meng

[RoastRoys]

A little advice from a sailor which had been sailing for 1yr and 3mths....I got my board after 1 month of learning...My gear was a course salom board 167 litres and a 8.4m sail...the board was much slimmer then a formula board and i got a hard time learning it...It took me about 3mths of almost daily sailing practice to get myself into the harness line and footstrap...dont bother about the volume etc...its all in the mind tell yourself you can do it....now i am happy sailing on my 2nd hypersonic....good luck....

[<Kip>]

Hey man
I started not so long ago too.  A few people kept saying go for a freeride narrower board, but I have stuck to wide boards - a Start, then a Bic 1.3 (which is when I started planing), youth formula and then I bought a second hand F158 from starboard.

Go for a nice wide board; the youth formulas; Go both are not so heavy.  There is a guy here in Thailand who absolutely blasts and does some big jumps too on a ....start.

THose narrower boards look like awesome fun, but I think (having tried one just recently) that they do well in stronger winds, but you just don't get to use them that much - a good second board maybe?  

GOod luck!
Kip

[Bats]

Hey guys, I've been surfing for about 10+ months now. So far it has been on rentals and a longboard / 6.7 sail combo which I share with my friend. But now, like Vincent, I want to get blasting in straps and harness!

So from this thread and and others in the forum, for inital ease of learning, i should get a Start/Go/ board? And whats an ideal volume?

For a 70kg fella like me, the best sail size is a camberless 9-10m?

And I should get a brand new mast and boom right?

thanks for any advice!

[sukhdev]

quote: Hey guys, I've been surfing for about 10+ months now. So far it has been on rentals and a longboard / 6.7 sail combo which I share with my friend. But now, like Vincent, I want to get blasting in straps and harness!

So from this thread and and others in the forum, for inital ease of learning, i should get a Start/Go/ board? And whats an ideal volume?

You sound like you have progressed beyond what the  START can offer; I'd suggest you consider a GO. Ideal volume for our conditions for your weight would probably be the GO 165. Its a pretty easy handling board with a broad range of footstrap settings that will make it easy to transition into  using straps. its also very robust so it will stand up well to the initial thumping its going to get.

 

quote:For a 70kg fella like me, the best sail size is a camberless 9-10m?

Don't go more than 9.0, or you will be wrestling with the rig more than learning at this stage. A camberless 9.0 would be ok but alternative would be say a 8.5. Right now you want a rig big enough to give some power but yet reasonably light and easy to handle.

 

quote:And I should get a brand new mast and boom right?

This is simply a question of budget. Ideally yes, get a good boom that will last, and a freeride mast but if budget is an issue then used would be fine at this stage.

Hope this helps.