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Mistral Malibu?
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coachg



Joined: 10 Sep 2000
Posts: 3549

PostPosted: Mon May 06, 2013 10:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My 1984 Malibu was 160 liters so I don't think a 1985 would be too far off. Huge nose but very narrow behind the mast. Great board but I think waterstarting would be easier to learn on your Rocket at your weight.

Coachg
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walkingman



Joined: 06 Oct 2015
Posts: 26
Location: West Seattle

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2013 12:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Funny thing is, I almost had the Tabou sold last year. I didn't think I'd ever get to sail it since I'm strictly a local Sound sailor where conditions are either marginal wind or crazy chop. Until this season I was over the top conservative.
Greg, I will try to get over to Des Moines, probably not this week (birthday Wednesday!), but soon. Thanks for the suggestion. I didn't know about anything in the way of organized wind surfing, especially in my own back yard. I sailed the last three out of four seasons off of the south beach of Three Tree Point and only saw another sailboard once. It was a great place to get started in the sport where you had to contend with chop, currents, and crazy swirling wind patterns around the point. Gotta love a challenge!
Adywind, I'll definitely work on waterstarting with a smaller rig. The conditions I'm usually out in are often too light for good practice with the 7.0.
Crossing fingers for wind! Thanks all!
~Steve
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gregnw44



Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2013 1:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Steve, yes, look up "nw-windtalk"... then sign up (free, easy) and then say hi to the local windsurfers Smile
Yeah, we get some local things happening.

And, no, don't sell your 125L shortboard, since you already have it. It sounds like you're getting into this... and at your weight you'll get more possible days on that board in the winter than I would at 205# Smile
But yes, for the nicer summer season, you'll be on the Cat.

Look forward to meting you...
Greg -
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beaglebuddy



Joined: 10 Feb 2012
Posts: 1120

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2013 3:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice thing about learning waterstarting on a longboard is you can rest the boom on the tail of the board while waiting for wind.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2013 8:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

walkingman wrote:
I'll definitely work on waterstarting with a smaller rig. The conditions I'm usually out in are often too light for good practice with the 7.0.

If there's not enough wind to waterstart with a 7.0, a smaller sail will be worse. You need enough power and leverage to lift your body out of the water. As Buddy sez, the board does the work of clearing the sail; we just bob in the water while Archimedes and Newton do the heavy lifting. And you orient the board and rig by swinging your legs in big circles, not by swimming, so size isn't a big deal.

Mike \m/
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cgoudie1



Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 2597
Location: Killer Sturgeon Cove

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2013 11:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeh, but, waterstarting anything past a 7.0 is also a lot harder.
I can water start a 9.5, but it's s nuisance, learning to get an 8 or
greater sail to fly before a waterstart may be counterproductive to
the learning cycle. Maybe you could do waist deep beach starts, to
get a feel for it.

-Craig

isobars wrote:
walkingman wrote:
I'll definitely work on waterstarting with a smaller rig. The conditions I'm usually out in are often too light for good practice with the 7.0.

If there's not enough wind to waterstart with a 7.0, a smaller sail will be worse. You need enough power and leverage to lift your body out of the water. As Buddy sez, the board does the work of clearing the sail; we just bob in the water while Archimedes and Newton do the heavy lifting. And you orient the board and rig by swinging your legs in big circles, not by swimming, so size isn't a big deal.

Mike \m/
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d0uglass



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 1286
Location: Bonita Springs, Florida

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2013 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Walkingman-

Great to hear that you're getting out on the sound on a longboard! I learned windsurfing as a kid on a mistral longboard in Eld Inlet in Olympia, and I have fond memories of windsurfing that special place.

From what you've said, it sounds like you're on the same very slow path of progression that I took back in the 80s and 90s. A lot of factors make that progression slow: 1) Being really cautious / conservative, 2) Short windsurfing seasons with mostly light winds, 3) Sailing mostly by yourself with no lessons, guidance, or peer pressure.

The slow path is fine as long as you're enjoying it, but it sounds like you're catching the bug now to get to the next level, so here's some tips.

1. Don't bother with the Malibu. It won't be much easier than the Rocket and it won't be much different than the Ultra Cat.

2. You can waterstart on any board, including your Ultra Cat, so start practicing whenever it's windy. My first waterstart came through pure luck, when I fell over backwards in a lull but still had the sail in my hands, and got pulled back up in a gust. The ones after that were harder, though, and I had to learn how to properly "clear" the sail, "fly" the sail, and orient the board through mast base pressure while treading water. A video or a lesson in the Gorge would help.

3. Don't stay dry. Make sure you're challenging yourself enough to fall in a lot. I recommend jibe practice. You can do a slow motion "pivot jibe" on a longboard that will help you build confidence and muscle memory to do a planing jibe later on. You'll usually fall in, which will give you a chance to practice waterstarting!

4. Chop and swells aren't so bad once you get used to them. Go for it!

5. Try "shlogging" and uphauling on the rocket shortboard on a light wind day. It's going to be much harder than you're used to because you'll have to mind your fore-aft balance as well as your side to side balance, but you'll get it with practice. Just stay close enough to shore to swim back if necessary, and don't go on a day with lots of wind and current.

6. Hook up with those folks doing the Wednesday races.

http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2009/08/puget-sound-windsurfing-on-old-school.html

Good luck,
James

_________________
James' Blog: Windsurfing Equipment Size Calculator
http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2010/11/updated-windsurf-calculator-online.html


Last edited by d0uglass on Tue May 07, 2013 11:24 am; edited 1 time in total
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techno900



Joined: 28 Mar 2001
Posts: 4161

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2013 11:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had a 1985/86? Malibu and I am pretty sure it was 175 liters. I had a 1985 Superlight and bought the Malibu for "a higher wind course board". The Superlight was pretty squirrely in 15+ winds so I though the Malibu would be the answer. However, the Malibu was a dog at upwind even with a dagger board (very small), so I didn't keep it long. It was an ok transition board, but I had already gone through that process (water starting). I learned to water start on my first board, an 84 HiFly 500 long board. Learning to water start on a long board is a nice progression to transitioning to something much smaller.

I would skip the Malibu.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2013 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

d0uglass wrote:
I had to learn how to properly "clear" the sail, "fly" the sail, and orient the board through mast base pressure while treading water.

In 33 years of WSing, I've never had to tread water despite being able to lie relaxed on the bottom of swimming pools. The purpose of treading water is to keep our air intake out of the water, and flotation vests do that just fine. In all aspects of the sport, think and use technology, physics, technique, etc. before manual effort.
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gregnw44



Joined: 23 Jul 2008
Posts: 783
Location: Seattle, Wa

PostPosted: Tue May 07, 2013 12:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, this is all really great and appropriate advice for Steve.

And don't worry, we'll get him all connected with the Seattle area sailors if he follows my other post. He and I only live 30 min apart, and there are several good places to sail within that span. I'm more than happy to help with all this stuff.

And all of James D's advice... we can do all that very safely at Newcastle beach park on the Lake, 5 min drive for me, 25 min for Steve. I'm a "US Windsurfing Assoc" cert. instructor... and have been teaching waterstarts for EVER Smile
But, like everyone has said... you need power to pull you out of the water. And that's really not gonna happen very much in Seattle. Like I said in my first email, a weekend in Hood River this summer, is all he needs. A proper lesson with proper gear in proper wind... and he'll have them dialed in no time.
As we all know, once he gets success in proper conditions, and some muscle memory... he'll be able to transfer it, repeat it... in less than ideal conditions (like a blustery Fall day out in the Sound with his 7.0)

James D - I knew you were from this area... but didn't know it was Olympia where you started.
There's a guy named Jerry (I haven't met him yet) who's been asking and trying to learn a lot about places to sail in the Oly area. He's been posting this question on nw-windtalk for about 3 weeks. If you went there (if you had time) you might be able to be very helpful. He sounds really nice, and wants to windsurf a lot in that area.
Anyway.... IF YOU had the time Smile

Greg -
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