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beaglebuddy
Joined: 10 Feb 2012 Posts: 1120
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Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 3:37 pm Post subject: |
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People trying to learn on old tippy junk with fiddly missing parts is part of the reason windsurfing is dieing. If he does manage to get it on the water and teach himself how to sail around slowly the first thing he's going to want to do is get some better gear.
In the beginning I unfortunately bought a pile of old junk like this and it's all in the skip now. |
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NOVAAN
Joined: 28 Sep 1994 Posts: 1555
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Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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It may be hardly used, But its still 25 years old. Time on the rack in the garage will take its toll on the board and sails. The frustration level on that type of gear will sure to make him consider another sport. Just trying to put it together would be a challenge. I say he should take a vacation and a lesson or two on the new fast learning gear. In a week at World Winds he would be ready for much better gear. I have seen people doing water starts on the second day. By the end of the week, they are sailing back and forth and using a harness. Without a fellow windsurfer to direct him, this gear is a waste of money |
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swchandler
Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:07 am Post subject: |
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You might not believe it beaglebuddy, but I went to Kauai in 1985 and sailed at Anini Beach on a homemade 12' waterlogged twin fin board that lacked its original daggerboard and weighed probably 50 pounds. The deck was totally slick and so delaminated that I had to wax it just to be able to stand on it. On top of that, I was so green that didn't even know how to properly attach the tie-on boom, and ultimately ended up trying to attach it perpendicular to the mast.
Despite all odds, I sailed this piece of crap for 5 days and I had the time of my life. I didn't let the poor condition of things dampen my stoke one bit. |
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beaglebuddy
Joined: 10 Feb 2012 Posts: 1120
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:31 am Post subject: |
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1985, probably a good rig back then. |
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beaglebuddy
Joined: 10 Feb 2012 Posts: 1120
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NOVAAN
Joined: 28 Sep 1994 Posts: 1555
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:32 am Post subject: |
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Just think how much more fun you would have had on a Starboard start and a modern small sail. Or a wind SUP.
The point is, people need not suffer through the huge learning curve that we did. We Grew with the gear and the sport. Newbie's should take advantage of the advancements that makes this sport so great. Not try to learn on 25 year old gear.. Just sayin |
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spennie
Joined: 13 Oct 1995 Posts: 975 Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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Great post NOVAAN, I'm with you all the way on that! _________________ Spennie the Wind Junkie
www.WindJunkie.net |
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dllee
Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5330 Location: East Bay
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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"huge learning curve"....
All my buds from WiseSurfboards learned to ride a 9'6" poly glass board, 5.5 sail, and planing within 1 month of their very first day on a beginner board. Even the vaunted owner of the shop himself.
That would be like 12 out of 12 guys.
Some of them learned to actually jibe 50% in that first month, with a glass short board that didn't really float them for uphauling. |
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NOVAAN
Joined: 28 Sep 1994 Posts: 1555
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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Wow!! Those guys really caught on fast. Must be great athletes or got to sail a windy place every day for that month. For the rest of us, it took much longer to get to that point. And it was a huge learning curve back then. Half the time you would head to the lake, it wouldn't blow. Of course you could only go one day on a weekend and it always blew the day before. And if you really thought about it, The gear did hold us back. I started in 1980 and I can tell that the stuff we have now is far better than back then.. The reason they make the big wide boards is it is much easier to learn on. I'm a bit older now and I just got a new wide board for 6.5 days. Its the Starboard Atom IQ 110. 74cm wide. Its way easy to sail on lite gusty days. Take advantage of what's out there now to learn on. Not the old stuff. |
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swchandler
Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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I find it amazing that some folks "create" the illusion that windsurfing back in the 80s was incredibly tough and the modern equipment of the day is just useless trash to be ridiculed and scorned at.
Sorry guys, you're just blowing nonsense. When I started in the mid 80s, windsurfing was huge. The numbers of folks that learned the sport at that time makes todays numbers look woefully shabby, and a record number of women were visibly a part of the scene. All the totally revolutionary modern equipment today isn't coming close to growing the sport and the number of those participating.
Learning to windsurf in the 80s wasn't that difficult at all, and that's the unvarnished truth. Sure, boards were narrower and a bit tippy for the first time windsurfer, but for most, that problem was overcome rather easily with a little determination. It was so easy that I was able to figure it out the first day without any instruction or lessons. Believe me, I probably fell off and climbed back up onto the board 50 times. Afterwards, I was sore for a week, but the effort paid off. I could sail out, tack and come back to the launch. Once I figured it out and understood how to balance everything out, I was on the quick road to fun and excitement. One challenging day was all it took. |
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