I'm 6'2 and 180lbs. Is this a good setup for me?

[joethewindsufa]

used KONAs are starting to show up
http://www.nbwindsurfing.com/Used-Kona-One_p_377.html
and there is the Florida event !!

[bse]

Sounds like you've made your decision, but since I have almost that exact same set-up, i figured I'd chime in for posterity... I got the viper 80 last year with a 6.5 chinook/skinny mast. I am also 185 (though probably closer to 195 when I started) in my forties, but very athletic (I also do triathlons). It is a great, inexpensive platform to start on and after two seasons i'm still pretty happy with it. The board is a tank, taking all the best hits i can throw at it... and i've definitely had my share of catapults. It's heavy and a bit of a bear to handle off the water, but nice and predictable in water. Great experiences with the board, though if i had to do it again i'd consider the 75.

In regards to the sail, bang for the buck is really hard to beat on it, though I much prefer the feel of my ezzy cheetah 9.5. Once i find a good deal on a ~6.0M sail, I will probably upgrade. The mast that comes with the chinook setup isn't anything close to the ezzy mast in terms of fit and finish, but it's pretty hard to tell the difference when sailing.