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Alpha 160F for beginners
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Khardin



Joined: 02 Oct 2007
Posts: 51
Location: Cleveland Ohio

PostPosted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 12:41 pm    Post subject: Alpha 160F for beginners Reply with quote

I got back into windsurfing last fall and I want to pick up a second rig so I can teach my friends. That way they don't trash my gear and once they get a little more proficient we can both sail at the same time.

I found an old Alpha 160F (160 liters) board, 480 fiberglass one piece mast and niel pride 6.0 sail for $100.

Any thoughts on this rig and how it would be for teaching novices. I only wanted to spend about $100 so I figured you aren't going to get much but it would at least get people on the water without having to drop $1000 on a new set up.
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johnson_brian_j



Joined: 09 Jul 2007
Posts: 163
Location: Ventura County, California

PostPosted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:37 pm    Post subject: Re: Alpha 160F for beginners Reply with quote

I'm not directly familiar with any of that equipment, but I've used those old one-piece fiberglass masts, and they're pretty heavy compared with modern equipment. Hard to manage and hard to uphaul, and beginners uphaul a lot.

I think a lot of people actually get turned off from windsurfing by having their first experience on this kind of old, heavy, unwieldy equipment. They try it once, it's really hard, they don't like it, and they'll never try it again.

Khardin wrote:
I got back into windsurfing last fall and I want to pick up a second rig so I can teach my friends. That way they don't trash my gear and once they get a little more proficient we can both sail at the same time.

I found an old Alpha 160F (160 liters) board, 480 fiberglass one piece mast and niel pride 6.0 sail for $100.

Any thoughts on this rig and how it would be for teaching novices. I only wanted to spend about $100 so I figured you aren't going to get much but it would at least get people on the water without having to drop $1000 on a new set up.
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westender



Joined: 02 Aug 2007
Posts: 1288
Location: Portland / Gorge

PostPosted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:30 pm    Post subject: I had one Reply with quote

It was around 1988 and it was my first board. It would be good for an athletic person who knows which direction the wind is coming from. For people who don't know how to sail and or are couch potatoes an original Windsurfer would be better. My original mast snapped in half on the beach while rigging. I thought it was a good board.
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haterrater



Joined: 03 Mar 2009
Posts: 292

PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Khardin,
I have to agree completely with johnson_brian_j.

but, at the expense of cordiality or manners, I'll be more direct.

Attempting to teach people to windsurf on that junk will not work. It will make your friends hate you and hate windsurfing as well.
If you want your friends to windsurf with you than get them all together, pool a bunch of $$$, and buy a nice beginner kit with a floaty board and small lightweight sails/masts.
otherwise, you're just burning cash and wasting your time.

-the haterrater
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gk109



Joined: 22 May 2007
Posts: 94

PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 7:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ive been sailing for a little over three years now and i learned on an old 12ft narrow heavy bic board, one piece mast, ratty 5.0 sail and flimsy boom. Not the best way to learn but it works, I think ingnorance is bliss in windsurfing sometimes. I didnt know any better and the stuff worked just fine. when I was comfortable in the harness and started going out in high winds I started buying newer gear to advance on. that being said 160 literes does sound a little on the small side for a total begginer.
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d0uglass



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

PostPosted: Tue Apr 28, 2009 1:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Forget it! That board is way too small and tippy and the sail is too big and heavy.

So I agree with haterrater: "Attempting to teach people to windsurf on that junk will not work. It will make your friends hate you and hate windsurfing as well."

Better to hold out for a board over 200 liters. Also, you might be interested in my advice on how to teach windsurfing...

http://jimbodouglass.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-teach-windsurfing.html

Good luck!
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Khardin



Joined: 02 Oct 2007
Posts: 51
Location: Cleveland Ohio

PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I went ahead and picked up the rig. Most of the people interested in sailing don't weigh a lot and are pretty athletic so they are just going to have to deal with it. I also have access to a larger 'novice' board when my little brother brings his rig up.

I have another question. I have an old aluminum mast 480 mast. I know this would be less than ideal for almost all sails but will it permanently damage the mast if I try to rig it in an newer sail.

I am worried that the new sails have so much curve that it will bend it past the yield strength of the material. Again I know it isn't ideal but for the sake of 'getting people on the water' rather than sitting on the beach hopefully I can rig with it.
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coachg



Joined: 10 Sep 2000
Posts: 3549

PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just don't downhaul the sail all the way and only use it on really light days. It is not like the newbies are going to be out there in planing conditions.

Coachg
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Khardin,

While I have to agree with the majority here in that the Alpha is on the small side for total beginners, it's still a viable board for the lightweight that is very determined. However, I must emphasize that a 6.0 sail is way to big for beginners with little experience. A more reasonable sail size would be a 4.0 or 4.5, although a 5.0 could work quite well too. Also, it should be noted that a 480 mast is very long and most likely way too stiff, particularly for the smaller sail sizes I'm suggesting, so at a minimum, you will need to ensure that the smaller sail has an adjustable top. Still though, if the goal is to learn just the rudimentary basics in a non-planing mode; like going out, uphauling, tacking and coming back to the launch, such a untoward mast can work.
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Khardin



Joined: 02 Oct 2007
Posts: 51
Location: Cleveland Ohio

PostPosted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I forgot to mention I have a 4.0 and matching mast for their first few sessions.

I 6.0+ is a pain to uphaul over and over which is what they will be doing.
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