New to windsurfing, board purchase

[Sailboarder]

You are right that storing and transportation can be a problem for some people, so a longboard is not a universal solution. But I disagree about it being a niche solution. Many people transport their boards on their rooftop anyway, so a longer board is not difficult to carry. In fact, I find *board Start boards more cumbersome because of the width.

I think a Kona is quite non-niche since it can be used easily between 0 and 20 kts. Given a choice between a Start, an old longboard or a kid shortboard that floats them, my kids choose the Kona all the time. They pefer the old longboard for bashing since they can't break it however! For experts, races are held in up to 28 kts. This large range brings a cost effective solution to having fun on the water in diverse conditions.

An inflatable one would be great, but I don't imagine anything holding up to overpowered blasting on a plane... Maybe a board with an inflatable front end and a rigid back end? The front is used mostly in displacement mode, with less stress, while the back needs high strength.

[mikeg83]

I really liked the idea of the Kona, but I think the price at this moment is a just a little more than I'd currently like to spend. The fact that they're a growing onedesign class was especially appealing though since I've been sailing/racing for so long--maybe one day. I've still been looking for used gear and a Mistral Malibu with a 5.5 sail popped up for about $300 not too far away. Would this be a decent setup to purchase?

[adywind]