What size gear for a beginner?

[LakeSurf]

I took my first lesson today and had a blast. So I'm going to look into picking up some used gear. I'm 6' 1", 180 lbs and will windsurf mostly on the lake near my house. Most days it won't be that windy (maybe 8-10mph). I've been SUPing for a while so getting my balance on the board came naturally but handling and trimming the sail took more getting used to.

What range in board sizes would you recommend? What range in sails? Since I'd like to buy used, my selection may be limited.

[J64TWB]

Where do you sail? Geography can help with craigslist and swaps. You could go old school with a long narrow board or new school with short and wide.

Short and wide is more stable uphauling the sail and walking around, but doesn't track as well as a long board in non-planing conditions. 8-10 mph are the non planing conditions you describe. The real fun starts in planing conditions, maybe around 13 or 14 mph depending on your weight, equipment and skills.

You will need at least a 72cm wide (preferably more) to be stable and probably around 130 liters (preferably more) to be comfortable to learn. Probably makes sense to go bigger depending on your learning curve. Listen to what others may say. There are beginner boards you will probably grow out of quick, but are nice for the first few days.

I would suggest more time on the water before buying anything. Again where do you have access to equipment? Before you buy anything check here to make sure it fits your current skills. Your skills can improve drastically in one day given the right conditions. There are freeride boards in the 130-150 liter range you can use to grow into. Sails need to match the wind you are comfortable in.

Hope this helps.

[windward1]

Get a board made for SUPping and sailing. Then you will have a second SUP for friends when there is not wind. I use an Angulo 10'-10" Sail-SUP (no longer made) and an Ezzy Cheetah 7.0 square meter sail for the conditions you describe as well as windier.

Another option is a Kona 1.

In mostly 8 to 10 mph winds you will only slog on a short wide board. Go long and you can enjoy the glide as well as plane. However, there is a rub, not all Sail-SUPs plane well. It is nice to have one that glides as well as planes.

When you have more experience you can go for a short, wide board for those really windy days. You will plane faster than the long board planes, but if you do not get those many of those kind of days, start with the long board.

[gvogelsang]

I agree with windward.

A long board with a dagger board will enable you to see a lot of the lake in the conditions that you describe. That will be fun as your skills progress.

If you could pick up a used Kona board, you would also have a board which will plane when you get stronger winds, say on a day when a storm comes through and you get winds of 15 - 25 mph.

[LakeSurf]

Thanks for the replies. The vast majority of the time I'll be going out on Jordan Lake in NC. I'd love to make trips to the Outer Banks too, but won't be able to often.

The board I used yesterday was 290 x 90cm (219L) and felt super stable. I think I would definitely feel ok going to to something smaller. I didn't put the dagger board in and had trouble regaining ground -- that's what I thought was most frustrating in the light winds.

Having something I can SUP would be a nice plus too. I currently have a 10'4" (31" wide) SUP and wouldn't mind going smaller. However, I don't need another SUP because I also have kayaks, inflatable row boats, rafts, etc that other people can use. Do the two and ones work as windsurfing or do they have to make sacrifices in terms of performance?

I do have access to some beginner club gear which I hope to use a few times. Supply is a bit limited and logistics wise, getting the gear is challenging. At the same time, I don't want to spend a bunch on something new, only to figure out I want something different a half season later. Here's one CL ad I found and was thinking the bigger board and a couple of the sails may be a cheap option just to get out on the water - http://raleigh.craigslist.org/spo/5087650006.html

[isobars]

Windward1 is right, and I want to emphasize this: size matters. At 8-12 mph, volume is your friend. You will have SO much more fun and learn SO much more on that 220 Liter board. You absolutely do not want any of those smaller boards, not even the Malibu, until you get planing winds ... consistent mid teens at LEAST.

Mike \m/

[NOVAAN]

Well that stuff online pretty much looks like junk. If and I do mean if all the parts are there and you could get it all for free then maybe. If you really want to get into windsurfing on your lake, get a windsup. Get a sail no bigger than a 6.0. Your not going to plane in that wind range and a large sail really doesn't offer much. A small lite sail will teach you sail handling, balance and how to control the power. If you do get hooked, than a 6.0 sail can be the middle size in a sail quiver.. New windsurfing gear can be expensive. "good" used gear less so. Spending money on junk is a waste of hard earned cash. Get with the local windsurfers in your area. Most of them will be willing to help you out with gear, or maybe a swap meet. Bic makes a great 10'6 windsup that is very durable and planes pretty good. Kona is another good choice.

[LakeSurf]

[isobars]

There are many windSUPs (SUPS designed and fitted for sails) on the market. SEARCH this forum on the term windSUP for discussions of them.

Unless several thousand dollars means absolutely nothing to you, buying new gear at this stage makes absolutely no sense.

[coachg]