Beginner Windsurfer from Cleveland, OH -- Needs Advice!

anastasiahannebrink · Joined: 14 Sep 2016 Posts: 1

Hello,

I am brand new to windsurfing and am looking to buy a cheap setup off of Craigslist to learn on while I save up for a better rig. The problem is I found one for $125 that includes a Masterclass 355MC sailboard with daggerboard, giant single piece mast, 2 booms and 3 sails (one is a 5.5, one a 6, and the other a Gaastra FLOW 2X6.0), but I don’t know if I can actually sail it!

I am a girl, 5’6” and about 135 lbs. Would this be doable for me?

I’ve called a store in LA, but the guy said to pass, but I feel for $125 I’d get at least $200 worth of fun out of it…plus I live in CLE which feels to me is a windsurfing desert and gear is not easy to come by.

What do you think, should I buy it??

Sincerely,
Staci

dhmark · Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 376

If you are an absolute beginner, you will have trouble with this board. But everybody in my day (30+ years ago) learned on this type of board. It will feel tippy and unstable until a little speed is generated, and you will plow through the water (not planing) for a long time (maybe months) while learning to get comfortable with enough speed to plane. If you are past the beginner stage, this gear will work, but there will still be an extended learning curve. I had fun during this stage, nobody knew any better then.

I'd say that if you learned to competently sail this stuff at a slow non-planing speed, and go back and forth under control over a summer, you would have definitely gotten your money's worth, especially if this whets your appetite for more. This is assuming everything is fully functioning without additional parts. dhmark

grantmac017 · Joined: 04 Aug 2016 Posts: 946

What constitutes a "good" board is heavily influenced by local conditions. You couldn't give that one away in the Gorge, but up here in Seattle it would sell for twice the price (if it's in decent shape). Likewise up here most people learn on boards very similar to that since they provide maximum sailing opportunity.
There are many (most) days when that board would be the fastest on the water with your light weight.
The mast however is total junk and likely the booms as well, Budget for immediate replacement.

-Grant

DelCarpenter · Joined: 06 Nov 2008 Posts: 499 Location: Cedar Falls, IA

That package might be worth $125 for you. But let me play devil's advocate, because it might have defects serious enough to prevent you from being successful and then we could lose you from being a windsurfer.

Question #1 is can you get the equipment to the water and are you willing to deal with the hassle of transporting a single piece mast and a heavy board? If the board is too heavy, such as more than 35 lbs, it could be the wrong board for anyone who weighs 135 unless someone else is carrying the board from vehicle to water. (Another solution is adapting old lawn mower or similar wheels to make a 2 wheel cart to get the board from vehicle to water.)

The Gasstra sail in the picture looks good, the darker boom appears to be a clamp-on boom....if so it is good, if it fits a useable sail. The green boom in the picture is a tie-on boom which means it is junk.

Question #2 might be more important, do you have someone who can teach you to windsurf or do you have a way to get lessons? Can the seller teach you?

To learn to windsurf in northern OH in the remainder of this season you'll need a wetsuit to keep you warm enough during and after the repeated falls. Even with lessons trying to stay on the narrow & tippy 30 year old Masterclass board is difficult. For the first several hours you might be standing only 10 minutes out of each 30 minutes...it could be more or a lot less. Even with a wetsuit the northern OH season for a beginner will be over by about October 15th and won't start again until about April 15th or later.

If the rubber part of the rubber universal joint isn't fairly new it could fail without warning. Getting that part separated from the rest of the 30 year old joint is likely to be difficult and replacing it is not likely to be easy. Instead, there are some inventive ways that can be used to adapt a modern mast base/universal joint to a Masterclass board. Do you have those skills or can you find someone who does? (Last year in similarly aged packages I got 7-9 universal joints and 3 of those that looked OK broke the first time they were put under load. I was lucky that happened on land.)

In evaluating packages I figure a one piece mast is worth $5-10 or nothing, a 2 piece mast is worth $30 to $50, a clamp-on boom is worth $25-$40, a tie-on boom has no value, a sail is worth $10 to $50, an ancient board with each of the following: a useable mastbase/universal joint, daggerboard & fin is worth about $25-$50.

Contact Wind Power Windsurfing in Fond du Lac WI, they probably know someone in the Cleveland OH area who is part of MOWIND who can help you.
(ph 920-922-2550 or www.windpowerwindsurfing.com )

U2U2U2 · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 11:25 pm Post subject:

Pass on it.
It's old stuff , not the reason by itself to pass, but it's not suitable for you.

wynsurfer · Joined: 24 Aug 2007 Posts: 940

Hi Staci,

Don't buy anything until you take a lesson. These people are close by and offer rentals and lessons: http://windsurfohio.com/ It will be money well spent.

gvogelsang · Joined: 09 Nov 1988 Posts: 435

Here is a place at the other end of the lake where you can buy good, used equipment, much of which is from the last few years:

http://www.curtissportconnection.com/

Doug also gives lessons. His wife (Robin) and his daughters are also very good windsurfers. Robin may be able to give some pointers on good starter equipment.

wdsurf · Joined: 22 May 1999 Posts: 335

Yes take the drive down I-90 and go see Doug Curtis he will give you lesson and has great prices and modern gear.great guy.

U2U2U2 · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2016 9:23 am Post subject:

This may help with equipment, the more local one suggested is best.
http://miwindsurfing.com/

swchandler · Joined: 08 Nov 1993 Posts: 10588

I find it ironic that the type of equipment that got us windsurfing over 30 years ago, is utterly worthless and no longer viable in today's world. If you are dedicated to the goal of learning to windsurf, the Sailboard Masterclass will definitely work. Now, the caution about the condition of the universal is well founded, so you may need to update it. Also, you may want to review the board's mast track, daggerboard and fin/finbox to ensure they are in good working order, but from the photo the condition of the board looks quite good. The fact that the footstraps appear in such good condition is rare for a board that is 30 years old.

To learn, you will need access to a smaller sail in the 4.0-4.5 range to learn the basics of sail handling, and it will make it easier to balance on the board. Also, in the near future, you will want to think about upgrading the mast, and most likely the mast extension and boom.

Again, if you are determined to get into windsurfing, you might want to go for it and buy the package. I'd start by offering $75, and maybe up it to $100. The board alone is arguably worth that.