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Great lakes wave sailing on a Kona one? Other board?
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david123



Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 5:42 pm    Post subject: Great lakes wave sailing on a Kona one? Other board? Reply with quote

Hi all,

Entering my third season windsurfing. I just moved to Wasaga Beach on Lake Huron. Previously I sailed in almost always flat or chop conditions. Wondering if my Kona one will be an ok board? Are there better boards for a low intermediate in waves?

My ability level: I can get planing, ride upwind, use the harness, footstraps when on a bic. No water starts yet, our Beach was not amenable to a Beach start so I never got to that point. Also thinking I'll progress faster now that I live a 6 minute walk from the beach.
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NOVAAN



Joined: 28 Sep 1994
Posts: 1544

PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

More than a new board, you need to learn to WATER START. When you go out in waves, swell or choppy conditions it becomes very difficult to up haul. Get this under you belt and you can advance into smaller and more maneuverable boards. Its not a secret, its not difficult to learn and it doesn't take a lot of wind to do. As for your Kona, If you talking real breaking waves, I would say its a no go. Mushy wind swell waist high might be ok but still could work work you. There some nice wind SUP boards that work good in smaller waves. If you get one of those be sure it has a mast track. Not the one hole connection. Get that WATER START, keep the Kona One for flat water fun and get a large wave board for the swells. Did I mention that you need to learn to WATER START...Last thought. I started foiling 3 years ago. This requires up hauling when your first learning. I forgot how difficult up hauling can be and how it works the old bones. Good incentive not to fall...just sayin
.
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jlooby



Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Posts: 69

PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Also a great lakes sailor (Grand Bend).
The great lakes can be tough because of the short period waves; shore break current etc... but also great because of the variety of conditions. Wasaga Beach is a prime spot. (For flatwater make the drive over to Red Bay/Oliphant on the Bruce Penisula and/or Minet's Point in Barrie).

Your kona one should be very good for the light wind days. (I used to sail a kona 11.5 with a similar rocker). The kona will get you out in sub-planing conditions, even some offshore winds, and will be fun in lighter planing wind. Novaan is right; get your waterstarts and then move to a wave'ish shortboard but keep your kona for a while (I just got a Severne Dyno which I think could be great for our conditions).
Enjoy!
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dhmark



Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Posts: 376

PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 3:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Learning to water start is a lot easier if you can touch bottom at waist to chest deep and there is enough wind for full on planing in the straps. You save a lot of time maneuvering the gear when you can touch bottom. Easier said than done on the Great Lakes where the wind at the shore is often light (wind shadow) or it is onshore wind and there is shorebreak. I hope you can find a good spot.
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swchandler



Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 10588

PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 4:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have to admit that when learning to windsurf and progress on a longboard you can fall into a routine that omits or avoids learning to waterstart. I was guilty of that. Once you get proficient at tacks and jibes, you rarely fall in, and the whole idea of hassling around a 12' board and sail was too much work.

If you're comfortable on a longboard, you're ready for a shortboard. I taught myself how to waterstart my first day on my new shortboard. It's far simpler than many think, especially if you have reasonably sound sail handling skills learned earlier on a longboard.
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dllee



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 5328
Location: East Bay

PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 4:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

..and steady 16 mph breeze makes learning super easy..
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jpf18



Joined: 13 Aug 2000
Posts: 347
Location: San Francisco

PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 10:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dhmark wrote:
Learning to water start is a lot easier if you can touch bottom
absolutely, especially with a big board like a Kona One, that takes considerably more effort and time to swing around across the wind. Another factor working against anyone (learning or not) for waterstarting a Kona iOne s how thick it is. It's an awful long way to lift yourself out of the water and your feet on the deck as compared to a smaller board. Flying and feathering the sail is another issue because of that. I had a Kona One a number of years. I'd rather uphaul than waterstart even in choppy conditions at 15mph+.
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dhmark



Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Posts: 376

PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 9:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One advantage (might be the only one) of learning to water start on a long board is that you can use the tail of the board to assist in clearing the sail from the water. In my early days when I had sturdy ASA-skin boards just pulling the boom over the back of the board, or later on just having the board back there for my arms to push against. Of course when you get better at clearing the sail, the tail is in the way.
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Scharlack



Joined: 26 Oct 1991
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 10:51 am    Post subject: Waterstarting on the lawn Reply with quote

Best place, IMO, to learn to waterstart is on land. Grass is better than sand. If you're learning on the water, you'll spend a LOT of time setting up, orienting the board, clearing the sail from the water, etc. On land you can master getting power out of the sail pulling you onto and up onto the board. After you've got that down, move into waist deep water and learn some more skills, then into deeper water.
Learning to master getting and releasing power from the sail will also dramatically improve your sailing skills, not just waterstarting.
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jpf18



Joined: 13 Aug 2000
Posts: 347
Location: San Francisco

PostPosted: Fri Apr 23, 2021 11:34 am    Post subject: Re: Waterstarting on the lawn Reply with quote

Scharlack wrote:
Best place, IMO, to learn to waterstart
I got that wired on a few day trips to Hatteras. Sandy bottom, chest deep water that's nice and warm starting spring.
I had a 135l F2 Xantos at the time. That's about half the size of the Kona, floaty enough to stand on it, with enough tail to rest the boom. If you're small, with the boom relatively far down the mast, modern boards down to the small sizes still have enough tail to just about rest the boom if need be. Beware, old brittle boards may crack a little if the boom hits the tail just "right". Nothing some ding stick couldn't plug though.
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