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Returning to windsurfing, need purchasing advice
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rbroach1605



Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 5:02 pm    Post subject: Returning to windsurfing, need purchasing advice Reply with quote

Greetings, I am an old guy (66) planning to start windsurfing again after 20+ years. I purchased a new standard 12' Windsurfer back in 1983 and spent many years sailing here in Long Beach Alamitos Bay, Calif. I still have my old rig and plan to take it out next week to test my ability. I would like to purchase a new modern rig suitable for light and moderate wind but one that would also allow me to improve my skill in more challenging conditions. I know I have limits due to my age, but I want to improve my skills enough to take advantage of today's technology and really enjoy the sport. Therefore, I would really appreciate any advice or suggestions as to the windsurfer, sail, and rigging I should consider purchasing. I plan to sail here in Alamitos Bay, usually light to moderate wind, seldom exceeding 25 mph. Thank you very much for your help.

Bob
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gerritt



Joined: 06 May 1998
Posts: 632
Location: Redwood City, CA

PostPosted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 6:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you want to blow out your back, continue to sail your original Windsurfer One Design. I too learned on one in 1983. I moved from the Delta to the SF Bay in 1985 and promptly sold it for a new high wind rig. I got used to that and then found myself in Long Beach and met one of my associates from my Delta days. She still had her One Design, so we pulled it out and put it on Alamitos Bay. Boy was it hard to sail!

I would not want to sail my high wind gear from 1985 either. The designs were still evolving and simply going straight demanded a lot of attention.

Get yourself a new wide style board and a new 5.5 sail. If you plan to stay inside the harbor, get a board with a dagger board. Even if you venture out of the harbor, you can kick the dagger board up and still plane off. If you are already using a harness and can get into the footstraps a newer, freeride board (sans dagger) in the 130 liter range might suit you fine. If you want to plane, you will also need a bigger sail: 6.5-7.0. But that's hard to say not knowing your weight or abilities.

All of this can be found used for reasonably good prices used. Kiting has really taken over and lots of guys have windsurfing gear they are looking to unload. The newer sails are night and day from what they once were: light and stable, with shorter booms that won't have you uphauling for days. I wouldn't get anything designed before 2000. I would also avoid at all costs straight monofilm sails. They will be brittle by now and were very fragile even when new. Look for something in a scrim that is still fairly clear and supple. Excessive exposure to sunlight kills all mylar.


Honestly, if I still lived in Long Beach or the LA area, I would kite. I'm the first to admit, kiting just looks more fun in 15 knots than windsurfing. And in LA, that's what you get.

If you just want to put around the harbor in light wind and don't care about going fast at least get a new rig to stick on your One Design and save your back.

Oh, and 66 isn't old. We have a guy up here that sails 3rd Ave. regularly in high wind and I think he is 80 this year. You've got more than a few seasons left. Welcome back.
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ctuna



Joined: 27 Jun 1995
Posts: 1125
Location: Santa Cruz Ca

PostPosted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 6:57 pm    Post subject: Equipment has improved tremendously since then. Reply with quote

Equipment has improved tremendously since then.
Carbon has made new equipment feather light and shapes
are much improved . Sails are light and stable. Boards have gone from long and narrow to wide and short. But the prices have also risen a lot in the last
7 years due to the financial crisis and the exotic materials.
You might want to get a windsurfing SUP to ease back into it.
And also to SUP when there is no wind.
You can get used windsurfing equipment pretty cheap now if you
know what you are looking for.
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dllee



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

PostPosted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

He already HAS a windsurf/SUP !!!
All he needs is a small sail, around 4.5 meters, for the first few days.
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rbroach1605



Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 10:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, thank you all for responding and I agree totally that a new rig is my only choice at this time. I am 195 lbs., 6'2" tall and have used a harness and sailed smaller fiberglass boards, but a long time ago. I would really like to purchase a new rig that is adequate for light wind but yet capable enough to handle winds that are more challenging. I hope to improve my skill and test my limits to some extent. Thanks, I really appreciate your advice and suggestions.

Bob
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ctuna



Joined: 27 Jun 1995
Posts: 1125
Location: Santa Cruz Ca

PostPosted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 10:39 pm    Post subject: Whats your budjet ? Reply with quote

Whats your budjet ?
Didn't see anything about a windsurfing sup in the previous posts.
The size sails you get will depend on where you live and what you expect to do. Sails in So Cal run in the 5.0 to 7.0 range from what I understand.
You need to match the sails and the masts. Buy as much carbon content
as you can afford . Its better to have a matched quiver of sails from the
same manufacturer and model year so they have the same feeling.
a 5 isth and 6ish sail would probably be good starters the 5 can be used for low winds and high winds later.
Good equipment always makes things easier but some lessons from
a advanced instructor can help.
In addition there are tons of instructional video's now.
You should check out
sideoffvideo.com
The Tricktionairy.com
continentseven.com
ABK boardsports clinics
See abkboardsports.com I think.
Your old board is likely to be long narrow and heavy.
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rbroach1605



Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Posts: 7

PostPosted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 12:47 am    Post subject: Re: Whats your budjet ? Reply with quote

ctuna wrote:
Whats your budjet ?
Didn't see anything about a windsurfing sup in the previous posts.
The size sails you get will depend on where you live and what you expect to do. Sails in So Cal run in the 5.0 to 7.0 range from what I understand.
You need to match the sails and the masts. Buy as much carbon content
as you can afford . Its better to have a matched quiver of sails from the
same manufacturer and model year so they have the same feeling.
a 5 isth and 6ish sail would probably be good starters the 5 can be used for low winds and high winds later.
Good equipment always makes things easier but some lessons from
a advanced instructor can help.
In addition there are tons of instructional video's now.
You should check out
sideoffvideo.com
The Tricktionairy.com
continentseven.com
ABK boardsports clinics
See abkboardsports.com I think.
Your old board is likely to be long narrow and heavy.


First, purchasing a new rig is in the budget, and I prefer the sail and board large enough to work well in light wind as this will be the majority of my sailing. Definitely, I am not interested in stand up paddling and really don't understand why it has gotten so popular. I have watched a variety of wind surfing instructional videos on YouTube. I wish they were available when I started sailing. I will check out your suggestions as well. My old board will only be used to help teach my grand kids the basics. I still have a small kids sail that I used to teach my two daughters. Thank you for your suggestions.

Bob
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cgoudie1



Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 2597
Location: Killer Sturgeon Cove

PostPosted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 8:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, in order to avoid your namesake, I'm going to recommend bigger gear
for your abilities, your weight, and your conditions, and since you used to plane short
boards, I'm going to recommend gear designed to plane. You want
Something 140-150 lts and pretty wide, say 70 cm with about a 50 cm skeg.
a used Angulo Sumo 155 (a board I know pretty well) can be had for around $500 if that is in you budget, but there are a lot of boards out there
(JP excite ride is another I have experience with) in that range. And at
your weight and typical conditions I think I'd go 5.5, 7.0, 8.5 on sail sizes.
(I'm a fan of Sailworks Retros in these sizes) and you're going to want a
carbon boom for the 8.5. Big gear like this is expensive, but it will have
you happily planning in 12MPH winds while everybody else is sitting
on the beach. If you had an additional 30cm skeg, you could probably ride
said gear into about 20MPH winds with the 5.5 no problem.

-Craig
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mac



Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 17736
Location: Berkeley, California

PostPosted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 10:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Echo cgoudi's advice. I am 6'2", 197, and sail mostly Formula on SF Bay. But I have a new slalom board--80 cm, that goes with about a 44 cm fin and 6.8 to 7.8 sails. Planes at about 15 mph, and works up to about 28 with just those two sails. Jibes better than my older slalom and hybrid boards, but not quite (1-2 mph) as fast at very top end. A wonderful set of compromises. At near 200 pounds, you are going to need about a 7.0 for Southern California if you have a slalom sail, at least 6.5 for a softer sail. But you give up both speed and control when the smaller sails get lit.
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ctuna



Joined: 27 Jun 1995
Posts: 1125
Location: Santa Cruz Ca

PostPosted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 11:21 am    Post subject: Windsurfing was not the developed in the 80's Reply with quote

Windsurfing was not the developed sport in the 80's. it is now.
There has been a lot of evolution in both the equipment and the
technique. There used to be a lot of opinion on technique as the sport
developed now its kind of zeroed in on common basic moves.
There are so many different types of windsurfing now Freestyle, wave sailing , Slalom, etc etc Wave riding an SUP can be a gas and the new
wave riding SUPS's do this well as well as serve as a great low
wind training platform for windsurfing or for low wind wave sailing.
Or just surfing.


As an example this guy can do anything a long boarder can and then some.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ID4ud0Rc2v4#!

Although that is not a windsurfing SUP it could be one with the additon
of a mast insert and there are boards of similar size that do have
windsurfing capability.
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