Bic 293d vs kona one

[outhaul]

The Kona One will be easier and lots more fun at 200lbs.
Easier because the fore-aft stability, a longboard trait often overlooked, more fun because the speed while in displacement mode will be superior.
If you really like the idea of the 293 also consider the Bic Nova 205 D, same board but with a 3/4 EVA deck pad. It will need a better and longer fin for planing but the soft deck pad is comfortable and functional. I've seen new ones priced at $1000.
Good luck!

[DelCarpenter]

There is a growing Kona One Design fleet in the midwest. Many of the MOWIND events include a separate Kona class. There were 10 sailors in the Kona class at last weekend's Dam Jam on Saylorville Lake near Des Moines IA. The USWA Nationals June 10-15 in Worthington MN will include a Kona class.(http://worthingtonwindsurfing.com/home/information/) Register by May 28 for the cheaper registration fee.

Charter boards & rigs will be available in Worthington MN if they are reserved soon. To reserve & rent a Kona board & rig for the USWA Nationals contact: fleet8@juno.com

I raced a Mistral Equipe XR several years before I switched to Kona in 2011 to get a board that was easier to sail. The Kona One meets its design intentions as both a beginner board and one you can grow with in planing conditions. And with sail sizes from 5.8 to 9.8 for particular weight ranges it is the most fair one design racing class windsurfing has ever had. (At 170 lbs I'm in the 75K to 84K range that uses the 8.2 sail. A 200lb sailor would be in the 85K to 94K range that uses the 9.0 sail.)

Wind Power in Fond du Lac WI (http://www.windpowerwindsurfing.com/) has Konas.

I enjoy sailing my Kona wherever we travel...I know I'll have a board that works. I've sailed mine in 10 states. I've planed on it with a 5.0 in strong wind and cruised with a 9.0 in light wind. And I also use it for stand-up paddling.

In the midwest with our light air summers & strongest winds in spring & fall, you'll get more days of enjoyable sailing with a longboard like the Kona than will a Bic 293.

Whichever board you choose I hope you come to some MOWIND events
http://www.mowind.org/wp/

Kona boards that were used as charters will be discounted; the amount of the discount is affected by the board's condition.

And, welcome to windsurfing, I hope you have as much fun as I still do in my 31st season.

[NOVAAN]

Way Way to much cash for the Bic. I think Bic boards are great for learning and will work as you progress. Before I spent $800 on the Bic, I would get the barely used Kona for the $975. The reason you don't find many used Kona's is, people loved them and keep them. $250 is a fair price for the Bic.