Why Beginners Get Discouraged

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Concept of high performance planing and jumpable inflatable boards is the future, if the current companies don't boycott the idea.
Easy to make an inflatable have hard rails in the planing area. They already are plenty stiff at 15 lbs air pressure.
Making them 220 in length makes them stiffer.
The idea of thicker rails is offset by the slight flexing of the entire board during jibes.
But securing the mast track, fin, and footstraps is the biggest challenge.

cgoudie1 · Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 3:02 pm Post subject:

Hey Joe,

I'm totally with you. A dagger board just makes those 1st learning sessions
so much more progressive. And then, if you live on a lake where 6-9MPH
wind is the norm, you'll want a raceboard (like an Equipe) with a dagger
board. If you live near the Ocean where it's 6-9, you'll want a wave
oriented longboard with a centerboard like the big Konas.

By about your 3rd year, you're going to be thinking about moving
someplace where it's windy ;*) and buying a short board for those
rare days when a dagger board is only useful to picnic on. That doesn't
mean you have to give up your longboard, but there is that huge magnet
thing, once you've been planing in the straps.

-Craig

p.s. I don't know Andrea, but I have see a picture of her on a rocket cycle
looks like short board material to me.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

It's possible that just having TOO HIGH a goal when you start windsurfing leads to failure, and failure leads to quitting.
Enjoy the journey, the process, and place less priority to the goal.
Not everyone can be Robby Naish.

joethewindsufa · Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 1190 Location: Montréal

^+1
FUN and TOW
set small goals
i have so much fun that i forget to concentrate on technique (yeah - footstraps)
live in light wind inland Montreal and do not go in big winds anyway
the local high winders go to Lac Champlain
high wind locally tends to be stormy and erratic
last time i went just to look and there was ONE person capable
so windy that day trees were coming down
expert kiter was taken in ambulance on another occasion

myself @ 230 pounds keep a trusty Mistral Equipe I for winds < 20 kph
RARELY use the centreboard
smallest board is 120 liters and smallest sail is 6.3
i discovered the wide boards with a BIC Techno Formula - middle weight newbies loved it
now sail a JP SLW92 and it's a keeper - sails 8 - 10+ m²
unfortunately cannot lend that one to newbies

know people complain about the narrowness of the older longboards
for me that is a benefit
buddy was having issues with his Hawk 135 and 7 meter sail
i went with same size sail and Equipe - NP
that is why SailBoarder loves his KONA ONE = BIG range
now there is the KONA HULA for beginners (and heavy weights like me)

in today's times, i do NOT understand how someone would NOT use the WWW , local shops, local sites, etc BEFORE purchasing FIRST board/sail, etc

My issue with newbies is: I am unable to hook them. They want to go on the perfect day, when they are available, not too deep, fast food nearby, etc ...
Some come back , but do NOT purchase their own equipment
They just wanna borrow my stuff !!!
Have had better luck with returning windsurfers...
now i steer people to local "school" or rentals

as Andrea/OP says - NOT all windsurfers or X-windsurfers give good advice Embarassed

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

andreafuentes99 · Joined: 12 Jan 2016 Posts: 27

Interesting discussion.... at least in my area, and even online, it is practically impossible to find a USED beginner board (true beginner, center board, etc). I searched for months; begged the local school to sell me one of their boards but they couldn't get replacements from JP so they couldn't. So that may also draw people into buying a board that is a bit more advanced than most beginners can easily handle.

I'm intrigued by the inflatable windsurfers that Joe the Windsurfa posted about... there's a guy that I've seen out a couple times with his ... was thinking about getting one that could double as a paddle board for light wind days, but then I found out they need a special sail so that didn't make sense. Sad

Plus they are $$$$$.

I do think the inflatable is more accessible to many people, who don't have a truck or van. And FUN is the most important thing to me. I hope to be around 3 years from now, and hope all of you are too! Not sure I'll be setting the world on fire with my windsurfing skills, but hopefully having fun.

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Inflatables can use ANY sail, past or present.
Weakness of mast track mounting currently limits it's higher wind potential, and footstraps and fins are fragile mounted.

Goodwind · Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 323 Location: On water

U2U2U2 · Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 9:38 am Post subject:

Starboard just rx make the starter boards, Start medium and large.
These have center boards. While notlongboards, which the learner platform has elvolved . When I see these at a swap meet they sell right off .

I still see some old longboards as well.

Their must be demand, learning teaching centers ... For learning boards.

The wrong equipment to learn is but one of the discourage aspects.

I think one needs a good infusion to carry on .. Some insperation for persevere