Re-entering the sport: Advice please!

[konajoe]

If you didn't routinely sail a board without a centerboard before you stopped sailing, I think you're going to be disappointed. A 125 to 135 freeride board will be a little faster than an old Equipe when you're powered, but is just really not fun at all if you can't plane. In addition, you'll be restricted to back and forth sailing at close to 90 deg to the wind.

[Xxwindsurfer]

I agree totally with Konajoe.
When I returned to the sport I bought a large new short board. When i quit 20 years ago i could plane fairly well in footstraps and harness but on what was then a somewhat small longboard - with a daggerboard. When I picked up the sport again my inadequate skills and local wind conditions made it extremely difficult to plane regularly. I felt like I was always struggling to travel forward- lots of side slipping and difficulty bearing off the wind. I was constantly feeling like I was out of control and had many frightening catapults into the mast.
I would have given it up again but decided to buy a new longboard - in my case a Kona One.
Instantly I felt like I did 20 + years ago. Almost no dangerous catapults. Everything was so much morestable. Excellent glide and I was having fun again even when I was just cruising along in sub planing conditions. Lots of planing runs since then in conditions where I know I would not even be on the water with a short board.
If you were not a highly skilled sailor in your prior incarnation as a windsurfer - like me - and do not expect to be on the water 100 times a year I suggest you look very seriously at a New longboard.

[jingebritsen]

cheers to that xx.

kona one is a life long board for lots of folks in humbler venues.

succinctly, our sport is based in windy areas. that culture can be disconnected to the rest from the world.

[wynsurfer]

Another vote for getting a new or used longboard. Winds on the east coat are light with lots of 5-10 kt. days with the occasional 10-15 and higher. We even see 5-30+ sometimes here! Shortboards are no fum at all in 5-10 and don't come to life unless the wind averages at least 12 kts.

You can get out on the water far more often with a longboard which is key to making progress. Been windsurfing for 31 years and sail an old Fanatic Ultra Cat more often than any of my short boards. By the way, old raceboards like the Ultra Cat, Mistral Equipe, and F2 lightning Race are faster around a racecourse in the hands of a skilled sailor than the new Kona One, which is on my wish list. One board that can do it all.

[jingebritsen]

agreed with slinky, long board racers, past and present are the bomb.

this one, in person looks like a cruise missile. might be as fast too?

http://www.exocet-original.com/rs380-elite.php

video:

http://www.youtube.com/v/ST1UwISgJEA?fs=1&autoplay=1

[coachg]

Sign up for an ABK camp. https://abkboardsports.com/ There you can try some new boards while getting excellent instruction & meeting some new windsurfers from your area. Andy & Brendon also recently have gotten Kona's so you could demo one there.

Coachg

[konajoe]

Is the original poster still out there?