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rangerider
Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 206
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Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2012 11:08 pm Post subject: Starboard Go Windsurfer vs. RRD EasyRide M |
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Starboard Go Windsurfer vs. RRD EasyRide M?
Considering these boards for teaching my wife and 11 and 8 year old sons to windsurf as well as some random friends. I have a big old longboard which is a little tippy for teaching and a JP x-cite ride 145 for my own use in decent wind. I live in the midwest and windsurf in marginal gusty conditions.
I might consider using the new board in light wind myself if it is more fun than the long board under the conditions but this is not the priority.
Not really interested in a pure starter board (like Starboard Start)
Suggestions appreciated |
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Sailboarder
Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 656
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 8:23 am Post subject: |
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I live in Montreal and have similar low wind and gusty conditions.
I bought a board for a similar use too. My wife and 3 kids are beginners, all lightweights.
A daggerboard is important. I have an old board with an AllGaier that works great after 30 years. I also tried a Start with a Clipperbox that I disliked. The daggerboard locks down in place. It is bad if you hit the bottom. You also have to operate it with the hands to undo the locking knob. I don't know if the current Clipperbox shows the same drawback.
A good non-planing glide is also important. The learners can go faster, without a lot of pull from the sail. This is what hooks them first. From the looks, I guess the Go Windsurfer will have a better glide. They also boast this compared to the other Go in their marketing. If unable to get first-hand experience about the boards you mention, I would choose the Go for the potential glide.
I personally chose a Kona One. It has an EVA deck, glides well and I also use it all the time because it planes well too. The stability is more than good enough for medium and light weights. As complete beginners, my wife and kids were choosing it over a Start Medium that was also available last summer. They prefered going faster than having an extra margin of stability.
Finally, if your kids are light like mine, don't forget to tune things accordinlgy. I put a 25cm wave fin under the Kona to allow them to turn it easily. With the standard 46, their sail is just to small to be able to tack the board.
Speaking of sails, this is maybe more important than the boards. They need very light kids rigs since they uphaul all the time. Sizing is important too: my little one had trouble once uphauling the 2.5, but had no problem with the 2.0. It may be only .5 m, but it is a 25% increase from the 2.0 !!! I have an Ezzy kids rig that I highly recommend.
Same thing for the wife. I made her try with the smallest wave sail I have, a 4.2. The thing is flat in low wind, making it difficult to figure what is going on. I eventually bought her an Aerotech Windsup 4.0 (185$ new). It rigs on normal gear, is much lighter than the wave sail, and the belly inflate in low wind, enabling her to sail with ease and a with a bigger smile!
Have fun! |
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coachg
Joined: 10 Sep 2000 Posts: 3550
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:05 am Post subject: |
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You need the center board. I think the Rio S or M would be a better call for what you are looking for than the Go in the Starboard line up.
Coachg |
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rangerider
Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 206
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 11:21 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the info. I have the Ezzy kids rig and am pleased with it so far. Agree that centerboard is crucial as I learned trying to teach my son on the xcite ride 145. I have also considered the rio-m but I got the impression that it wasn't much good for progressing so took it off the list. Also considered the kona one but thought the length might make it tougher to handle for my kids. Thanks again. |
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byway
Joined: 23 Oct 2012 Posts: 1
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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I recently bought a 2009 Go 161 and I was disappointed so I'll probably sell it next season - it was to replace my previous light wind, high volume board, an old Mistral Prodigy but was a retrograde step. The Go would be a stable beginner's board and it planes easily but is so slow and feels unresponsive compared to my other boards - as someone wanting to progress I want a board that is a bit more lively. The different Go models have very different footstrap positions and some, including mine, do not have the options that make sense. On the other hand it does teach you to use the weight on the harness properly as it will not sail well if you just stand on the board - which is good for progression but not for an absolute beginner which is otherwise what it is suitable for.
I too sail in very variable gusty conditions mostly - the Go is not the best board for those conditions and doesn't like chop
cheers
Byway |
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joethewindsufa
Joined: 10 Oct 2010 Posts: 1190 Location: Montréal
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Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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i also wish that iDo gadget was cheaper %^&*()
you could put someone on the board, attach a line and drink beer from shore
or attach line to a board
in any case - it would eliminate the PITA of uphauling and get that smile sooner |
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Sailboarder
Joined: 10 Apr 2011 Posts: 656
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Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:33 am Post subject: |
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If you don't want to ride it, you can also consider the Bic Beach 175. I guess it will glide correctly. It's made of heavy plastic, so it will be great if your kids mostly want to horse around the board with limited supervision. I think it sells new for less than 800$ and will widstand hits on rocks! |
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