What skills must be learned before your first shortboard?

[Thurston]

I'm getting better

But I still have a long way to go. As part of a used sail purchase last summer, the seller threw in a 133L F2 Xantos 295



I'd love to take it out and try it, but will probably wait until next summer when conditions are a little warmer. In the meantime I have my 188L F2 Phoenix 320 longboard, which I love.

I'm good with the harness, kicking up the centerboard and starting to get into straps, tacking. When it's windy enough I can manage a beach start and VERY rarely a chest deep water start.

I have jibed maybe a handful of times and am not comfortable at all with it.

What should I be practicing to make the transition to a smaller board on the occasional windy days go a little more smoothly?

[adywind]

Nothing! You are good enough, just GO for it ! As soon as the "stars align " -wind above 12 kts , flattish water , comfortable temperature and not too intimidating launch spot- go and take it for a ride. It's your ticket for going to the next level
PS: I didn't want to post it at first, but just couldn't hold myself IMHO this is exactly the thick; shortish and narow kind of boards that made learning to windsurf so difficult for so long. If you have a chance of replacing it with a modern short; wide and thin board of similar volume -Starboard AtomIQ 130 comes to mind-/if you are of average weight/ it will make your transition a LOT easier. The closest comparison of how different they feel is like standing on a rolling oil barrel vs on a stable raft.

[nw30]

Water starting where you can't touch the bottom, everything else will take care of itself as long as you can that.

[Thurston]

Thank you both, and ady thanks for voicing your opinion on the board. When I have trouble, it will be good to know it's a difficult board to start on.

[jingebritsen]

you have 2 fantastic boards. work on the basics with the long board as much as you can. try to plane around as much as you can and make your turns ever snappier. the xantos is a treasure. you will love it when you are ready.

[swchandler]

The three things to really focus on are as follows:


Waterstarts in all wind conditions

Sailing comfortably upwind without using a daggerboard

Tacking and jibing consistently in both light and strong winds

[adywind]

It's easier to learn waterstarting on a smaller board because the tail sinks and doesn't slide away that much when you lift yourself up. I learned it the first day I started sailing my 92l. And on a 133L board most people can uphaul anyway...

[cgoudie1]

John and I pretty much agree on this (a heavenly cacophany ensues).
That Xantos is a sweet ride, even if it isn't modern. You should practice your waterstart with it, and then ride it around. There's still one sitting
in my friends shed up in HR. We rode it early on up there in our
windsurfing career, it's been used as a shortboard learning tool by a
number of my friends, and we still consider it when there's been no
wind for a few days.

Learn that waterstart, and you can sail pretty much anywhere.

-Craig

[techno900]

You can learn water starts on any board, so don't wait until you get on the smaller one and get stuck.

Get comfortable with the foot straps. If you don't have enough speed to get into them, then you need more speed (larger sail or more wind).

Get comfortable gybing on the Phoenix where you are in the straps and planing as you enter the gybe.

Moving to the smaller board will be a piece of cake if you nail all the stuff above.

Your weight may be an issue here - above 200 and things will be a little challenging on the smaller board. Below 180 and the smaller board is plenty big for you now.

[LeeD]

If you can uphaul your bigger board, and you weigh less than 225 lbs., you're good to go on the Xantos.
Keep the windward rail down a little from the leeward rail when slogging to maintain upwind.
Most anyone less than 225 lbs can easily uphaul the Xantos.