New sailor

[MichaelAvondet]

I had a wind surfing session 2yrs. ago, which consisted of about a 4 hr. block of instructions. I have been ridding some old stuff the past few years. My question is I weight 174 lbs. 6”.5 in height what type of complete rig would be suggested?

cheers
Mike A.

[Craig Goudie]

Hi Michael,

You're not getting a lot of response, because we need a little more
information about what you've been riding and how you've progressed
in the past few years. Does the stuff you're riding have a dagger board?
Have you ever planed off? Do you use a harness, how about foot straps?

By the tone of your email, I'd guess for Utah sailing you should have
a board 80 cm wide, and about 150 ltrs in volume with a 7.5 sail.

Starboard might sell such a complete "kit", but usually you have to buy
the board and rig (sail mast and boom) separate.

The only place to purchase windsurfing gear in Utah is through the
used market (like the for sail part of this forum), or via the internet.
If you give me more info about your abilities and your budget, I'll be
happy to point you to something more explicit.

-Craig

I had a wind surfing session 2yrs. ago, which consisted of about a 4 hr. block of instructions. I have been ridding some old stuff the past few years. My question is I weight 174 lbs. 6”.5 in height what type of complete rig would be suggested?

cheers
Mike A.

[MichaelAvondet]

Craig,

As you have already guessed, I know little to nothing about windsurfing but I love the maybe 10 times I have been. It’s been about 2-3 yrs scene I have been on a board. Bare with me, I have been on a board with a dagger on it. The board I have used did not have foot straps. Not sure about planed off…..? And I have not used a harness before, only rock climbing. As far as budget goes I’m willing to pay for some good stuff that will pay off in the long run. Thanks for the help, helping the new-bee. Can’t wait to hit the water..

Again thanks
Michael

[Craig Goudie]

Well, alright Michael! Welcome to a sport that will likely dominate
the rest of your life.

Boards with daggerboards have mostly gone away in favor of
short wide boards. I personally think it's easier to progress with
the short wides, so that's what I'm going to recommend.

My favorite short wide board for beginner/intermediate is the
Starboard Go. It's good for learning, and it makes a great
Utah light wind board (which is about 70% of the sailing in Utah).
Starboard also makes a new "lowcost" board called the RIO, http://www.bigwinds.com/store/board/det ... uctID=1599
which is essentially the same shape, but heavier (you pay large for weight
reduction in this sport)

But, any board 140-180 ltrs, 80-90 cms wide and less than 10ft long, that's billed as an intermediate or lightwind short board is going to work. I see a Highfly http://utahwindriders.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1098 Mambo
package on our "for sail" forum, that might work, but you'd have to
see what sail (rig) it comes with. I don't recognise the poster of the add,
so I can't vouch for them.

For easy reintroduction into the sport, a rig in the 5.5 meter rage would
be good, but you'll quickly want something like a 7.5 meter rig for typical
riding in Utah. Rig = sail, mast, boom, mastbase. I recommend camless
sails for almost everybody these days, and especially for beginners.

A good used setup for you should be between $500 and $1000 for
gear from the last couple of years. Older than that, might be a
mistake, but can be had for as little as $200

You can spend between $1000 and $2000 on a complete
new setup. If you can get one, I recommend getting a 7.5 sail with it.
it'll be a little harder to get out of the water initially, but it'll be great
for sailing as you progress. Or better yet, get yourself a 5.5 and a 7.5.
Avoid anything that says "formula" in it's title. Great boards, but
designed for high performance skilled riders.

Here are some links to potential purveyors. I'd recommend talking
at length with them about your current staus.

http://www.gorgesurfshop.com/gss_contact.htm (Ask for Scotty or Bart
and tell them you got their name from Craig Goudie)

http://inlandsea.com/Default.aspx (A respectable on-line store to deal with)

http://www.windance.com/customer_service.htm (More performance oriented, but still great service)

http://www.the-house.com/windsurfing.html (The Walmart of windsurfing)

http://windsurfing-direct.com/usa/ (The K-Mart of windsurfing)

Good luck, ask more questions if you have them.

-Craig

Craig,

As you have already guessed, I know little to nothing about windsurfing but I love the maybe 10 times I have been. It’s been about 2-3 yrs scene I have been on a board. Bare with me, I have been on a board with a dagger on it. The board I have used did not have foot straps. Not sure about planed off…..? And I have not used a harness before, only rock climbing. As far as budget goes I’m willing to pay for some good stuff that will pay off in the long run. Thanks for the help, helping the new-bee. Can’t wait to hit the water..

Again thanks
Michael

[Marc]

Hello Mike,

I read your post and I wanted to make sure you see what I have for sale. Craig is right about the new gear being top notch to learn on, but what I have for sale will get you there too. If you become proficient on this gear you will have saved tons of money for the gear you'll inevitably want. Check it out, if you havn't already.

Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0012140569

-Marc

[Steven Nyhus]

Michael,

Have to agree with Craig on his recomendations. I just got back into this frustrating sport (in the hot, dead air summers) a couple of years ago and I have a board that is 156 ltrs and 84cm wide and it is just perfect for sailing here in Utah. By the way, I weigh about 190. I would say that anything from about 130 ltrs up and in the 80cm wide category would work great for you. I have to agree on sail size too. The sail I seem to use the most is my 7.5. If you were to go with two sails, I would say a 6.0 and a 7.5. If you need some more help in finding gear I have a list of sources and John Dubock has some good contacts too. Good luck and I hope to see you on the beach soon (the wind will return, it has to).