Forums > Windsurfing General

Finally windsurfing regularly again and in need of a kit update and overhaul

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Created by muggers > 9 months ago, 1 Oct 2020
muggers
2 posts
1 Oct 2020 2:14AM
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I am looking for some help sorting out my quiver, of both boards and sails. I have been windsurfing for about 30 years, but about ten years ago before moving country and the birth of my first child I reduced my 3 board(120freeride, 100 freestlye, 82wave), five sail quiver down to a 1 board (108 freestyle) 3 sail quiver as I knew I wouldn't have a chance to get out on the water so much, and the sailing conditions wouldn't be so good. I was right and have sailed very little over that time, until this summer when things changed a bit so I now have easy access to a beach and am able to go sailing most weekends, which is great.

Unfortunately the kit I have doesn't really suit me or the conditions that I now sail in. I am just in to my 40's and now weigh 75kgs, the conditions at my sailing spot are often a gusty 10 - 14knots with chop.

I have a fanatic skate 108 from 2009, and a 6.4 north duke, 5.4 naish session, and a 4.7 simmer wave (never windy enough for this sail!). I have never quite got comfortable on the board, it just doesn't quite suit the way I sail. I bought it to try and liven up the flatter water conditions in the archipelago where I now live, and to start some freestyle as there are no waves here, but the reality is, I don't have the guts or the joints to do anything more elaborate than straight jumps and duck gybes!

I tend to sail quite underpowered most of the time with the 6.4, wishing I had some bigger kit! I can plane about once it gets to about 12 to 13 knots, but it needs quite a lot of pumping and careful timing. I love the Naish session 5.4 and my 430 north platinum mast, but the rest of my gear doesn't really float my boat.

I know I need bigger gear, but the huge variety of choice now on offer is a bit overwhelming! I want to get as much fun on the water as I can in the conditions that we have, so I need a complete over haul I think.

I would love some advice and some recommendations!

I have been trying to read lots of reviews about current kit and have a couple of options in mind:

1. Get a largish freemove board to give me more width and volume to help with light wind planing and some more comfortable outboard strap options, and what I understand to be a quite manoeuvrable freeride board. eg. rrd - firemove

2. Get a largish freerace board to again get my going in lighter airs and offer some excitement from the speed. eg. tabou - rocket plus

3. Get a foil ready version of one of the above boards to open up that world to me in the future, but not sure how well they really work with the foil in.

I don't know how big to go volume and width wise, I don't think I would be getting a sail any bigger than about 7.8 as I don't really like huge sails. I only have a 430mast and my boom is 150 - 200 so I will probably need bigger ones too.

Sorry for rambling on so much! I hope someone can help me a bit!

LeeD
3939 posts
1 Oct 2020 2:47AM
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Move footstraps outboard and mast base all the way forward.
Wind lighter than 15, get a windfoil. Neil Pryde Glide M or L.

Grantmac
1953 posts
1 Oct 2020 3:23AM
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Get a foil, keep the sails and look at something like the Wizard 114 that offers lots of different foiling styles.

LeeD
3939 posts
1 Oct 2020 3:32AM
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Of you get a NP Glide, you use your Skate with inboard straps.

oldmic
NSW, 343 posts
1 Oct 2020 5:40AM
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Also check out what your new local crew are using and which setups work best in the conditions, make new friends

IndecentExposur
297 posts
1 Oct 2020 4:20AM
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I second the Foil board. You can get some that are foil ready. Key here is to get something wider in the tail, so something like a formula board would be ideal for you. I too, am in my 40's and enjoy the lighter winds; foiling provides more time on the water!

LeeD
3939 posts
1 Oct 2020 4:28AM
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Skate is plenty big.
My second day foiling was in a 95 liter freeride board...plenty.
Big skates have the thickest tails at over 40 cm ofo, and 66 wide.
Now if you're a big boy at 200 kgs....that's another story.
Friend of mine, 70kg., learned windfoiling on a 86 JP Freestyle...not needing a bigger board. He uses Glide S.

martyj4
500 posts
1 Oct 2020 6:21AM
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Muggers, if you want more time on water, get a foil for the conditions you describe above. You probably wont have to change any sails either. The foil (depending on what you get) can potentially drop your sail area by 1.5m2 for the same wind you'd be planing in with a slapper.
I know lots of people who've gone from floundering around in 12-13 knots on conventional big gear to flying comfortably on a foil in less than that, with sails less than 6m.
Just work out which foil to get. If you're into going fast, then (generally speaking) the smaller area foils will do this better than the larger area ones (>1600 cm2). However, the larger area ones will get you going in less wind - but they top out earlier for fastest speed.
There's lots of foil manufacturers out there. Check the foiling forums for advice. Pretty sure you won't look back. I know lots of people with good experiences with Slingshot gear.
If you're into recreation more than racing, get a board with footstraps centred more than placed on rails. Way more comfortable. If you got something freeride of around 100L (assuming you can uphaul it), then you can foil it in sub 15 knots, then sail it in 15-20? Then you'll need 1 less board.

Mark _australia
WA, 22089 posts
1 Oct 2020 9:41AM
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Get a 120L freeride and 7 - 8m ish camless.

You mention limited time so why learn a new skill (foiling) and spend $2K plus to do it

Foil into Skate won;t work it needs reinforcement for Powerbox

LeeD
3939 posts
1 Oct 2020 11:19AM
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Skate is fine for mid to lightweights foiling.
NP Glide has plate, uses bigger screw, 85 mast, and smaller foils stress less than +1500's.
Several guys have 80+ days on PB.
Not for big strong dudes.

muggers
2 posts
1 Oct 2020 3:22PM
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Thank you for all your replies. The kit that seems to be popular around here are large slalom boards with 8.6 rigs, which seems to be a big and expensive route to follow.

I have been considering the NP glide to put on my skate, but a guy in a store put me off a bit saying that it was a bit boring to fly on! But it would be the easliest and cheapest way forward I guess. But as I'm not that keen on the skate I don't know if this is really how to solve my issues.

I have seen a JP 120 hydrofoil board with a NP flight for sale, but the wing shape seems to be very narrow compared to other foils. So maybe not the best for easy flight in light winds. Also not sure how well the board would work with a regular fin.

Are many people using the foil ready freeride boards to get the best of both worlds or is it too much of a compromise?

Paducah
2451 posts
1 Oct 2020 8:23PM
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Select to expand quote
muggers said..
I have been considering the NP glide to put on my skate, but a guy in a store put me off a bit saying that it was a bit boring to fly on! But it would be the easliest and cheapest way forward I guess. But as I'm not that keen on the skate I don't know if this is really how to solve my issues.

I have seen a JP 120 hydrofoil board with a NP flight for sale, but the wing shape seems to be very narrow compared to other foils. So maybe not the best for easy flight in light winds. Also not sure how well the board would work with a regular fin.

Are many people using the foil ready freeride boards to get the best of both worlds or is it too much of a compromise?



Glide is fine - boring is good if that means stable - plus the Glide has a good range of wing sizes that are all pretty affordable. Try to get the most recent version with the longer mast, though.

This doesn't look boring to me

LeeD
3939 posts
2 Oct 2020 1:09AM
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Very few windfoil boards work even decently in fi mode.
Flat deck kills your ankles. Long flat rocker catches in chop. Thick rails bounce out.
Skate would work.
You will be totally challenged for 100 foiling sessions with Glide. Ask the shop dude how many does he have.

Shifu
QLD, 1902 posts
2 Oct 2020 9:48AM
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Select to expand quote
Mark _australia said..
Get a 120L freeride and 7 - 8m ish camless.

You mention limited time so why learn a new skill (foiling) and spend $2K plus to do it

Foil into Skate won;t work it needs reinforcement for Powerbox


Just do this ^^^

John340
QLD, 3046 posts
2 Oct 2020 1:35PM
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Select to expand quote
Shifu said..

Mark _australia said..
Get a 120L freeride and 7 - 8m ish camless.

You mention limited time so why learn a new skill (foiling) and spend $2K plus to do it

Foil into Skate won;t work it needs reinforcement for Powerbox



Just do this ^^^


Ditto on the 7 - 8 camless sail. The same for the board, however if you want to go a bit faster, then a 120 lit freerace board. Either way both the freeride and freerace boards in 120lit will be foil ready if you want to go down that track later.

LeeD
3939 posts
3 Oct 2020 12:36AM
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New NP GlideL should cost way less than 7.5 sail.

mathew
QLD, 2019 posts
6 Oct 2020 8:10AM
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Select to expand quote
LeeD said..
New NP GlideL should cost way less than 7.5 sail.


Not in this country.

LeeD
3939 posts
6 Oct 2020 10:18AM
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Every new 7.5 sail lists at $800.
Last year's Glide L is around $700.



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"Finally windsurfing regularly again and in need of a kit update and overhaul" started by muggers