Windsurfing Questions?

Question

ok, so i am starting to take up windsurfing, and i have some questions. Ok, so first of all, could you tell me the leading brands, referably in order of...greatness, if possible. and next, what;s the average price for a beginners board..I guess a long board. Ok, last question for now, how much do think the whole rig would be? You know, sail, boom, mast and board. Thanks alot.

Answer 1

Sorry, I'm no expert on windsurfing since I'm new to the sport (<11 months), but I did buy new equipment last year.

In general for beginners a widder board, with a center board, and high volume are recommended.  The exact width and volume depends on the size of the person who will be using the board and a couple of other factors.  Next up from beginner is typically called a hybird board.  Its a lot like a beginer board but a little less wide and less volume.  What's good about hybirds is that you won't out grow it in a few months like a true beginner board.

You can expect to spend between $1,300 and $2,100 for new gear (board, sail, boom, mask, etc.).  A lot of people will probably tell you to buy used, but in my experience I could not find any decient used equipemnt.  In general stay way from anything over 3 years old.  That said you might find a nice used sail to start out with and save a few hundred dollars.

Cannot remember off the top of my head the top beginner brands.  I suggest you call and visit OJ at a store called "Water Cooled Trading."  He helped me pick all my gear, showed me how to set it up, and saved me money.  His web page is http://www.watercooledtrading.com.  Note his web page is not the greatest.

You might also look into subscribing to a windsurfing magazine or buying a few issues from a local book store.

Hope this was at least a little helpfull.

Good luck!