They offer both at the shop I'm using. But, not a chance! I was watching those guys with all the strings and ****, definitely not for me. I already have a spin boat, why would I want more strings? <img src="<>/laugh.gif" alt="laugh" title="laugh" height="15" width="15" />
Depending on the sailors weight I think windsurfing and kitesurfing both have their strong points.
As a 100kg + windsurfer I needed a lot of wind to get up on a plane, or a sail that was really large. I imagine a kite would have powered me up earlier and been easier to manage.
I sold my sailboard kit 5 years ago. If I was to go back, I would probably go for a kite.
Do a youtube search for the kite guy that got beat to death against a condo when his kite took him across a highway at altitude.
If I decide to learn to fly, I want something with wings.
It's super cheap to operate, and I can get it in the water in about thirty seconds. Mines a standup ski, its a work out, and has made me a better snowmobiler.
I couldn't ride it as often as I sail, and I do get bored after a few hours. But its still fun.
<img src="<>/sick.gif" alt="sick" title="sick" height="15" width="15" /> It is a wailing, banshee mosquito from hell! A pox on them all!
Well, I suppose technically I'm a windsurfer, having managed to sail the board through 360 degress. The first hour was impossible the second hour only slightly better (sailing backward for awhile unintentionally). Tomorrow is another day...
good work Pete. I'd briefly considered picking the sport back up when I was donating my (at the time) extensive inventory to the Ft. Myers sailing club (4 boards, 7-8 sails, countless masts, fins, booms, etc). Back injury prevents me from regaining a lot of the skills I used to have (this sport seems to involve a lot of twisting and odd angles)
I was heavy into it in the early-90's when they were just starting out with hollow boards and carbon mast/booms (and G10 foils). Had everything from a 12' longboard (with centerboard) and an 11.0 m2 sail down to an 8'2
board and a 2.9 m2 sail (for tropical storm sailing - yes I was that stupid) which I used a couple of times.
Seems the most used stuff in my inventory was the 9'2
board (narrow) and 6.7 m2 sail (cambered). I could use that in roughly 12-15 kts and get on a plane, or use it in light/medium surf (east coast FL) without too much effort. Enough bouyancy to plane through a gybe, enough sail to waterstart even in lighter air.
Round here with relatively flat waters and light air, you could probably be fine with a slightly larger sail (7.0), but the smaller the sail, the easier it is to toss through a duck gybe.
I bought a long board (SUP/windsurfer really), 10' 9", carbon mast/boom, 7.5m sail.
The plan is to sail the Blade in the morning, learn the windsurfer in the afternoon. I'm curios to hear what reality says. <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />
Windsurfing is awesome, I really miss it. I started out on a 104L Tiga (1990) board (not sure of the length), and a 9m Gastra sail. I was about 70kg then and the 104 liters held me up fine. My friend, at 85kg sunk on it. Jibes were the hardest thing for me to get down. Make sure you get a harness because it's a godsend when your hands are trashed from doing a lot of waterstarts. A good fin/skeg is also a must in 20mph+ winds, or else you'll always be spinning out.
We used to take annual trips to the Columbia River Gorge at Hood River Oregon. I almost moved up there is was so crazily fun and addicting. There we would regularly use 4-5 meter sails (Neil Prydes). I once threw up my 9 meter sail, for kicks, in constant 25 mph winds and it was insanely hilarious.
About the only con to windsurfing is that you're alone on the water. That can be a big negative if you like hanging out and goofing off with friends on the cat in light winds.
Hope you're having a blast!
Is any manufacturer selling a combo long board/paddle board? Seems you could use the same board for both, sail it when there's some wind, and paddle it when it's too light.
Years ago (1983) when I got into windsurfing, I started with a clasic Windsurfer long board, then got a shorter board (Aiken 911) once I learned how to water start. Sadly both boards are long gone (destroyed by my kids), I still have the masts/sails in the garage though.
I know the new boards are very light and carbon, so I would think there must be a long board that could double as a paddle board.
Yes, that's what I bought though I've no intention of paddling. Longer is easier, more stable, or so I'm told.
Well it's just simply physics, a longer, wider board is going to be more stable...BUT...if/when you want to go out in big wind and go faster, and jump waves, and do duck-gybes, and barrel rolls, etc. you need a short board to do that.
A long board is great for learning, but just like racing cats, as soon as you 'master' the one you have, you want to get something faster!
I'm sure this will be you, by this time next summer Pete, jumping those huge waves just off Marco Island! ;^)
http:/
I just hope this guy is NOT your instructor! http:/
This board looks like it would be big enough to also use as a paddle board, is that about what you bought?
http:/
Kona makes a board for windsurfing and SUP, very cool designs as well:
http://www.konaone.com/
http:/
I got the WS GL 10'8" with Ezzy 7.5 meter sail, carbon mast, and carbon boom.
Kona makes a board for windsurfing and SUP, very cool designs as well:
http://www.konaone.com/
Thanks Tony, that looks like what I was thinking about.
I got the WS GL 10'8" with Ezzy 7.5 meter sail, carbon mast, and carbon boom.
Did you get out on it today? It was very light air over here today, but yesterday was excellent, 15-20 after about 2:30pm, I got out on the Blade for two hours from 2:30-4:30, great fast fun! But today was pretty dead.
Pete: Are'nt you into Yoga as well?
Maybe you could give this a try:
![[Linked Image]](http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/111201/yoga_sup_17ddnui-17ddnuk.jpg)
<img src="<>/grin.gif" alt="grin" title="grin" height="15" width="15" />
NO! I don't need an audience so I stay home at weekends. Tue. & Thurs. are look stupid days.
Tony: you first! Send pix.
http:/
I just watched the Tampa weather girl, she said west at 15+ today, so I'll be out on the Blade if I get all my Honey Do's done by 2pm or so.
When I learned to windsurf, I asked a local short-board hot shot,
How long does it take?
He said,
It takes 400 falls. You can do them all in one weekend, 200 a day, or spread it out over a month or two, but you won't get the hang of it until you've fallen off at least 400 times!
I didn't keep count but I think he was right. All that uphauling the mast/sail (see the 'instructor' video above) on the long board is a lot of work and my back was aching for days, and I was only 23 then!
Once I got the hang of it, no biggie, and when I finally got a shorter board, a harness, and learned to water start, it was really much easier and more fun. But when you are first learning, you want flat water and very little wind, so don't go out in 15+ to learn, or you'll spend all day falling over.
I have this 2nd childhood fantasy: every Tuesday and Thursday morning I get up early, load the board on top of the Blade, drive to the Causeway, rig the Blade and sail until the Thunderstorms start showing on the horizon, rig the Blade down, then grab the board work on learning that until the
no see ums
come out or lightening forces me off the beach. We'll see what reality says...
Just make sure it's an on-shore wind when you are learning to windsurf! Otherwise you may end up being blwon way out to sea!
wow... Got the 4ksb to finally make 5.5 kts Satuday on a beam reach in Tampa Bay. Probably blowing 15 true. C&C 36 with centerboard. What a nice day to be on the bay... Made me wonder what an beachcat would do...
At one point in my life, I thought that was a
fast
sail. How times have changed.
Grommets got a little woozy in the rolling motion, so had to flatten it out to a broad reach which helped.. Need to get them out more to get sea legs (or mermaid tails in their case) OR maybe buy a nice 45' cruising cat with my future lottery winnings. Whatever they had as the RC on the yellow (outside) course at T-winds this year would do nicely....
I believe that was Taylor Reis's Parrent's boat, and yeah, that would be a great
Family Boat
!!
Jay, take the family out on a Corsair next time, there's no bobing back and forth and getting sea sick on one of those.
When my twins were about 3, and Tom was about 8mo. we went out on a Corsair F24 with Bob Gleason and his two young boys, about 2+4yrs. old I think.
So there were three adults (Bob, my wife, me) and 5 kids, (one was a baby) and had a great day out on Buzzard's Bay. Even though it was only 24', there was plenty of room with the two tramps outside the *. My wife stayed in the *, while my twins went to lay on the low side tramp and watch the waves roll under, while Bob and I sailed from the high side ama.
When we first got on the boat, my wife's one 'rule' was,
NO SPINNAKERS! Things always go wrong when you put up that Spinnaker!
(from one bad broach on my J24).
So...well...you know we HAD to put it up!
As soon as she went down below to breast feed, Bob very quietly snuck it up through the bow hatch, and we put it up without a word spoken, just pointing and nodding, and we were going off on a good reach when she came back topside. She looks up and says,
HEY! WHAT's THAT??!!
pointing up at the chute.
Bob without missing a beat says,
That? Oh, that's just a big jib...
Well since it was bright red, and all the other sails were white, she didn't buy it, but she didn't complain either, as we were toodling along about 10 knots, flat and smooth, with all the kids on the high side now, loving it.
On the drive home she said,
Well, that didn't tip nearly as much as the J24, I guess you can get one of those.
Bob suggested I get a beach cat to learn more about multihull sailing while waiting to scrape up the dough for a Corsair. This was June of 1996.
About a month later Delta closed the Boston crew base and displaced me to ATL, and we finally decided to move to FL a year later. My Corsair savings went to buy the house down here. At least I can go out on the dock, lie down on my back, listen to the wind and waves and pretend I'm sailing across the ocean on a real boat!
I did get a beach cat once we got down here, but I'm still waiting for those twins (and 6 horses) to get off my payroll so I can get a Corsair!
http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/in...
Down at the bottom of the page there's a picture you guys have to see. You'll know it when you see it.
Are you talking about the Guitar boat?
No. Keep looking.
http:/
I've seen this before but ran across it on the
Crazysailors
channel while looking for a coffe break vid.