first taste of windsup, seeking advice

[breakbad]

It was on a Starboard hero, stock fins, and a 4.3 junior rig, not harnessed. Winds were 5-10. I spent the first hour just trying to get moving. When I really opened up the power I think it got too loose for my skill set. By the end of the day I was 'managing', and able to make a little progress upwind. It was very slow, I think the wind tapered off a bit. I found the hardest part staying on the board with gusts or when wind died.

I'm wanting to give it another go before I put any serious money into the habit. Before I do, I want to make it a bit easier. Should I change out the center fin with something longer/straighter and move it forward? Remove the biters? Use a bigger sail? Harness?

Thanks for feedback.

[The Kernel]

Breakbad:

I'm interested in acquiring a combo board in order to do the same.  Thinking is perhaps a Fanatic Allwave 9'6" but as you noted Starboard is an option.

As a SUP, could use it for guests and also for myself to paddle out on choppy and sloppy days with big volume.  As a windsurfer, hopefully it would have enough volume for me to push up the learning curve; I've only windsurfed about six times in my life, with less than stellar results.

How much prior windsurf experience do you have and what area (e.g. SoCal, Hawaii) did you take the board out?

[breakbad]

I had never touched a sail before. I took it out in the bay (NW Florida), waters were flat. The volume on the Hero is 149L, and I'm about 85kg and 36 y/o. So I'm not sure it makes the best windsup learner...however I felt stable, did not have problems up hauling.

[spookini]

Hey BBad:

You'll probably need to give it more than just ONE more go. WSurfing is a very difficult skill to pickup, fun but many ppl give up.  Laird once said that learning wsurfing is a process of 1,000 falls.  Or something like that.

If you even had any luck on your 1st go (especially if nobody was teaching you), that's pretty encouraging.  Balancing on the board, uphauling, steering w/ the sail... all those skills take time to learn.  Alot about wsurfing is counter-intuitive at first.

Yes, 4.3 is an incredibly tiny sail, especially for someone your size, and in light winds (5mph).  You'd get more feedback/power from at least a 5.5+, but uphauling and manipulating a larger sail is more difficult as well.  Yes, you'd probably want to take the sidebite fins out.  Longer fin would be good.  Moving it fwd isn't going to do much.

Do you think wsurfing is something you are going to want to stay with -- in addition to SUP?  Do you have storage (garage, etc.) for boards and sail/boom, etc.?  If so, my guess is you might want to move toward buying a dedicated wsurf board -- wide/large volume, retractable center fin.  A sailing SUP is fun but it will always be slow compared to a real wsurf board.  And retractable dagger makes going upwind much easier.  You can sail around and get lots of "time-on-the-water" without worrying about getting pushed further and further downwind.

As an aside, you don't necessarily have to drop big money to get started.  Wsurfing is on the decline compared to SUP, and there is plenty of used gear.  Just be sure to look for stuff that is recent.  Older than 10yrs = don't buy.

[breakbad]

Thanks for the response spookini. I really only have room in the garage for one more board and was planning on a touring/racer. I think I'd be immensely happy if I could get a board, like the hero, up wind a hundred yards and catch some waves coming back. Surf around here is usually very weak, so I'm just looking to supplement my sus habit.  I'll probably get a dedicated wind surfer if I can make it paste the learning curve.

Is there a good website for used windsurf gear other than craiglist? Not much gear in this area...maybe there is a reason for that. Kite surfing seems to dominate.

[downwinddave]

a sup will go upwind pretty well if you just lean it over and use the rail, kind of like you are edging on a snowboard.  it helps a lot if you have some power in the sail. 

[Dwight (DW)]

Is there a good website for used windsurf gear other than craiglist? Not much gear in this area...maybe there is a reason for that. Kite surfing seems to dominate.

Those kiters probably have lots of old windsurf gear for sale. They just don't put it on Craig's List. Best bet is to figure out where the local windsurfers hang out and show up there on a windy day. They will have lots of good advice and used gear in their garages.

Ask over on the iwindsurf.com forum

[lucabrasi]

I have been thinking of getting a set up myself for a couple of my boards I have that have mast tracks. Not sure where you are but have been told higher elevation = thinner air = bigger sail. 5.5-6 or so for me to learn with would be best I have been told from a couple of people. Most of mine would be at 6,000+. Starts changing "specs" around 3,000 ft. As spookini let you know and from the info I have gathered even if you at sea level that sail is pretty darn small. I will be following this thread myself. There are a few slick rigs out there for sure.

[breakbad]

I *think* read elsewhere on this forum that a 5.2-5.5 sail is about the 'sup' sweet spot for light winds. I'll see if I can find one to rent locally. Also going to order a FCS 9" touring fin and remove the biters:
http://www.amazon.com/FCS-SUP-Touring-Fin-Black/dp/B00C1R350M/ref=sr_1_1/192-6048131-5457218?ie=UTF8&qid=1406482750&sr=8-1&keywords=sup+fins

Winds are 15-18 this evening, 2 ft swells. I'm going surfing, but just curious, would this be a day I'd want a harness for windsup'n?

[beaglebuddy]

There are a few things wrong here, you are sailing in a bay in Florida with no waves. Your board is made for SUPing and wind SUPing in light wind with small waves. In a flat water place like yours the goal is to plane, skimming across the surface of the water riding the fin. Your board is not really designed to plane, just swap a small sail for the paddle and wobble out past the breakers and surf back in, sail should be small and light, just big enough to keep you upwind. A bigger fin will only help you sail upwind a bit more but not plane on your board. Forget about planing on that board.
It is however really good to learn the basics of windsurfing on but as you progress and want to go faster and plane you will need a whole bunch of new gear. Windsurfing can be insanely complicated and expensive especially trying to plane in light winds, wind SUPing keeps it simple. 

[breakbad]

There are a few things wrong here, you are sailing in a bay in Florida with no waves. Your board is made for SUPing and wind SUPing in light wind with small waves. In a flat water place like yours the goal is to plane, skimming across the surface of the water riding the fin. Your board is not really designed to plane, just swap a small sail for the paddle and wobble out past the breakers and surf back in, sail should be small and light, just big enough to keep you upwind. A bigger fin will only help you sail upwind a bit more but not plane on your board. Forget about planing on that board.
It is however really good to learn the basics of windsurfing on but as you progress and want to go faster and plane you will need a whole bunch of new gear. Windsurfing can be insanely complicated and expensive especially trying to plane in light winds, wind SUPing keeps it simple.

Thanks for the tips. I already SUS across the street in the gulf. On choppy/windy days like yesterday, it would have probably been more fun to windsup/surf then paddle surf in the slop like I was. 1-2 ft sets coming in quick, steady 12-15 knots of wind. I never said my goal was never planing this board, just catching waves as you said. The bay is just the learning grounds. I should have clarified.

[spookini]

Hey breakbad, luca, anyone else..

I built up a good-sized quiver of wsurf gear before discovering SUP.  I now have a sailable SUP, and only need one kit and 2 sails.
The other stuff I would be happy to part with for short money, in order to get another Zoner set up.

What can go:

5.0
6.0 both like new.  Recent vintage

100% carbon skinny mast.  430 length I think
skinny mast extension (aluminum)
single bolt mast foot

The only thing I can't part with is my boom.  But a new aluminum boom can be purchased for under $100.

If any interest, shoot me a PM.

[beaglebuddy]

Well you have the perfect board for it. Instead of a new fin just sink the windward rail and the board will cut upwind at a higher angle. As you get better you can start to buy some gear like a bigger sail and a harness. You should be able to buy used sails, just don't buy old stuff. Be very selective when buying used gear. You will need to figure out how to pad the nose of the boom and the mast below it or your nice board could be severely damaged in a catapult. SUP's are long enough that the nose of the boom will not clear the board, I busted the nose clean off a SUP this way.

[Weasels wake]

Spook:
"5.0
6.0 both like new.  Recent vintage"

Had to laugh, are we talking wine? 
If it's an object, like art, furniture, car, or any inanimate object, vintage is usually 20 years or older.  But in wine, it could be last year, as in Two Buck Chuck,,,,,, the Merlot is actually pretty good.

[flathead]

There is more than- waves or flat water. I sail in mushy slop coming from all directions - I have no choice it is where I live (most of the time). I have a Fly 11 6 which I sail a lot. It handles like a large 80s waveboard - it does plane but drops off quickly when the power comes off. It is great fun and handles the slop like a big old cruiser that it is with a sympathetic rocker for my conditions.