If you've got spare cash go for it but not required, it's more about the spot you pick to learn your waterstart. If you get the right location, good wind and shallow water you'll crack it in a day. Just buy a pool noodle it would cheaper, but what ever floats your boat.....err boom

Waterstarts are about technique and having your rig in the right position and using the wind to make it easy and if you fall, fall in the right position for an easy waterstart. I'd say even with that if you sank the clew your still going to have to swim it out, it may come up a bit quick but no much. Anyways it will hinder your duck gybes have fun with it and let us know if it actually works.

The pool noodle has merit.

Just wear a buoyancy vest.

I found the instructions which came with the waterstarter were very helpful.
I never used the waterstarter, I bought it for the kids.

Or off the board, yesterday shortly after getting underway about 50M from shore I looked down and discovered a 20 CM long poisonous centipede running around on the deck of my board, apparently he had stowed away in the daggerboard case.
Not sure if you have these in Oz but they are nasty and aggressive, a bite can end you up in the hospital.
I jumped off the board and flipped it over but he wouldn't let go finally I splashed enough water on him and he fell off and started swimming around like an eel, I avoided that stretch of water for quite a while.

elmo said...

Think about all the unseen dirty great hungry sharks that are circling you

It's amazing how quickly you can get out of the water

And Box Jelly Fish, Croc's and Sea Snakes

Ugh, not that big, I'll be having nightmares.
Did that come from New Caledonia?

I've seen a couple of people with bits of pool noodle taped to their booms during the last year. Think I'll follow suit. A bit on the mast tip might help too, for learner water starter .

It may be a wonderful country otherwise but scratch New Caledonia as a place I will visit, ever.

seanhogan said...

one of those ?

Nice shorts Do you Kite board too

The sinking clew could be due to the age and weight and tuning of the sail.

I had heaps of issues with sinking clew and moved to 2011 sails, boom and RDMs and problem gone. Also if you have the sail too baggy this does not help.