Am looking for the older style intermediate type board, the models I know of are the Bic Rumba and some version of a Tyronsea 330.
Something around 3m, with centreboard, 120+L.
Only need board/fin/c.board and mast base if not a screw in.
These dont seem to be advertised much, hoping someones got one stashed at home and they wouldnt mind letting it go...
If you are in Perth then i have this.
been repaired and is watertight.
Not brand new anymore but still a lot of fun.
$50 and it is yours.
Thanks Ducatist, but I'm in brisbane.
KenHo, I do like the look of the new boards, but dont want to shell out big $ for what I think my use will be at the moment.
I'm using a bic vivace, which I like, but at present whether it be lack of skill or getting the right setup, I feel I'm losing basic practice time because I /it doesnt go upwind enough - ie too much drift w/o the centre board.
Thus for every 1.5 runs I'm walking back up the beach to go again.
Hence the option of training on and older version with c/board just to improve the general skills without walking...
Someone mentioned a JP Funster w c/board, again not looking at 1600$.
Maybe I need a new topic about tips / skills for going upwind better....
Bit off topic, but where do people get off asking that much for those learner boards?
A starboard RIO is only $1600 RRP brand new, and I've yet to meet anyone who has paid anywhere near RRP on a new board. I can't see why anyone would buy one secondhand for that price.
Mr66: Not sure about your level of sailing have you considered something like a Starboard Kode Tufskin. Never personally sailed one but they seem like a killer buy for an beginner sailer, $1500 RRP but I'm sure you could get it for a bit less. And a bit more performance then the really beginner boards (JP Funster, Starboard Go/Rio) so it might keep you entertained for a fair while longer.
Best thing to do thou is to ask for advice from people who you sail with on getting upwind. I think the vivace shouldn't be too hard to keep upwind. Where do you sail at in Brisbane?
I think going back to a longboard with a centreboard might be a step backwards?
Maybe getting a BIG fin might give you better pointability?? instead of forking out $$ on a new(ish) board!
I am getting "back" into it as well and do it on old gear some of that I kept all these years.
Did get a Windrush "longboard" to get me going again.
Seriously heavy and BIG! as my old "whaler" did go to refuse heaven a very long time ago!
It has a charm all of it's own never the less.
Old Windsurf boards lack finesse etc. big time but, so do old cars/bikes compared to the latest offerings in that field.
Some of them are outright classics, being basic with raw power, poor roadholding etc, but,... a lot of fun in their own right!
OK, now you have clarified, I'm inclined to agree with Swoosh that going to a centreboard board is a step backward.
While you might get more apparent time on the water, you won't learn the skills you need to get planing in the harness and straps on your Vivace.
A Vivace is quite a narrow board, with outboard straps, and I would rate it as intermediate to advanced, rather than beginner. Very nice board and I loved mine when I had one.
One of the many traps that novice windsurfers fall into is using old cheap high-performance gear, rather than actual beginner friendly stuff.
It's often the case that race gear gets used little and stays in good condition, hangs about in sheds, and eventually gets sold cheap or given away and goes to exactly the wrong person.
The best thing with the upwind thing, is to choose a tide that will push you back downwind, or just suck it up until you get it right. Even if you get great on a longboard, you still need to learn how to splodge a short-board as a separate skill.
You'd be surprised how much the experienced guys struggle at times to avoid the walk of shame. The time you spend learning how to make a non-planing short-board go upwind now will reward you later wheh the wind drops.
The other thing is, that while I know not everyone can afford it, buying better gear always saves money and wasted effort in the long run.
This website has some good pointers for getting upwind:
www.guycribb.com/userfiles/documents/Look%20Depressed.pdf
www.guycribb.com/userfiles/documents/cranking%20upwind.pdf
Generally when I'm not planing, I'm sailing upwind, and I find I can sail similar angles upwind planing or not, thou in light conditions I can usually sail tighter angles subplaning, albeit much more slowly. In lightwinds where it is harder to sail tight angles to the wind I find tacking instead of gybing also helps get me upwind rapidly.
For the moment I keeping well clear of anywhere with current.
Can see how easy it would be to get stuck...
Patience - probably another good skill to master.
I do have access to an old bombora 292, seems wider with more volume and a lot "fuller" in the centre section. Might give a little more stability to concentrate on technique.
