Got a 5.8m sail at the moment which is more of a wave sail. It's alright but starting to delaminate. Might have 1 more season left in it. I was thinking about getting another though.. Any advice on sizes etc? I thought about a 7.8 would be good for those 10-15 knot days and keep my old one for when it hits the green.
Thoughts?
weight?
if you are pretty light you can probably get away with a good 5.8 wave sail in all but the lightest conditions.
i'm 75kg and i use 5.7 from 12kts, 5.3 from 16kts, and 4.5 from 20kts. all with a 100L board + 400 mast + 150-200boom. It's a cheap option and means I don't have to haul much gear to cover a wide range of conditions. In my time sailing around here my old 5.9 and current 5.7 sail have been the sail i've used 80-90% of the time.
a big sail like a 7.8m is a fairly big commitment, as it means a bigger mast + bigger boom which are none too cheap. thats probably the main reason why I've not bothered. plus carrying a 7.8 down the stairs at manly i reckon would be a bit tricky lol
Depends if you want to be flying in 12 knots or sub planning.
I agree you prob dont need a 7.8 but maybe around a 7m at lest
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i'm planing when manly station hits 12kts.
i see a lot of sailors around who go big sails straight away, and most of them can't gybe cause everytime they stack its a big struggle to get going again, so they stop trying and end up sailing really long tacks and not really improving their skills. actually i plane before most of them anyway, cause the big rigs are so awkward and they never learn to pump properly.
even for me going from a 5.9 to a 5.7 has got me trying heaps more stuff, cause i've probably dropped a full kilo off my total rig weight, which is probably 15% of the rig weight, pretty significant.
i did have a 7m race sail and a 110 slalom board for about 6 months, it planned about the same time as my smaller wave/freestyle kit, and for sure it was way faster, and also powered through the lulls, but for me i couldn't justify all the extra gear for very minimal gain.
eitherway, the smaller sails work for me, and i sail as much as almost anyone here. if i got a 6.2-6.4 i'd probably get going as early as the guys on 7.8s, i already got the guys on 7's covered 
swoosh is definitely planing on his 5.7 in 12 knots. so is haricut on his 5+ in the same wind.
I'm planning on my 6.4 in 12 knots and i'm prob the heaviest and laziest sailor out there. 
over 15 knots and the 5.8 will get me going.
sure we're not doing 30 knots but it depends on what you are looking for with windsurfing. we are planning and having a blast.
Early this year I was sailing Manly and wello, like swoosh i was using a 5.4 - 5.9 100ltr board to be honest mainly the 5.4, then i moved to the sunshine coast so now i sail Queens ( on the way home from work) on a 5.4 -5.9 mainly the 5.9 and golden beach where i use a 120 ltr board and a 7.2 ( and usually thats not enough ) been thinking about getting a cammed 7.5 sail for GB as there are more light than moderate days up here. I use crossover sail with cross ply which makes them quite heavy but bullet proof and as im pretty heavy handed its a worthwhile trade off
over 15 knots and the 5.8 will get me going.
easy to say you can plane in just 12 knots but it is never just 12 its either around 10-12 or 12-14 big difference
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really?
i don't know anywhere it blows exactly steady 12kts either, all i know is when it hits 12kts average on manly station, then i know i'll pretty much be planing the whole time sailing at manly.
gesty: i don't think you are quite planing in 12, i do remember a certain wello session winter just gone hehe
anyway, getting a bit off topic. I got nothing against big sails, however in my opinion, a big sail like that will probably hinder more then help a new sailor, and its a pretty expensive option as it means new boom and mast as well.
@ vando, yes i'm not talking 10-12 knots.
@ ikw, i think you're selling yourself short, i've seen you blasting in very light winds on your 7.5
@ Ulf, board is 120-125 lt freestyle board. 72cm wide with 24cm fin. as soon as it's constantly blowing over 15 knots i'm on a 5.8m wave sail. in 12 knots with the 6.4m wave sail i run a 32cm mfc freewave fin.
that volume board for me is the same as your 112lt board for you so you should be able to get your 6.4m going depending on rocker.
to put it into context. if i stand in the middle of my board with rig attatched in no wind my feet are just in the water.
i know a guy, lets refer to him as the stig, he is 100kg, sails a 100lt board with a 5.7 ish wave sail and planes in the same wind that i am using my 6.4m
the big thing here is that a wave/freestyle sail, although heavy with xply, additional reinforcing etc is way lighter than a 7.5m+ sail with cams etc.
i don't get why most people say it isn't so. i've sailed sails up to 10.5m on everything from raceboards to formula boards and have found that the most fun i have is on the smallest kit possible. it takes a while to adjust but it's more than possible. jeez i've got an 8.5m race sail in the garage i haven't used for 2 years.
for me to plane in 10 knots and under i need a 90 cm wide board and 55cm plus fin. why bother, i'd rather go small as possible and loose 4 knots in the bottom end.
The 7.4 is a Excess xply all over and no cams ( Kode 112 board). The 6.4 is the same rig. Carbon booms etc. ON the 6.4 I use 101 FSW with MFC freewave 32 as well ( same as your fin). Your Freestylewave board is very unusal in that it has such high ltr.
Your spot on re cammed sails. I have a completely seperate kit for flat water.
8.2 H2 112 Slalom also needs 12-13kts
7.2 H2 112 Slalom or Fut 93. About 15-16 min for that
6.2 H2 Fut 93 Who knows what wind to start that. Last year on 93 Slalom the same sail I used over 24 ktns.
The question on sail size from raf1200 is very hard to answer as there are just so many variablies. Really if someone is asking it tends to indicate there aren't going to be like the super early planners anyway. ( they already know). So I would tend to suggest the sizes geared toward the average sailor or there might be a lot of standing on the beach.
^ plus we don't know how much he weighs? that's the biggest variable.
p.s why don't you put the 6.4m on the kode?
p.p.s. yes my board is unusual. goya probably is about the only manufacturer that does something similar. but mine a single thruster and is designed specifically for heavy people. by me and the shaper.
I agree small sails are more fun, that's not really debatable. But it's only fun if you have adequate power. If you're just getting going on a 5.8 when you could be flying off the fin on a 7.5 running upwind at will etc., then I'll take the 7.5 every time. For me it's just more fun.
So with reference to the OP, I humbly suggest he should probably go bigger, ultimate size depending on bodyweight.
Wow this is almost as popular as Girls on SUP's on another thread!
I don't want to get in the way of your amusing banter but....
85kg's and 125 (60 wide) or 155 litre (70 wide) board depending on how I'm feeling
430 mast
200 boom
could you show me where the girl's on sups thread is...... 
hmmmm......
430 mast. will fit my 6.4m awesome sail that is for sale..... nuhnuhnuhnuh....
lol. Here it is for anyone else then
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Stand-Up-Paddle/SUP/Sexy-girl-SUP-pics/
Ok now we know ya weight and boards sizes i would be looking at getting a 7.5 for sure
hi Raf, just watching you on your new f2 board at the demo days i think you'd be best opting for a 6.5m to 7m at your weight
generally - with a little bit of coaxing the board along and some pumping, you will get away with 1/2 - 1 metre less sail than folk who wait for the wind to do everything for them, and once on the plane you'll have greater maneuverability. it just takes a little practice to get the technique right. Once you've got it sussed, you'd get going on a 6.5m when i get going on a 5.7m at 70kg
raf you are welcome to take any of my kit for a spin whenever you're keen including my gear for sale plus my 2011 6.4, 5.8, 5.3, 4.7
can include the freestyle board in that too.
always keen to demo the gear.
Cannot get motivated to buy anything with the present weather pattern wife is very happy supect windsurfing shops are not. For the first time ever my Christmas present isnt sailing gear, but i did get a nice watch from FX just to make my contribution to Mike and Ians new cars.
