So, the local windsurfing shop has a great deal on jp funride boards - 40% discount

I currently have a Fanatic Viper, 6.6 Natural North Sails, Gold mast. Although am not quiet in the footstraps, I know I will soon be, already planning, and having a lot of fun. The day will soon come that I want my first short board. Now the question is .. being a light weight at 70kg. Should I go for the 130 or 145 L board ? and is this board suitable for me ?

Thanks in advance,
Paul

Cool, thanks for input! A little more about myself - 28 male, average fitness, but getting fitter all the time with windsurfing twice a week :) I do much of my surfing in the Oslo fjord, Norway, so when it blows it can get choppy - hence why I was thinking that the 145L might be more stable when uphauling, got to start working on those water starts :) was recommended the 145L in the shop, but leaning more towards the 130 myself. Just want it to be as much fun as possible !

Thanks again, of course any other input is welcomed
Paul

If your going to go the smaller board its best if where you sail get nice consistent wind and stronger 15 kts +..if you only get gusty 15kts a small board will be harder to handle & uphaul in the slop.

As Sboardcrazy says, it depends on how consistent the wind is. If the wind is very gusty then the bigger board will be more fun as it will be a bit easier to get onto the plane in the gusts and remain on the plane in the lulls.

If the wind is consistent, ie when it blows it constantly blows then a smaller board will be better.

I was thinking that you could more about tell who sails what and how skilled they are.
I'm east coast, and can't imagine how a 130L board could ever be considered "small" for a 70kg sailor. Both 130 and 145 are massive in my world.
Mind you, Maui is so like Bundaberg/Elliott Hds, I felt like I had flown half-way around teh world , just to wind up back there, 30 yr ago, when the pace was slower, so east/west is not the only thing that determines wind and board preference.

sboardcrazy said...

Mobydisc said...

As Sboardcrazy says, it depends on how consistent the wind is. If the wind is very gusty then the bigger board will be more fun as it will be a bit easier to get onto the plane in the gusts and remain on the plane in the lulls.

If the wind is consistent, ie when it blows it constantly blows then a smaller board will be better.

You can tell who is from WA & who is from the NSW East coast from the advice..!

KenHo said...

I was thinking that you could more about tell who sails what and how skilled they are.
I'm east coast, and can't imagine how a 130L board could ever be considered "small" for a 70kg sailor. Both 130 and 145 are massive in my world.
Mind you, Maui is so like Bundaberg/Elliott Hds, I felt like I had flown half-way around teh world , just to wind up back there, 30 yr ago, when the pace was slower, so east/west is not the only thing that determines wind and board preference.

sboardcrazy said...

Mobydisc said...

As Sboardcrazy says, it depends on how consistent the wind is. If the wind is very gusty then the bigger board will be more fun as it will be a bit easier to get onto the plane in the gusts and remain on the plane in the lulls.

If the wind is consistent, ie when it blows it constantly blows then a smaller board will be better.

You can tell who is from WA & who is from the NSW East coast from the advice..!

Depends on how often it blows more than 15kts & how much TOW you want.

paulholliday said...

So, the local windsurfing shop has a great deal on jp funride boards - 40% discount

I currently have a Fanatic Viper, 6.6 Natural North Sails, Gold mast. Although am not quiet in the footstraps, I know I will soon be, already planning, and having a lot of fun. The day will soon come that I want my first short board. Now the question is .. being a light weight at 70kg. Should I go for the 130 or 145 L board ? and is this board suitable for me ?

Thanks in advance,
Paul

I weigh 75kg and I have a 144 and a 130 (I keep boards in different cities). They are both really big and really easy to uphaul. The primary reason for you to get a board this size is for ease of learning water starting, harness, straps and jibing.

Do not get a 110l board as your main board as it will really slow down your progress. Once you get your jibing down your main light wind board will prob end up being around 110l and then another board around 80 or so for higher winds.

Evil Panda said
But isn't gybing on a smaller board easier? I think so.
Talking from the point of view of a very average gyber..no..easier to turn but less forgiving of average technique on the exit which is where most gybes fall apart..

KenHo said...

Without hijacking, (OK totally hijacking) falling apart on the exit of a gybe is caused by poor technique, ie leaning back on the entry to the gybe, and has nothing to do with board size.
Choppy water state challenges gybing technique too, and a bigger board is no help there.
Litres are your friend if you are heavy, but once you get 20-30 litres over your body weight, adding more does not add any futher benefit.

sboardcrazy said...

Evil Panda said
But isn't gybing on a smaller board easier? I think so.
Talking from the point of view of a very average gyber..no..easier to turn but less forgiving of average technique on the exit which is where most gybes fall apart..

Yeah but if you have bad technique ( which a beginner will have)you can often wobble out of the exit in one peice on a bigger board which means less falls & less energy loss.I suppose you could argue that isn't good long term as you can get bad habits & sloppy..

i'll throw in, why not...

matching a board to your skills and conditions will reduce your frustration and hopefully keep you in the sport for years to come. the world needs more windsurfers.

obviously the 40% discount is enticing, so you need to factor your budget in.

smaller boards are more sensitive to weight change which makes them very manouverable...if you are sufficiently skilled to be delicate and precise with them.

larger boards plane in and through lighter winds, but become a real hand (foot?) full in over-powered/choppy conditions.

the formula I was taught is to take your body weight in kilos, and add 20 litres to it for a wet rig and you've got around the size you need to float. as you're learning to get in the straps/waterstart/gybe, I'd add some more litres to that.

so for you (in my opinion) your conditons and your sail size, a modern board around the 100-110 litre is probably ideal. its got plenty of float in saltwater for you and your rig, and will be a good balance between stability and performance through transtions and heavier conditions.

for gybing (big board/small board debate), i'd say in the learning days a small board turns better, but a bigger board is more forgiving with the rig flip - which is where most people fall off! so much technique is required in a gybe, its overwhelming, even after years of sailing, most still struggle to exit well. your first ever gybe is a 'survival' gybe, ugly as sin. a big board helps beginners at least make first base more often. i think i would have taken longer to get there with a smaller board.

I'm about 70 kgs like you and after about 4-5 months learning and sometimes planing on a longboard without footstraps fitted, i bought a 120l X-cite ride and not long after even thought i could have bought the 110l instead and still managed ok.

If your local dealler has the X-cite ride at a good price too, it could be worth considering, because you will probably never need to sell it, as like me you will keep it for lighter wind days for years to come (maybe forever) even when you get a smaller board.

Dont underestimate yourself and your ability, the 120 X-cite is a fairly easy board to sail and up-haul, even in fairly choppy bay conditions, and will see plenty of use as you get much better still, whereas the fun ride you MAY want to sell later.

So long as you can get out regularly..Sorry I'm biting because I'd love to live where you get enough regular wind to sail a small board every week & get those gybes going..[}:)]..Back to topic..

It'll be fine. Keep it.
Next year you'll want 99 anyway

Thanks guys, Ill keep with the 130L, and slap my 6.6 Natural North Sails on it, next season if I want an 120 excite ride, ill sale the funride, and use the cash for the xcite :) ... Looking forward to using it !

Thanks again guys .. I wish I lived somewhere where there was golden beaches, and steady winds, you lucky boys !

Paul

ahhh .. been here scuba diving, but this also make me cry with frustration that am not doing this:

Ive just got a video & I learnt more about why things were going wrong with that than ever.Frustrated that it all semmed to be coming together & then last sail in different conditions I was absolutley hopeless.. Want to get out to practise on the little board but the winds been pretty useless..looks like more dry land practise..