It's been a long time between drinks since I last windsurfed and I finally got out again last week for the first time in 20 years. I'm one of those classic sailors that came from the "Golden Age" who surf sailed with bright pink panels on his laminated wave sails but left the sport when a new career, a family was started and fickle winds eventually saw me put away the gear. I kept the gear coz I pledged to myself to return to the sport one day, a sport I loved and lived for for so long. Time has finally come!

I had a go last summer with my old semi-sinker gear but it sank as the board remembers me being 20kg lighter, I'm 100kg-110kg. I eventually broke the boom in my first attempt to get off the beach, my sailing return lasted all of 5 minutes so back in the shed the gear went again.

This time around it was like starting all over again in 1978/79 on a Wally but this time on an equally old TC Hunter mutha ship that found its way into my garage instead of the tip. My 16 year old son accompanied me to the local lake to also have a go. It was a gusty 5 knots but thought bugger it and climbed on board, pulled up the sail with the uphaul and wobbled away. Feet were rocking over time trying to keep the board steady while the arms leaned the sail forward to catch whatever breeze was around and slightly sheeted in. I was surprised my body was doing what my memory was telling me to do! A tiny wake appeared on the sides of the board and I was off. I had a grin from ear to ear...I was sailing again, albeit in slow mo.

I tacked, did a lots of sloppy jibes and zig zagged for around 15 minutes and didn't fall in. My son so pleased for me, he knows how much I've been wanting to sail again, grabbed my mobile phone and recorded the momentous occasion.

On return I let him have a go. I instructed him and the bugger sailed off for around 30 metres then fell off. Wow he picked it up quick, he's a very fit sporting boy who knows he can out do his dad in just about all sporting pursuits.

Then the wind came up to around 10 knot gusts and he lost the plot and that was the end for him, he just couldn't move off again. Then it was my turn, I sailed back and forth, fell in a few times but man was I pleased I could out do him at something! He looked at me in one of his rare looks of admiration.

So now when time allows I'll keep on going out and get my sea legs fully back again. I'm pleased I could still do it in light winds and I'm keen to get myself back out in the surf once I get my confidence again.

If funds allow my ideal board would be a Kona, I've resigned to the fact that short boards will be too much for me as time is still a big issue to keep the practice up. To get the most water time I'm thinking longboard. But in the meantime I've been eyeing one of the last generation Wallys (footstraps and kick up c/board) and see how that handles 1-3 foot surf without the c/board of course with early '90s larger wave sails (my old sails) in 10-15 knots.

As you can guess my budget is really low so ignoring the square fat arse TC Hunter, what other longboards of that era can play in small surf? I was thinking even an old Mistral Take-Off might still do it or a mid to late all round funboard will keep me occupied till I'm a bit more flush. I plan to use my old Gaastra Wave sails on them. Models like Mistral Maui/Competition SST/Malibu, F2 Strato or Comet, Tyronsea 330 etc. etc? Whichever it must have foot straps so I can eventually burst around the ocean in higher winds...I was even thinking of old raceboards like an Equipe.

I can't buy, literally, into the argument that modern gear will be better, my budget just won't allow it at the moment. I'd like to get lots of change from $500.

Any other boards to get me out there (surf) in light winds?

nosinkanow said...


...man was I pleased I could out do him at something! He looked at me in one of his rare looks of admiration.

If funds allow my ideal board would be a Kona

Sounds like a really special memory for you both!
I find my Kona the most versatile and most used board that I take with me on my various road trips up the coast, in everything from micro-surf to big waves, from 10k to 30k, and easiest to deal with when I get out the back in big choppy seas. You see, I'm old and decrepit I often draw the likes of your ilk out to watch, and have them thinking "I should get my old gear out and have a go."
I have a Kona, a Carve 121, a 7' egg surfboard, and a 9'1" Mal surfboard, and I recently bought a boogie board to add to my quiver. Just for the fun factor, and I guess age has got something to do with it, I find I am using the longboards the most, and they cover the broadest range of conditions that I am likely to meet.
Like you, I haven't been on a boogie board for over 20 years, for when the waves get big and gnarly. I was amazed how quickly I got back into it, going into the steep drop-offs, carving up the face of the waves, going into barrels and flying off the lip!
It's all my rheumatologists fault, because he told me "the most important thing is to keep active". I'm not going to grow old gracefully, that's for sure. Maybe Santa might be kind to you early? Just go with it, man, put it out there in the universe! You're a long time dead!!

Gumtree has OK deals sometimes on old planks.

Keep your eyes on the "incredible the crap they sell" thread somewhere in this forum

Brilliant! Good luck to both of you. I have been back into windsurfing for a few years. now and would recommend to you a Bic Techno. They come in bigger sizes 148 lt and 160 lt yet the shape is still agile so you could have a play in the waves and big swell and you should be able to pick one up under $500 (especially the older blue models). I have a new one but it was using a friends blue Techno that convinced me to buy one. Be aware they do not have a center board, not sure if that is important to you.
ps. my first board was one of those square tail TC Hunters, man it was heavy but bomb proof.

i was thinking about your problem and have an idea.

the real problem with onedesgins is the lack of rocker and non retractable centreboard.

if you were to pick up and very cheap original one design you could add some rocker to it. look at a few mals to see how much rocker and where it starts. then set up some pieces of wodd as a template. i reckon an 10-20mm of tail rocker would be plenty. then add 150-200mm of nose lift.

what you do is wrap it in black plastic and leave it in the sun to heat up. when it is very hot, take it out of the plastic and force some rocker into the tail and the nose. then pour a bucket of water over it to cool it.

the rocker should stay. obviously you may wreck the board but i reckon you could have a couple of goes as it's plastic.

if you can get a cheap board for $50 or so on ebay it would be worth it.

i know a guy who used to do this to his one designs for surf sailing.

then take out the centreboard and push a piece of foam into the cassette to seal it off.

the thing you will find id the more rocker you add the slower the board will be to plane.

stribo said...

Aww this is killing me.
The next thing you need (after the boom) is a new uni-joint.Do it before you hit the water again if you haven't already.If that thing is 20 years old your lucky it didn't leave you stranded on your 1st day back on the water.

New uni? First thing I replaced.

I bet the old glass mast is leaving prickles in you every time you even brush next to it.Thats going to snap like a piece of chalk when you go out in the next 15 knot blow.

Sheesh I'm not a newbie to the sport. The current mast is fine for what I need to do on the TC and not the original which I disposed of as it had a split and dodgy repair, it has been replaced with something old but good. It's a fine sub 15 knot lake set up. But if you are referring to the Ampro, are you familiar with them, that's been relatively unused and in excellent condition. They were a tough mast and still is I reckon. It'll do the job as a starter mast.

The sails are already delamenating.

I assume you are talking about the TC Hunter? TC's didn't have laminated sails, they were dacron! Read what I wrote. I was referring to my Gaastra Wave sail, again read what I've done with that.

Do yourself a favour ,do some research, go to a few windsurf shops check the "buy & sell" here etc. and get your self some gear thats at least in this decade.

I've done my research stribo, and if you read what I've been saying you'll find that 'lots of change from $500' is not what I'm going to find in windsurfing shops which there are bugger all in NSW, this is not WA! I am far from a newbie to windsurfing.

You will be surprised how much your 500 bucks will buy!

Surprised I was, the gear doesn't exist at my price! I'll give you a challenge. If you can find me a useable epoxy big name brand 150 litre slalom or freeride board made in 2000+ (but happy with a Kona or Jungle as well), useable 2-piece carbon mast, useable X3 or X9 boom and a useable 6.5 non-pinhead camberless surf sail in WA, which you obviously think are plentiful over there, please tell me who to contact! Oh and it's got to be shipped to NSW all for under $500. Do that and I'll give you $100 spotters fee.

It will be the best thing you will do for you newfound love of the sport.

"Newfound love of the sport"? Hardly new, I want to re-live it. Read what I've wrote.

Your progression will be fast and your enjoyment will far exceed your frustrations.

I'm sure it will and you can help me achieve that when you find me a $500 kit as mentioned above.

Hey no need to get defensive.Just trying to help.
I re-started the same as you but your 15 years on again and i destroyed a heap of that old stuff then!!! Had some huge swims caused by failing old gear.Pealing screwed in fin boxes and mast tracks out etc.
All i'm saying is you can find bargains out there that may have limited life yet so much nicer to use thats still in the last decade.
Go hire some learners gear thats current and you will see the differance.
You don't have to go all out and you have the basics.So over a year you can build quite nice bit of kit just buying a bit here and a bit there.

Sorry mate it wasn't a personal attack and i wasn't fishing for an argument.
Everyone ,including me, that read your story is truly stoked for you.
We all have that feeling every day we're on the water.
Why would you do it otherwise?
Live the dream!!!

sboardcrazy said...
I can identify with your problem ! My boom is still one of the rope clamp types & all my 90 sails were delaminating when I got back into the sport after a 5year break..Ive been lucky enough to modernise my gear over the last year or so bit by 2nd hand bit.My budget was non existent & its scary to total up all the $ Ive sent that I didnt have! Sounds like you have more realistic expectations for your $ than I did..Good luck in your quest!

I've watched and read of your progress over the year and have been so envious of your new gear. After seeing pics of your earlier windsurfing exploits I immediately identified with you! We are from around the same era...I've secretly been using you as an inspiration, seriously. A case of 'if she can do it I can too'!

It's a pity the critical parts of my gear like the boom and largest sail (6.1) are cactus, I could have just looked for a more modern used hull and wacked my rig on it. But having a go the other week gave me a reality check, I would have been too far in front of myself. I'm not even close to the skills I had and basically have to start again...sort of somewhere between a beginner and intermediate physically but still thinks advanced. I realise now it's very much like riding a bicycle, you just don't forget...it's just the body is a little out of whack. A bit more time is needed on the floaty pointy thing (TC), hopefully I'll get it sorted before the end of summer and be hanging with my pink Gaastra seat harness again.

BTW, nice paintings and thanks for the encouragement.

I'm not even close to the skills I had and basically have to start again...sort of somewhere between a beginner and intermediate physically but still thinks advanced.
Frustrating isnt it!..It would be ok if we didnt know what it was like to be able to gybe etc..
I've secretly been using you as an inspiration, seriously
Thanks. I thought I was driving everyone nuts! I admire the fact that you are aiming to get back out in the surf. It was on my to do list for this year but the winds have been so fickle around here it may not happen.I wonder if my 125ltre rocket would handle a foray out the back in flat surf.. But oh what would I do if I ran it onto some rocks!!

try going to yacht clubs there maybe old stuff floating around and work out a deal with the yacht clubs they would be happy to get rid of the gear that no one claims

nosinkanow I just did a little costing via the seabreeze adds for nsw for what you want and the gear is out there. sail $175-210 several less than 5yrs old,board $100-$150,boom $100,mast to suit $100 Total $475-$560 and all much easier to sail that the TC

Krisiz1 said...


It is hard for guys who have been out of the loop for a while to know how to source this gear.

Its probably easier now than what it was 15 years ago with the likes of Seabreeze and eBay.

Anyway the way to do it is to work out what you need and then keep an eye on all the sources. Nosinkanow, being in Sydney it might be best to concentrate on spending most of your money on a board and rig you can use most of the time. So keep an eye out for that Kona and look for a rig that you can use in anything from 5 to 15 knots, the prevailing windstrength here.

This weather is driving me crazy, raining all the time, hot, humid. Its a shocker. What a crappy summer.

Chris 249 said...

Gestalt's idea should work - if I had storage space for another board I'd have done it some time ago, because (as Jeff from Hot Sails, a longboard wavesailing veteran)
(snip)
New gear may be great if you're in WA or sailing in a breezy open location, but if you're sailing at a lake-type location like Narrabeen or Iron Cove (where I saw a TC Hunter recently) the new gear simply isn't better. Not even Formula normally works all that well there on a typical day, and something like a Techno 293 with 7.8 is slower than a One Design most of the time (although great on a full planing reach, of course).
(snip)
In your case, if you're just lookng for a board for the surf, that's not an issue.

PM me if you want a run on a One Design at Dobroyd.

Hey Chris, I'm on the mid-north coast and that wasn't me at Iron Cove, just goes to show old longboards are still useable and be dragged out from all sorts of places! It's hard to beat the smooth 'glide' of these old things in light winds. It would be nicer with a shorter boomed sail. But I'm not putting too much emphasis on this TC Hunter, it's only purpose is to re-aquaint me with sailing. Pity it's not a wally, they are much more versatile as you know and I could live with the long booms on those. Still, it would be a stepping stone anyway.

Jeff at Hot Sails is my hero ;-) (saw YouTube clips) and he's another who has inspired me to go back into surfsailing but with a longboard with a 6.5 Superfreak sail! I've been spending a bit of time in the last few months working out where I want to go with my windsurfing. My background for just over a decade, back then, was around 70% surf and 30% flatwater with a minimum wind requirement of 15 knots coz of my weight and sinky board. Yes I was one of those dudes that thought if I can't plane I won't sail! Thinking very differently now. I still like the idea of blasting around the ocean on an Equipe (or similar) and have a 150lt Freeride.

Thanks for the offer for a ride on a One Design, as mentioned earlier I live outside Sydney so it's a tad awkward.

nosinkanow said...

It's been a long time between drinks since I last windsurfed and I finally got out again last week for the first time in 20 years. I'm one of those classic sailors that came from the "Golden Age" who surf sailed with bright pink panels on his laminated wave sails but left the sport when a new career, a family was started and fickle winds eventually saw me put away the gear. I kept the gear coz I pledged to myself to return to the sport one day, a sport I loved and lived for for so long. Time has finally come!

I had a go last summer with my old semi-sinker gear but it sank as the board remembers me being 20kg lighter, I'm 100kg-110kg. I eventually broke the boom in my first attempt to get off the beach, my sailing return lasted all of 5 minutes so back in the shed the gear went again.

This time around it was like starting all over again in 1978/79 on a Wally but this time on an equally old TC Hunter mutha ship that found its way into my garage instead of the tip. My 16 year old son accompanied me to the local lake to also have a go. It was a gusty 5 knots but thought bugger it and climbed on board, pulled up the sail with the uphaul and wobbled away. Feet were rocking over time trying to keep the board steady while the arms leaned the sail forward to catch whatever breeze was around and slightly sheeted in. I was surprised my body was doing what my memory was telling me to do! A tiny wake appeared on the sides of the board and I was off. I had a grin from ear to ear...I was sailing again, albeit in slow mo.

I tacked, did a lots of sloppy jibes and zig zagged for around 15 minutes and didn't fall in. My son so pleased for me, he knows how much I've been wanting to sail again, grabbed my mobile phone and recorded the momentous occasion.

On return I let him have a go. I instructed him and the bugger sailed off for around 30 metres then fell off. Wow he picked it up quick, he's a very fit sporting boy who knows he can out do his dad in just about all sporting pursuits.

Then the wind came up to around 10 knot gusts and he lost the plot and that was the end for him, he just couldn't move off again. Then it was my turn, I sailed back and forth, fell in a few times but man was I pleased I could out do him at something! He looked at me in one of his rare looks of admiration.

So now when time allows I'll keep on going out and get my sea legs fully back again. I'm pleased I could still do it in light winds and I'm keen to get myself back out in the surf once I get my confidence again.

If funds allow my ideal board would be a Kona, I've resigned to the fact that short boards will be too much for me as time is still a big issue to keep the practice up. To get the most water time I'm thinking longboard. But in the meantime I've been eyeing one of the last generation Wallys (footstraps and kick up c/board) and see how that handles 1-3 foot surf without the c/board of course with early '90s larger wave sails (my old sails) in 10-15 knots.

As you can guess my budget is really low so ignoring the square fat arse TC Hunter, what other longboards of that era can play in small surf? I was thinking even an old Mistral Take-Off might still do it or a mid to late all round funboard will keep me occupied till I'm a bit more flush. I plan to use my old Gaastra Wave sails on them. Models like Mistral Maui/Competition SST/Malibu, F2 Strato or Comet, Tyronsea 330 etc. etc? Whichever it must have foot straps so I can eventually burst around the ocean in higher winds...I was even thinking of old raceboards like an Equipe.

I can't buy, literally, into the argument that modern gear will be better, my budget just won't allow it at the moment. I'd like to get lots of change from $500.

Any other boards to get me out there (surf) in light winds?

I'm glad you are back on track!. welcome back!!..

upwind said...

I recently learned of site called freecycle where people give away unwanted things rather than take them to the tip, might be worth a look

Thanks for that and have registered, something might come up but I may not need it.

Went for another 40 minute sail the other day on the TC in the lake for more practice, gusting to 15 knots and this heavy old plonker (TC Hunter...ok me too) was on the verge of planing. Pity the kick up centreboard is a little stiff (missing rubber disk/plug things to help rotation) as it would have come in handy to be able to kick it up easily. Nevertheless I weighted down the windward rail and leaned the sail back....yippee! Surprised myself again I remembered how to trim the sail! Yes! I'm getting there quicker than I expected.

Forearms were ready to explode though as I didn't have my harness on, I haven't even fitted the harness ropes! A billowing dacron sail on a long boom makes for some hard work. I wasn't expecting to be this far in front in my 3rd sail! Turning is still a bit how ya doin' especially jibes, it'll come....I hope.

On the gear front, if all the stars and planets line up it looks like I might just have myself a well used Kona (Style), the previous model to the current Kona One...dunno why the moniker change, they are near identical. A very well meaning person who has a passion for riding longboards in the surf and ocean read this thread and has come to my rescue. I could be out there on newer gear than expected! Woohoo!

I sort of fixed my broken boom, I have an older boom with a slightly less curve and fitted one side to the broken one, just have to trim it up and make some odd extensions so they fit square from my spares that I've kept....wife shakes her head every time she sees me stashing things away in the shed. "They'll come in handy" I say....I didn't lie it just took me 20 years to re-use the bits!

It'll sort of look like an asymetrical boom. Should work on my larger delaminating wave sail, just have to make sure the widest boom side is leeward when I head out in the surf to allow the sail to fill out. Doesn't matter heading back to shore coz I want the wave to take me in. Anyway that's the plan.

Kona with '90s vintage wave sails in small waves, perfect, it's what I've been dreaming about.

I'm excited!