I am pretty much a freeride sailor, I enjoy the big winds in Port Phillip and enjoy a jump or 2 but am certainly not a wave sailor. I also love speed on flat water as rare as flat water is in the bay with decent wind. In other words I don't abuse or bash my gear and I wash it in fresh water almost everytime.

In a year and a half I've:
- Dinged my board to pieces
- Ramed the 45cm fin into a reef and half pushed it out the top of the tuttle box
- replaced a window piece in my 6.5 and a few minor repairs $200
- broken a NP X3 and X6 mast
- broken the batton on my 8.5, replaced it then broke both cambers (now a camberless sail, unfixable)
- both larger sails cracked to pieces, one has tap holding a hole together
- broke a 2nd hand NP X6 boom, replaced with a X3, it broke in 2 months, was able to claim warranty and upgraded the diff in cost to X6 and that just broke just over a month later

I love windsurfing but I'm a student again, so the cost is killing me. I'm only 95kg, hardly a giant in terms of strain on gear.

Is all this breakage normal?? Remember I am not a wave sailor, just medium bay waves.

I hate to say it but I am seriously considering taking up kiting, because I hear it is cheaper.

I am having a serious whinge I know but I just want to know if I am having a stroke of bad luck or it is just part of the expected costs?

Leman said...

I am pretty much a freeride sailor, I enjoy the big winds in Port Phillip and enjoy a jump or 2 but am certainly not a wave sailor. I also love speed on flat water as rare as flat water is in the bay with decent wind. In other words I don't abuse or bash my gear and I wash it in fresh water almost everytime.

In a year and a half I've:
- Dinged my board to pieces Probably need to find a more durable brand if they exist
- Ramed the 45cm fin into a reef and half pushed it out the top of the tuttle box. Maybe run a single front bolt that has been weakened and a tether to the back bolt position. Do a search, it has been discussed before.
- replaced a window piece in my 6.5 and a few minor repairs $200. Normal
- broken a NP X3 and X6 mast. Normal
- broken the batton on my 8.5, replaced it then broke both cambers (now a camberless sail, unfixable). Probably too little downhaul. I did the same thing.
- both larger sails cracked to pieces, one has tap holding a hole together. Maybe consider a dacron sail like a SuperFreak, or another more durable brand if durability is important to you.
- broke a 2nd hand NP X6 boom, replaced with a X3, it broke in 2 months, was able to claim warranty and upgraded the diff in cost to X6 and that just broke just over a month later. Do a search on this too.

I love windsurfing but I'm a student again, so the cost is killing me. I'm only 95kg, hardly a giant in terms of strain on gear. 95Kg for windsurfing isn't a light weight either.

Is all this breakage normal?? Remember I am not a wave sailor, just medium bay waves. For at least sails it appears normal. See:-http://www.boards.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=23097&PN=2

I hate to say it but I am seriously considering taking up kiting, because I hear it is cheaper.But is your life worth it? Also I hear another problem with kiting is losing gear. They have a section for it.

I am having a serious whinge I know but I just want to know if I am having a stroke of bad luck or it is just part of the expected costs? Probably worse than normal, but I think brand choice would have a bit to do with it.

From what I hear of kiting, most of the gear is stuffed after a couple of years of reasonable use and losing your board is fairly common.

I broke a cam and batton on a NP RS6 basically because I did not know how to rig and unrig it properly. Thankfully Sam at Wind Surf and Snow showed me how to rig it right. You may be better off using some sort of one piece boom to minimise breakages.

Leman said...


most of my gear, 8.5 sail, masts, booms, extensions are neil pryde you think they are reknown for lack of durability?

I ain't sayin nuthin

breaking heaps of stuff means you're getting heaps of time on the water...

Wet Willy said...

Leman said...


most of my gear, 8.5 sail, masts, booms, extensions are neil pryde you think they are reknown for lack of durability?

I ain't sayin nuthin

Mark_Australia must be asleep as well[}:)]

Richiefish said...

breaking heaps of stuff means you're getting heaps of time on the water...

Yeah I do get a lot of water time. I'm lucky enough to teach fitness classes at night and I'm at Uni, so I can turn up when I choose. Sometimes I'll sail up to 6 hours average 2 times a week if wind allows but still.... less than 2 months a boom is ridiculous.

I haven't been back to the shop with my recent broken boom yet (waiting for some ppl to get back from that comp at Sandy Point) so see what they say in relation to the warranty since it cracked in only about 15-17knots. Very low key sailing.

Not much I can do with what I have but I'll definately take all your recommendations about brands to buy next time.

Also as someone said about getting all wave gear, I love the idea of more x-ply but I need bigger sails. I very rarely even get to use my 6.2 unless it is pumping above 30knots.

Sailhack said...

It depends on if you're getting service for these breakages, if you're buying gear, and it's breaking near new, and you have to pay for the replacements, I'd suggest shopping elsewhere.

SHQ were good with the 2nd boom break warranty and that's when I was able to pay the diff. and upgrade but since this break is so close they will probably think I've been doing chin ups while hanging it from the ceiling. But in reality I've been treating it better than my girlfriend. We'll see in a couple of days.

Go ezzy sails and masts. techno limitz everything else...boom proof

Leman said...

I am pretty much a freeride sailor, I enjoy the big winds in Port Phillip and enjoy a jump or 2 but am certainly not a wave sailor. I also love speed on flat water as rare as flat water is in the bay with decent wind. In other words I don't abuse or bash my gear and I wash it in fresh water almost everytime. I don't rinse my sails in fresh water, but unless you are leaving them rolled up and wet for a long time it shouldn't matter.

In a year and a half I've:
- Dinged my board to pieces Take more care with your board.
- Ramed the 45cm fin into a reef and half pushed it out the top of the tuttle box Tuttle boxes and fins are strong, so its no surprise that hitting something has done this. If you expect to hit things in the future, use a board with a powerbox. They generally break at the fin only and then fall out leaving the box and board intact.
- replaced a window piece in my 6.5 and a few minor repairs $200 Take more care with your sails. If they are older they will break easier.
- broken a NP X3 and X6 mast How did you do these?
- broken the batton on my 8.5, replaced it then broke both cambers (now a camberless sail, unfixable) How did you break the batten? In the shore dump, or somehow else? How old was the sail?
- both larger sails cracked to pieces, one has tap holding a hole together Cracked? Are these sails old? When there's enough UV exposure sails start to get a little brittle.
- broke a 2nd hand NP X6 boom, replaced with a X3, it broke in 2 months, was able to claim warranty and upgraded the diff in cost to X6 and that just broke just over a month later As others have said, make sure its not a skinny boom. At your weight, you are putting a lot of stress on most booms.

I love windsurfing but I'm a student again, so the cost is killing me. I'm only 95kg, hardly a giant in terms of strain on gear. I am 100kgs (faulty scales!), but we do put a bit more stress on gear than lighter sailors.

Is all this breakage normal?? Remember I am not a wave sailor, just medium bay waves.

I hate to say it but I am seriously considering taking up kiting, because I hear it is cheaper.

I am having a serious whinge I know but I just want to know if I am having a stroke of bad luck or it is just part of the expected costs?

I think things like the board dings and tuttle fin breakage are pretty obvious.

Sail damage does happen too, but usually when you hit something.

How did the masts and the boom break?

As far as booms go, I have found that my two original NP X5 booms work fine, and I think that is because they aren't generally used at their maximum extension. I worry about the newer ones I have as I tend to use them towards the maximum extension and I think this causes more flexing and I don't think this is good for the boom.

Are you really sailing a 6.2 in 30 knots? I think my 6.0 works fine in 25 knots. What type of sail is it?

some points to consider! without making judgments.
As someone else suggested, are you using the booms on maximum extension? a sailor of 95kgs should use a boom on each sail that is no more than extended half the length of the extension piece. this will give you a more rigid boom, less flexing will increase the lifespan under the pressures of your size.
that is not to say they won't still break, perhaps the damage is done when you have a few stacks and the booms break later on. maybe they were weaked when you crashed you sails.
The new one piece arm booms are more rigid and seem to be lasting very well for all sailor sizes - the obvious downside is that if you break one side the whole boom is stuffed.

Cams don't generally just break. but if sailors try to use the sails in a fuller setting than recommended they can fail. perhaps some tuning advise may help.

Maybe it is worth a hour of tuition with a good instructor to help tune your stance, to accommodate your strength, and learn how to finesse the gear rather than muscle it. this may help lower the wear and tear. Contacting pros like tom hartman who is pretty tidy at freestyle and is around 95kgs may uncover some secrets to gear selection for the extra strength. it would be interesting to know how much gear, guys like that break.

You may be going thru a patch like many sailors do. Hopefully you can overcome this before moving to the dark side.

mineral1 said...

Wet Willy said...

Leman said...


most of my gear, 8.5 sail, masts, booms, extensions are neil pryde you think they are reknown for lack of durability?

I ain't sayin nuthin

Mark_Australia must be asleep as well[}:)]

Java said...


I have found that the x3 x6 booms are very easy to bend break its well worth the money for the x9 full carbon, had mine for 2 years all wave sailing no dramas. With masts if you are sticking with NP i have the combat skinny 90% carbon and same deal not a problem and trust me i have tried to break it

Hope that helps

So the expensive NP gear would seem to last, especially if this was tested in the waves. Good to know.

I try to get new gear, but with last year's date on it

All good points.

BOOM
RE: boom extension I use is 200-250 at +25cm on the big sail and +10cm on the smaller. I upgraded the size after my first 2nd hand one died. Ironic thing is the 2nd hand one at MAX extension which I got for $100 gave me a good 6 months. (go figure)

First new boom broke right between the handness line on a water start.
Second has cracked just beneath the plastic housing on the mast side. On the carbon not the plastic. I stopped sailing as soon as I saw and heard the crack.

None of the booms broke in any accident or jump, just cruising.

MAST
On the other hand one mast bent into the sand in a small shore break and snapped, (was pure bad luck). Didn't even get on the board that day.
But the other was perhaps my fault since it broke in 40knots on my last run for the day where I was simply survival sailing. I probably shouldn't have been out on that day. I didn't claim warranty on either of these.

As far as I know my booms are standard NP booms but they are skinnier than my el-cheapo hydro boom. So not sure if that is considered skinny.

One thing that you all seem to agree on is Ezzy or Loft/Gun for sails. I'll definately do this on next buy.

Someone mentioned skinny masts are stronger. Do you need a special sail to fit them??

As far as I know my booms are standard NP booms but they are skinnier than my el-cheapo hydro boom. So not sure if that is considered skinny.

Leman,
Not sure what model the el-cheapo Hydro boom is but probably is 32mm if it is thicker than the others.
32mm Booms are considerably stronger (~30% from memory) than 28 or 29mm which most brands are these days, including some Hydro models.

At 95kg I would not recommend any brand of alloy boom, simply accept the fact that only a Carbon Boom will hold up for any length of time with 95kg swinging off of it.
Skinny booms are really only for sailors up to about 80 kg, beyond that they get a real workout, especially when extended 60cm.
If you still want an alloy boom then find a brand that produce a 32mm, that's as good as it gets.

Unfortunately the shops can only recommend the brand & models they actually sell, so you need to do some homework & then you decide what's best.

BTW, you didn't say if the el-cheapo Hydro was also broken.

Dism's right on the money.

I used to break heaps of gear, now I run only Ezzy / Loft and couldn't be happier.

imo Paul Kelf at Hydrodynamix is a good bloke, knows what he's talking about, stands behind his product and won't pull the wool over your eyes. You could do a lot worse than asking him what he recommends... He told me to get a 32mm hydro boom a while ago and it seems to have lasted longer than any other brand I've tried.

If you go with an 8.5 Ezzy Freeride, you will get basically a cambered sail without the hassle of cams. The battens are naturally set in a deep curved shape which gives tons of stability and power, and can be adjusted to a huge wind range.