Do you know just how cool we looked back then.

those harnesses that looked like a 5 sizes too small life jacket that finished level with the second from bottom rib, with the hook level with the top buckle.

two bits of rope tied to boom for harness lines, If you were real cool a piece of plastic hose was included.

and SPEEDOS

best winds

No, you were right. You need to go to the gym! Don't blame the gloves. If anything, they were probably highlighting how out of condition you are, before you had gone dangerously far. I hope you weren't using ALL your fingers!

Sometimes a bit tricky to figure out who's trying to make my leg longer here, but thanks for all the responses. I figure that I'm going to give this windsurfing thing a red hot go before I spend mega bucks on a new board/sail/boom, as it is I got my board very cheap and have gotten way more value out of it than I paid for it. And I figure that if I can make this old rig work well then the transition to a new one will be easy

And as for those wusses who need all that newfangled gear to stay afloat, stand in the footstraps when they're schlogging along with the nose of the board pointed high in the air, thinking they're going faster than a formula racer, well... I thumbs my nose at ya!!!