Rule of thumb is your weight in kgs +30 = board Litres, but width plays a big part too!
Probably aim for a modern 125L freeride at least 70cm wide.

DavMen said...

Rule of thumb is your weight in kgs +30 = board Litres, but width plays a big part too!
Probably aim for a modern 125L freeride at least 70cm wide.

DavMen is pretty-much spot on! I'm 105kgs...and have no probs uphauling a 135lt board. Even uphauled a 109lt...but had to go fast, and was sailing from knee-deep. There'll probably be a few that will recommend a bigger board, but it depends on your ability...and get the waterstarts happening as soon as you can!

sailpilot said...

+30 is a safe bet for uphauling, if you sailed before and expect to advance quickly then +20 to +30 is OK too. I'm 95kg and still float OK uphauling a 118 L board.
Congrats on getting back into it mate

Must be modern wide boards..Ive got one +40 & wouldnt want to try & uphaul it in choppy conditions ..mind you i haven't persisted a lot..

Howdy, my advive if you want to learn and have lots of time on the water in various wind conditions would be to go for something bigger. I learnt on a fanatic shark 160 ltr and i still use it now on those light wind days. Its quite heavy but its strong and no matter how high your boom to board nose ratio is it wont break ( wish i could say the same for my jp) With the right sail and fin you can get the thing flying and because of the volume i can get out when others are just sitting by the shore. If you want to learn moves i think its always best to try them in non planing conditions and a stable board. ( fundementals ) Also if you decide to move on you wont have any problems selling them.

but it also has an efect your fitness.strengh .. i can uphaul a 75l and i weigh 65kg ... if u are a bit older u may wants to even go a bt bigger depending on your fitness

Darren,

Just some support on what lee1972 said, if you spend a little extra and get a new (superseeded)/near new big shortboard ie shark 160 you can basically upgrade as you get better with little or no changeover in $. Any of these big short boards keep their value extremely well, or if you can see into your windsurfing future a bit they can be something you will never part with. Sails, booms, bases, fins and slalom boards pretty much loose a third- half their value when they walk out of the shop- big freeride boards and most masts you won't loose too much on should you need to sell or upgrade later