After 10 years being away from windsurfing due to living in places with too many crocs, too much sand or not having the money to get new equipment I find myself back in Sydney wanting to get back out on the water.

Looking for windsurf shops in Sydney took me by surprise. I thought that a city of +6 million people living next to the ocean would be ideal for the sport but to the best of my knowledge there is only one shop located north of the bridge. I remember windsurfing with 20+ keen mad windsurfers on Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra, when the easterly winds blew in during the afternoon and that’s Canberra in the 1990’s. Has windsurfing declined in popularity to such a level that it is not sustainable for shops to keep their doors open?

I have also been toying with the idea of kiteboarding mainly due to there being less equipment to carry around and there is a shop just down the road. I have done a lesson and am about to do another but not wanting to get into a kiteboard/windsurf debate I find kitebording has the potential to be fun but it’s not as exhilarating as windsurfing. A bit like snowboarding and skiing, snowboarding is fun but skiing is exhilarating. However I will persevere with it as I am only just learning.

The dilemma I find myself in is, I really love windsurfing and would like to get back into it. However, the initial outlay for new equipment (my fault as I do believe in getting new gear from the start) is fairly steep, there are lots of bits to carry around and there is (to the best of my knowledge) only one shop to deal with in Sydney. But it’s bloody exhilarating to do. On the other hand Kiteboarding equipment can be carried on your postie bike, less expensive to purchase and needs less wind to get going. But you need, to be safe, other people around to launch your kite and lots of space in order not to injure other people.

Just the ramblings of a person at the crossroads not sure what to do

Mangomania

Short answer: Windsurf
Short reason: Because it sh1ts all over kiting (and you appear to already know that).

Where do you live, and what type of sailing do you do?

I'm biased, but here's my take on the negatives of kiting (I don't need trolls to tell me the positives. I'm sure its fun to do):

1) Not necessarily better in less wind. Formula guys will always get out in lighter, and plane easier.
2) Or as soon as it turns gusty, they're in all sorts of bother.
3) I wave sail, and get out in as light winds as they do (and I don't use big gear, nor am I a stick insect).
4) As soon as the wind hits around 25 knots, they seem to just sit on the beach, while we fang around. I'm not sure why, but literally 9 out of 10 kiters stay out of the water when decent wind kicks in. Maybe they just don't have a small enough kite (or a particular body part is a little too small), but there's plenty of 25 knot days so surely you'd have one handy (we buy sails small enough).
5) Need someone to help you launch (that alone would turn me off).
6) Don't think its less expensive either (depending on what you get)
7) Kiters might think riding a postie bike is cool. :)
8) F**king around with those strings on the beach for ages looks about as fun as untangling a yo-yo.
9) We will make fun of you if you kite

You're right about the decline of shops. But Wind Surf n Snow is a great shop with everything.
Otherwise, like many people do, shop on the net. Get stuff shipped right to your door from anywhere in the country, or overseas.
There's always an easy way to get gear. Doesn't have to be on every corner any more.

And maybe try to resist brand new everything first up.
There's plenty of last years gear around for so much cheaper. Some of it is probably brand new (check the shop), and just has to make way for the new stuff.

You've already said you know its the better of the 2. So you'll know its worth the effort and expense.
Easy decision.

Thank you Kristof 5000, nutbag and Mobydisc for your replys.

To answer some of your questions let me first start by commenting on the rig I used to sail on in the 90s. The mistral Diamond Head is a board that still brings back nightmares if I sailed it too far downwind as its upwind abilities were equivalent to a boat without a paddle up sh!t creek.

At the moment I am looking at the starboard futura or the JP x-cite II. Any advice on either these boards would be appreciated. As ‘Kristof 5000’ mentioned, I get the idea that these boards would be worldly different than the old diamond head and will probably think I am dreaming when I get to have a go.

So, the type of sailing I prefer is aimed squarely at either of these boards and since I live in Kogarah, Botany Bay is just down the road. I am also wondering what other great windsurfing spots there are south of Sydney, I heard something about Huskisson?

I have made my mind up to take the windsurf path as it’s something I know and have had great fun doing in the past.

Cheers, mangomania

There is so much 2nd hand equipment, in perfect conditions and so cheap.
The only issue is your budget and what sort of windsurfing you want to do.
Tip: don't buy the stuff you used in the 90's... The sport has moved on....

Good luck....