A good board for you would be a Starboard AtomIQ 120, but shipping mine to you from eastern WA (as in Washington state, USA) to the Gold Coast would be nonsense.

Since you might very well get interested in windfoiling at some point, you might want to consider only those boards with deep tuttle finboxes. Even better if the board is "foil ready." Good luck. Welcome back.

I think any freeride board would suit, and a 125L board would be perfect for your weight.

I tried Fanatic Shark, Tabou Rocket, JP Xcite ride, F2s. All nice and friendly.

I would not buy a board characterised as "wide" at this stage. I.E. there are Tabou Rocket standard and wide. Stick with the standard.

The Seabreeze buy/sell section is the best place too look for a board.

Mark _australia said..
I'd say the opposite, the AtomiQ was not real popular

I always though it odd that on a freeride board they gave it the rocker from their slalom board, iSonic, a relatively short planing flat which might be faster with a fast sail but isn't so good for passive early planing and requires a bit more technique when the wind picks up.

From Starboard's brochure for the Carve (Atom replacement)
The secret to a whole new level of freeride performance: a 15 cm extended flat section in the rockerline. This gives a longer, more efficient planing surface that helps get you planing, keep planing and accelerate more with every gust.

I'd agree with that. Maybe it was just hype about original Atom, they said it had the rocker from their iSonic to give the impression it was fast, but it didnt have the same rocker.

At 80 kilograms, you can uphaul a 93 liter board with a 6.0 sail.
So, any freeride board from any company that is over 100 liters is plenty big enough.
However, if you actually gotten out of shape, gained weight, or can only sail twice a week, then you need that 120 liters.
More important, a 6.5 sail is good from around 15-22 knots breeze. What are you doing for more or less?

I sold my Starboard Atomic and bought the Severne 95 and 120 liters FOX boards.
The 120 liter fox is better in all meanings and specially in choppy water and is also quicker than the starboard Futura when choppy.
I feel the Atomic is a bit too wide and more difficult to control:
Go for the Fox-boards, the 120 liter board is perfect from 6,5 to 8.0 m2.
With regards,
John (Sweden and Norway)

WINDTECH boards get my vote, a whole different approach and freeride heaven, but unlimited performance to grow/push into

As an over 65 good intermediate 83kg who returned to windsurfing Cooldollar beware of thinking you are still 35. Waterstarts are hard work, uphauling on 120 litres in a chop also a balancing nightmare. You just cant spring into action like you used to and for some reason your body doesnt cooperate as you go into a fast carve gybe. I started again with a 130 Atomic but the short nose meant it sank if foot pressure on uphauling was a bit erratic. You get erratic (terrified) way off shore and after trying to waterstart but cant quite get out of the water. Sitting in a chair with coffee watching You tube Naish has real appeal.
I went to a 141 Starboard carve. Extra volume was nice ahead of mast. Took it out today in gusty 20. Great when up and planing but hard work trying to get back upwind or uphauling 6.5.
My favourite is now 90cm wide JPslw 160 litre . Takes a foil too. Certainly it gets a mission in strong wind with my usual 7.5 gator but all the normal brisk days its great. You just dont fall in as often and thats energy saving. Starboard do a similar board. Lighter the better.
So reflect on when you really are going out. Is it going to be Hookipa , white caps everywhere, strong wind warning etc or is it going to be 10 to 15 knots? If you find you are coping and are ready to try gale force 5.5 and 6.5 stuff there are dozens of 70 cm wide boards . Despite all the marketing speak anything after 2015 or so will be fine. Match sail brand with mast is safest. A couple of cams is ok too.

Just saying dont spoil your return to the sport by half drowning yourself on a 120 litre slalom carbon thing that you fall off everytime you do a half complete gybe..Younger guys that can swim miles can manage them but you must be over 50.....by the way foiling is wonderful fun but one thing at a time

Hey Guys Gals.
Thanks for the awesome info.....What about a 2010 BIC Techno 125 litre anyone have one of those?
er.....cancel that I just checked it is a 2002 model. King of the stone age!

JP Magic Ride around 142L max in full wood sandwich is great up to at least 22 knots and lots of flotation for the size, double concave to a shallow Vee, that is what you want in a board bottom, other boards out there have the same. Goya Bolt Pro 135 is similar, but lighter and faster, and probably not for 18 knots. Just be aware the new generation of boards are light but rather fragile in comparison to that old Bic Techno, so I would not discount it because of the age, but Bic is still building boards with the plastic shell, very durable but a little heavier. Who is going to fix your dings? And really think about a board with a foil ready box like the Goya Bolt 135, can not over emphasize that, foiling takes some learning and balance, but in the end is a lot less physically demanding compared to windsurfing as long as you match your sails and wings to the conditions.