Beginner needs recommendation
W. Lee
I'm about to enter the wind surfing scene and need some oppinions.
I can get a really great deal on the followin boards:
Mistral Evolution (10'2", 149L)
Mistral Malibu (10'8", 170L)
Mistral Escape (11'3", 190L)
As a beginner, I only want to have to purchase one. However, I don't
want buy an overly large board, only to outgrow it shortly. I'm
looking for a board that would be suitable in 10knot winds and up.
Anything less doesn't interest me.
I'll be taking lessons. In addition, I have friends who are willing
to help teach me.
I weigh about 160lb.
Anyway, it seems that the escape is marketed as a good teaching/family
board, and not necessarily something that I'll be happy with a few
months down the road. The Malibu is pink- enough said.
I'm thinking of the Evolution. If it proves too difficult at first,
I'm willing to rent or purchase (used) a big board to learn on.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance
H.T.M. ter Beek
If you want to buy one of these three, choose the Evolution.
Her volume is far enough for your weight, and you will outgrow her not
within 6 months.
I think that a board is important, but a good sail even more
important, since you will not easily outgrow a sail, (you only destroy
it)
Good Luck
Huub ter Beek
(Mistral Diamond Head, yes I know it is an old one...)
Q Gwaltney
compilation of the advice I received, is never buy a board that you won't
keep for a very long time. Never buy new, especially when starting out!
The best board for you now is probably a good course board like a One
Design or some such. These type boards will be a little out of your
league at first, but can remain in your quiver as a light wind board. If
you are going to sail only in higher winds and/or live in a high wind
locale, get the smallest board possible. You may want to rent a big
floatty board for your initial lessons then make an informed decision and
buy the smallest board that you can uphaul. The boards you listed are in
the beginner to transition range and are for no experience beginners, for
the family at the lake or disposable for the person that is planning to be
high wind only sailor.
To echo an earlier post, sails are VERY important! (again buy used: post
1990 sails, look for no tears, good seams, mylar RAF, about $50 to $100
US)
Welcome to the secret of FUN!
K. Gwaltney
Mach 10 and Windy Too.
NCSU Windsurfing Club NCSU WEATHER (includes Hatteras)
Raleigh, N.C. http://meawx1.nrrc.ncsu.edu/
Spots: THE LIGHT (Hatteras), The Boilers, Behind the Dunes, Kitty Hawk Sports Whalebone, North of The Hole: JORDAN LAKE, RALEIGH, N.C.!!!!
NLW TFW NM
suggest you go hire such. Knowing how to sail and knowing how to teach
sailing are almost whole 'nuther ball games. You'll progres much faster
that way.
If you're in no hurry to learn, do it on the cheap. Otherwise, spend $75
and skip the first few months with your buds.
That $75 will be an infinitesmal pieced of chump change before you've been
in this sport for a few years.
Mike
Jaime Cordera
NLW TFW NM <nlwt...@aol.com> wrote:
>Unless your friends are trained, certified, professional instructors, I
>suggest you go hire such. Knowing how to sail and knowing how to teach
>sailing are almost whole 'nuther ball games. You'll progres much faster
>that way.
Yep. As an (now inactive) instructor (Mistral, WIA), I have had to deal with
a lot of "advanced" students who "learned on their own", only to spend
time in their "advanced" class learning stuff taught in the beginning
class.
And I have also watched (almost in physical pain) as friends
"teach" one another, with obviously poor equipment adjustment that
really impeded the students progress(i.e. booms adjusted over the students
head, mast track so far back it was impossible for a light student to head
up wind, etc etc etc). And I have seen the same student
spend nearly the entire day making the same, fundamental, obvious, mistake,
that would have taken the most inexperienced instructor 5 minutes to catch,
while the rest of the instructors and I had lunch and talked about it.
>
>If you're in no hurry to learn, do it on the cheap. Otherwise, spend $75
>and skip the first few months with your buds.
>
>That $75 will be an infinitesmal pieced of chump change before you've been
>in this sport for a few years.
Beginning lessons are a bit more in California, I believe they are up
to $125 or so, but either way, you'll spend a lot less time flailing
cluelessly if you take some lessons. And, as he says, instruction is cheap
compared to the equipment.
Good luck,
Jaime
--
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Jaime Cordera ja...@netcom.com
<.signature under construction>
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Volker Wedemeier
|> Hi there,
|> I'm about to enter the wind surfing scene and need some oppinions.
|> I can get a really great deal on the followin boards:
|> Mistral Evolution (10'2", 149L)
|> Mistral Malibu (10'8", 170L)
|> Mistral Escape (11'3", 190L)
|> I'm thinking of the Evolution. If it proves too difficult at first,
|> I'm willing to rent or purchase (used) a big board to learn on.
|>
|> Any suggestions?
I think you won't have any problems with the Evolution. It should have enough
volume for you to stand on compfortably, so no problem.
A friend of mine who has just started windsurfing last fall bought himself a
2.90m board (9'8") with some 140L of volume as his first board after having
sailed on a really big one for just one day.
I was a bit uncertain at first if this small board was a good choice for him, but
he gets along with it really well. (I am just teaching him to beach- and
waterstart. Beachstart works quite well already, for waterstart we still have to
wait for the right conditions.)
Volker
GARY WOOD
The Escape is a nice big slalom board, but once you are accustomed to
slalom sailing it will almost immediately be too big.
Having a single board at around 150 l is OK if you will always be on
semi flat water in under 15 knots or so. As soon as you alter these
conditions, it will really be a handful.
I have heard very good things about Malibus (even pink? ones). Having
a daggerboard while learning can really make a difference in your
confidence and safety levels. Such a board would probably do really
well for your size for at least a year, unless you can sail every day
and progress much faster than normal.
If this is the case, you will wnat to get a second board before too
long, anyways. Certainly a 9 footer or similar for winds over 15 knots
once you get the hang pf a slalom board.
MacGillivray
my 1st season......Borrowed big 180L board........6 or 7 times.
borrowed 160L Alpha........3 or 4 times.
my 2nd season......Purchased 130L Alpha........used it about 45 times!
purchased 88L TIGA.........used it 3 times.
my 3rd season........(presently waiting for the ice to melt and push out
of NORTHEMBERLAND strait. NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA
Hey, if you can borrow at all then do it. And buy the smallest board
you can stand on! If you're determined, then you'll stick with it!
They only make big boards to get you to the small ones with-out letting
you quit!
(It takes ALOT of hard work but it only gets better!)
I guess it all depends on what you want out of windsurfing.
Are you wind surfing for the fun of it...or for the
Thrill of it!! There's a difference.
Sorry if i got too philosopical but its a hard sport to get into!
Hope I helped and didn't confuse you MORE!
DarrenMG
Antigonish
NovaScotia
Canada
C:WINSOCKKA9QSPOOLMAIL
> |> Hi there,
> |> I'm about to enter the wind surfing scene and need some oppinions.
> |> I can get a really great deal on the followin boards:
> |> Mistral Evolution (10'2", 149L)
> |> Mistral Malibu (10'8", 170L)
> |> Mistral Escape (11'3", 190L)
> ...
> |> I'm thinking of the Evolution. If it proves too difficult at first,
> |> I'm willing to rent or purchase (used) a big board to learn on.
> |>
> |> Any suggestions?
This time last season, I too was in a similar position and had similar options - Mistral Mauii (185ltr, I think...) and
an old F2 that I cannot remember. A friend of mine who was also keen (but had more money & less sense)
bought himself a Vinta of about 150Ltr. The Mistral was great, easy to sail -( It came with the original sail and
boom), and good fun. My friends Vinta however, which whilst faster (once he got it going!) was a pig to turn
upwind because as soon as you stood in front of the mast, the nose sank, and you fell in. In this sport it seems
that confidence is everything.
My advice, and obviously I am not an expert is that you opt for the Malibu or escape and have FUN!!!!!!
Regards
Chris.
--
( . ) ( . ) Any thoughts that I may or may not express are
not neccessarily of my own thinking...
~ Ch...@Connor.demon.co.uk
Gareth Williams
The Evolution will work with a sail down to 5.8 but only just. Normally I
would take the screamer out if it dropped down to 5.8 weather. I use the
Evolution to try out new things before launching in on the Screamer as it
is a much more forgiving board. It can plane fairly fast and between the
two boards I get sailing most weekends at the moment.
I would suspect it is a bit too short baordish to learn on at your weight
(as he tries to covert Lbs to Kg) I weigh 76Kg and I reckon a learner
would need to be about 60Kg to start with one of these. However it would
not take very long before you could sail one of these with confidence.
The first few of these boards had problems with the flusher strips in
that they fell off. (Mine did!) I had them replace under warranty and
used a touch of glue with them. The more recent ones also have an air
bag to seal the dagger board case which saves @ 1Kg.
The main disadvantage: There is no position for training straps. However
you can set the straps fairly far forward.
Putting a dirty great big fin in can help in lighter winds!
If you want more info do not hesitate to contact.
Gareth
Mistral Screamer, Evolution
Tushingham 6.5Sc, 5.8 Total Eclipse, 5.0 Sc
4.5 Ken Black, North Masts & Boom
Jimmie M. Raines
Jimmie M. Raines
Competition Light, with Mistral epoxy mast and Mistral Biradial (no full
length battens) 5.3 m sail, and an old Windsurfer (brand) boom. I only
paid $200 for this set up. This board is BIG, about 12'6" long and at
least 250L volume. I spent all of last season sailing that thing and had
a blast! It cost me less than a few day rentals and I sailed it about 30
times, so I really got my money's worth. I even sailed it in 20+ MPH
winds a handful of times. Believe it or not, even a board this big with
really rounded rails is fun when planing -- just as long as the dagger
board is in the up position (it doesn't retract though).
For this season, now that I am no longer a beginner, I bought
a modern board and rig (Multi Sail 6.0-6.7 and 1994 Bic Vivace 290).
I highly recommend doing the same: Buy (or borrow) a big board as
cheaply as you can get (one in decent shape) to learn on. You could just
rent a number of times, but that will cost you at least $50/day, so you
might as well buy if you can do so for under $250-300. Then, when you
are ready, spend the big money on a board that you can keep for a while,
probably something in the 9'4"-ish, 130L-ish range. In my opinion, that
evolution is too small to be easy to learn on -- which you mentioned --
and too big to be a fun slalom board (I think most sailor would agree on
this point).
Of course, not being a great sailor, I may not be one to talk -- but this
is the advice that I got from people with a lot of experience and it has
worked great for me.
Jim
p.s. The guy that talked me into this (I was going to by a cheap 12'
raceboard last year) was Harvey Hammond of the Windsurf Company, Keego
Harbor, MI. You can see his name and shop in the current issue of
Windsurfing Magazine (with Naish and the HUGE wave face on the cover) in
an ad on the first page when open up the mag.