Thanks and new board

Question
Hi Windlover, firstly having read loads of questions you have answered here i believe you need a well deserved big thank you for you excellent detail and dedication to helping people like myself with technical questions..

Thank you from Northern Ireland !!!!!

Now for my question, i am brand new to the sport of windsurfing, however having come from surfing, land kiting, mountainbiking, motorcycling, climbing, tombstoning, kayaking, treking and many more excellent bill and ted adventures, it seemed only natural to try it... lol, i need a new hit :)
I am currently taking lessons in windsurfing and loving it big , my intention is to spend some time doing lessons and hiring the club gear until i get to a decent level of basic windsurfing.
At that stage (hopefully before winter) i would like to buy a new board and at least one new sail, beyond that i will shop about ebay and such to expand my gear over time, funds/wife permitting.. The reason for the wish for new gear is i realise the technology and advance design techniques and i want to stick with the new stuff as i do believe it is far superior to say 3/4 yr old gear.

I am looking at freeride boards for my first and main board. I have checked them all out- size, length, v, concave, tail shape, fin and nose. I have a basic understanding of board shaping from surfing, but windsurf boards have so many more atributes.

This is my list of possible boards:::
Starboard Futura
Fanatic Eagle or Shark
Mistral Energy
Goya FXR

BTW i am 95kg and i want a board that will suit big sail/light wind combo too... so i was thinking to go about 140/160 ltrs to allow up to around 9m sailing.

This is really where the question starts...:::...
Given the fact that i will complete my windsurf course but still be a novice, am i looking in the right direction or are these boards too advanced for a basic level???.
I do intend to be able to tack, gibe, pland steer and sail upwind competently before i purchase any new kit.
Thanks in advance
Dave, NI

WS Rocks but so do all my other sports !!!
Keep er lit and ride it like you stole it !!!!

Answer
Hey David,

Congrats on starting a new sport and thanks for the kudos.

Any of the boards you mention should work well for you. You want to look for something that is listed as and intermediate or intermediate/advanced board. When you finish your lessons you should be close to a low intermediate and you want a board that you will grow into instead of outgrowing it. Also, if you have predominatly light winds, a 160ltr will serve you better for big sail/light wind days. If you have a number of moderate wind days, then a 140ltr would be better as it will give you a wider wind range. So consider these points and base your decision on your growing abiilities and the wind conditions you will be in.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover