Advice on windsurfer

Question
Hi Windsurferkindaguy,

I'm looking at a used windsurfer being sold on the web, can't view the board in person, and know nothing about windsurfing! I saw your ad and was wondering if you could offer advice.

I see "OBrien" as a brand on the board itself, but the ad does not provide a year. To my untrained eye, the board and equipment that comes with it look like they're in good shape.

This would be a gift for my 15-year-old daughter, who's about 120 lbs. She has never been on a windsurfer. She's not big, but she is strong and athletic. She'd be sailing on Moberly Lake in northern BC, where the wind can be strong. We'd have a zodiac that would be there for support/safety at all times.

The selling price listed for the board is $300.

Does this sound like the kind of board that might be suitable for a young girl? If I had your e-mail address I could send you pictures of the board, or, alternatively, could give you info about the site on which the board is advertised.

Cheers,

Steve Roe


Answer
A lot of the equipment being sold on ebay is quite old and usually not worth buying.  A lot of people just trying to clear the junk out of their garage.  OBrien is a brand that was sold about 20 years ago.  My advice is to stay away from anything on ebay unless you know exactly what you are buying.  Buying equipment that old can be quite a challenge if something broke since you cannot buy parts.  Boards tend to absorb water over the years and then they begin to gain weigh which makes them unusable.  You won't be able to tell this until you get it on the water and it sails like it was made out of cement. Boards and sails have evolved quite a bit in the last 5 to 7 years.  The newer equipment is much easier to learn to sail on. The learning curve for windsurfing on an old board like the Obrien would be quite steep compared to modern equipment which you could learn on in a day.  Unless you know exactly how old a board or sail is,  I would steer clear.  Try getting in touch with your local windsurfing shop or if you know where the locals sail, try to talk to them to find out where you could purchase a newer used board, sail, mast, boom etc.  $300 would be an incredible price for a decent board, but it would be a huge waste of money for an old out of date board. Your daughter would be far better off taking lessons and renting equipment before actually purchasing it to start out.  Hope I have not dampened your desire for this incredible sport but I would not want you to be disappointed by purchasing someones old throw aways.