Board and Sail

Question
I know you must get this question a lot, but I have been windsurfing for a while now and I have a wide/long board with a big sail (when I was a beginner) - now I would like to get a smaller board and smaller sail for really windy days.  Speed and stability are important to me since I windsurf on a very windy lake in Oklahoma.  I am 6 feet tall and weigh 180 lbs. What board and sail are the best for me?

Answer
Hey Laura,

If you are going for a new or newer style board, you probably want to get a freeride or freeride/slalom board. Either type will perform well in high winds and lake conditions. Size will depend upon the average windy conditions that you will be sailing in most. If it is 18-24, something around 100-115ltrs with a 5.0-5.5 sail would work well for you. If it is 25+ the majority of the time, something 80-100ltrs with a 4.0-5.0 sail would work. This all dependent upon whether you can waterstart and are hitting most of your jibes. The larger board and sail will be better for learning waterstarts and getting your jibes down. The smaller board would/could be a challenge if you don't have these figured out.

Go to windsurfingmag.com under equipment for reviews and tests on boards and sails for new and a couple of years back. Lots of great information along with links to the manufacturers and online shops. If it is in your budget, go ahead with new gear. If you need to look for deals, try the closeouts at the various shops links, ebay, your local craigslist.

It's hard to give you specific gear info so when you feel you know what you want and have any questions regarding gear you are considering, feel free to ask me more questions. If you have the ability to test ride anything at all, do that to get a feel for what might work best for you.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover