windsurfing gear for novice

Question
Dear Patrick,

I'm interested in advice on what windsurfer to buy and where to buy it. I'm not that experienced: just fooled around for a few summers on a pretty old board. But I am a good sailor (big boats), so it's not all new. I'm 83 kilos and 190cm. And my geographic situation is part of the puzzle: I'll be windsurfing primarily in Croatia but because I'm sailing (big boat) through the NL/UK/France area and then into the Med this spring I'd be able to drop in and pick the equipment from a seller anywhere along the Northern or Med European coasts.

So where to buy is a question and what style of board is the other. I'd like a pretty complete kit that I can grow into and that would suit a variety of conditions. As a novice I don't think I need freestyle or wave riding characteristics; maybe more of a slalom board? I'm thinking of a good all-around sort of style that lets me get comfortable with the smaller boards (which will be new to me), and that somewhat forgiving. I think I can depend on fairly frequent 15-25 knot afternoon winds in Croatia in the summer, so I don't think I need a light air board.

What sail size or sizes would you include in a well-rounded kit? Can a single sail size do as an all-rounder or do I need a couple?

Finally, if you could shed some light on the different producers (boards and sails) that could be helpful. Of course it's a matter of taste, but if there's someone making a product that's a better value I could start by looking there.

And Thanks! I look forward to your reply.

Josh

Answer
I cannot tell you where to buy equipment since I am in the US and do not have any information regarding windsurfing retailers in your area.  I can give you good idea of what size board you should start with but first you will need to learn to waterstart before you can sail on a high wind board.  Waterstarting is a technique used to get yourself up back on the board when you are in deep water in high wind without standing on the board and uphauling.  Uphauling a smaller board in deep water and high wind is impossible since a high wind board will sink under your weight since the volume of a high wind board is low volume.  Once you learn to waterstart, only then can you progress to a lower volume board for high wind sailing.  I would suggest you look for a board around 160 liters volume to start. This size is probably a lot smaller than the board you were fooling around with the past summers. This 160 liter board will enable you to uphaul the board and you can begin to practice waterstarting also on it.  A board this size will be too big to sail in winds that are more than around 17 to 18 knots.  This is because the size of the board will cause too much drag in the water and will be near impossible to control.  You really need a smaller volume board to sail in higher winds but you must know how to waterstart since you will not be able to stand on the board and pull the sail out of the water. Also don't get too hung up on board classifications like freeride or slalom since the more important thing to consider is the actual volume of the board.
So, if you were to find a board around 160 liters, I would suggest you get a sail around 6.5 to 7 sq. meters in size to go with it.  This will get you planning in about 13 to 14 knots wind but you will also be able to sail it also in lower wind without planning.  For slightly higher wind from about 15 to 18 knots you might want to get a smaller sail around 5.5 to 6 sq. meters. I hope this information helps you.  Good luck and good wind.