windsurfing Tahoe

Question
Hi Patrick,
I am 34 years old weigh about 200lbs and about 6 feet tall.I want to windsurf on Lake Tahoe (lighter winds )and on Walker Lake or one of the brisker wind lakes in Nevada.What is a good all around setup?Or should I look to get 2 setups, one for light winds and another for stronger?I have zero experience windsurfing and limited experience on a sailboat.

Answer
First, get a lesson or 2.  You should start out with a board around 160 to 170 litres volume with a 7 sq. meter sail.  Once you become proficient on that board you can think about buying a smaller board and sail for higher winds and faster speeds.   You're best bang for the buck would be to find some used equipment but try to buy boards, sails, masts and booms no more than 5 years old.  You can check your local Craigslist or try windsurfingclassifieds.com.  Good luck.