board advice

Question
QUESTION: Hi Patrick,

I have been sailing for about 2 years now.  I learned on the Mistral Prodigy which is 255 ltrs and basically unsinkable.  I can plane on it, am in the harness and footstraps but I want to move to a smaller board that I can start learning to gybe on and can carry myself.  I can tack and gybe at low speed and can complete a few pivot gybes at low speed as well.  I sail mostly on a deep lake in light winds 80% of the time.  The other times it is moderate and gusty.  I weight 150 lbs and am 5'5".  I am looking at a Mistral Explosion 2006 LTD 145 ltr board.  My other options are the Hifly Madd twin fin board at 162 ltrs and a JP X-Cite 145 or 160 ltr.  I also saw the new Bic Techno 160 ltr.  Which board to you think would give me the most stable learning platform that will challenge me but not completely sink and frustrate me?  My main needs are good upwind ability due to my sailing location, easy planing and stability as well as control for learning the gybe.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.
ANSWER: If you are sailing mostly in winds around 10 to 15 mph the 145 ltr. size is good.  I am the same weight and height as you and my main board is 125 liters 9' 2" (about 15 years old but still in great shape) and I can stand on it without sinking it at all,  uphaul it and also waterstart it with a 6.8 mtr sail in light to moderate wind.    If you are sailing in winds that are 13 to 20 mph I would go with less than 145 liters. The lower volume board will jibe easier. Keep in mind that modern boards are usually shorter in length and will not be long enough in the tail to drag the boom onto the back of the board for waterstarting.  If you have any other questions reply back to me.
Can you find a place that will demo boards?  I would recommend trying a 125 to 135 liter board if you can.(any brand, just to see how the volume feels)

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QUESTION: 10-15 is a good day for us here!  My main sail is a NP V8 6.6.  Did I mention that there is boat traffic and so we have to deal with wakes?  I wondered if there was any difference in the 145 ltr boards (Explosion or X-Cite)  thank you so much
ANSWER: If 10 to 15 is the most wind you will see then go with the 145 liter range. There is no way to tell the difference between boards without really trying them and you still cannot be a good judge until you can dial in that particular board or unless you can find a review in a windsurfing magazine.  You can try to find back reviews from previous years from some of the different magazines websites. Are the boards you are looking at available for demos?

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QUESTION: I have read the reviews and I'm leaning toward the explosion.  The boards are not available to me for demo.  The explosion I am looking at is the 2006 LTD version so it's very light and a little stiffer I believe than the other version.  I know you are right and I won't know until I actually sail it.  It's just a bit like buying a car sight unseen.  So I am trying to get all the info I can before I make the purchase.  Thanks for your help!
ANSWER: You really can't go wrong buying Mistral.  I have owned several over the years and they were always well thought out and well made.  Good Luck.  Where exactly do you sail?

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QUESTION: In Northwest GA mostly (Tennessee River/Chickamauga Dam) although we love heading down to Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs, FL.  

Answer
I just looked at a google satellite picture of that area.  That area looks really landlocked.  Have you ever sailed in the ocean or a large bay?  I sail in the Great South Bay on the south shore of Long Island New York.  Check it out on google satellite maps.    If you ever make it up to Long Island I can show you some awesome sailing spots.
Good luck.