Sport Today

1988 F2 Bullit
  With:
        Fin
        Foot Straps
        6.0 North Slalom Speed TCC
        Windsurf Hawaii Clamp on Boom
        Ampro 2 piece aluminum mast
        F2 mast base
        Gear Bag

Complete Rig all in Good Condition   $660

Can be seen at Any Mountian in Santa Clara.

Or Call Donna at 415-968-9855

Hi, this my first time posting in this group.

I've sailed a few times last year, and now I'm thinking of buying a beginer
board and rig.  I went down to the local store (Water World in Durham, NC)
and they gave me recommendations on the following boards;

a new Bic Melody
a new Nova (?)
a used ('89) Bic Bamba

Accorind to the guy I talked to, the Bamba is suppose to be the best choice.
I know the real basics of boards (ie; skinny boards go faster, etc.) but
I'm not knowledgable about the different makes and modles.  All of the above
go for ~$700, and I am planning to use it mostly on lakes.

If anybody can tell me which one of the above is the best choice, or have
an alternate recommendation, I would appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.
------------------

-Kirk out

Maybe we should put these in a FAQ periodic posting.....

1.  What kind of board should a beginner get?
2.  How should I adjust my sail for high/low wind conditions?
3.  Every time I try to get into the straps, I round up.
4.  Every time I try to close the gap, I spin out.
5.  Whenever I try to gybe, I lose board speed and sink.
6.  Every time I try to do a forward roll, I accidentally reach escape
velocity
    and end up orbiting the planet for the rest of my session :-)

but seriously, to answer question #1....

It is probably a bad idea to buy a new board for your first board unless
you
have a large family and want all of them to learn how to windsurf.  You
will
outgrow your first board long, long before it has seen significant wear
and
tear.  Everyone does.  For this reason, there are lots of beginner
boards
out there on the used market really cheap.  I got my OBrein Competitor a
few
years ago in basically new condition with Thule racks, a Neil Pryde rig,
and an excellent harness for $400.  Deals like this are still out
there.
(You can at least get the board and rig for $400).

For your first board, you want something really long and wide.  Volume
over
160 liters.  This will be like a floating dock with a sail on it.  It
is
what you need for you first season.  Once you are comfortable sailing
this beast in medium-high winds (15-20 knots) with a harness, you are
ready to move on to a giant slalom.   Depending on your level of
commitment
to the sport and the wind conditions in your area this can take anywhere
from
four months to two years.

Sell the thing to someone else who is just entering the sport (for
almost
the same price that you paid) and use this money as the down payment on
the $2000 worth of equipment that it takes to get into short boarding.

|
| Thanks in advance.
| ------------------

Steve Madere