The next series of post is will present the different classes of boards from the leasing windsurfing equipment manufacturers.

FreeRide Wide Boards

This class of board is probably the most popular one, as it provides boards for the widest active level of windsurfer - intermediates. These boards can be found in advanced sailor fleets as it can increase the number of windsurfing days, because on light-wind days you can easily rig the board with a large sail for some freeriding.

• Starboard Futura- Starboard replace its legendary freeride board, the Carve,with this new model. A brave move on Starboard’s side as the Carve was an easy winner for them against other popular boards in this class.
• JP Excite Ride - The best board in this class, the Excite Ride offers a wide range of board volumes (100-160) and width (63-79CM). If you have the money to afford a JP, you should go for it!
• F2 Stoke - Ranging from 95-145 liters,a solid board that comes with two version - one for the smaller 95-125 with reduced contact with the water, allowing easier planning, and the 135-145L boards, providing more stability for beginners and early intermediates.

Next post will present freeride boards from other windsurfing equipment manufacturers - Naish, Fanatic, Mistral and more!

In our beginner equipment series we discuss the different equipment pieces you have to buy when first out sailing with your own gear. We talked about boards and sails (see posts below) and this post will deal with your first boom and mast.

We’ll start with the mast. You would usually want to get a 4.30 or 4.60 mast, with around 30% carbon. Some places will provide you with a 1 year warranty for a new mast and will replace it if it broke. There is a good chance you’ll break a mast (I broke my mast because I did not make sure the two mast parts were inserted all the way) so paying the extra bucks buying a new mast might pay off.

You could also buy a used mast but you need to make sure it’s in good shape. Since masts are usually mostly aluminum, you need to take a look at the mast to see that it is not fractured, especially near the part that plugs the two mast pieces together.

There are of course fancier masts - with a higher carbon percentage, who are stronger and lighter than the mast you will probably start with, and there are skinny masts, which are, well, skinny.. their diameter is much smaller than regular masts, they way much less and are much stronger. They are suited for wave riding and make freestyling much easier.

The boom is similar to the mast in regard to the things you need to decide prior to buying - it is also made mostly from aluminum and has some carbon fiber to make it lighter and stronger.Thee is also a good chance you will break a mast, especially if you windsurf in strong winds. If you can get a 1 year warranty from your local

As everything else in windsurfing, the best source of information are your fellow sailors,so do not hesitate to ask them to help you decide if a boom is in a good condition or if the price your dealer is asking for a sail is fair.

In a previous post,we had a detailed discussion regarding the question of your first major purchase as a windsurfing beginner - your board. The reason we focused on the board was that not only it’s the most expansive piece of equipment you will buy but also the one that makes the difference from beginner to intermediate to advanced.

I would like to focus now on other windsurfing equipment you will have to buy. The difference between this equipment and a windsurfing board is that sails,booms,masts and other accessories can last you a life time. If you buy a good all around sail it can serve you well for many years (if you take good care of it). As for a board - at a certain point in time you will feel like you need to move ahead to a a smaller,shorter,lighter board.

Probably the second most important piece of windsurfing equipment you will buy is a windsurfing sail.At least one,but you would probably want to get more than just one sail. For most people, a 5-5.5 for windier days and a 6-6.5 for light wind days should be enough. The advantage of buying new sails is that they will probably more than one board. Make sure you take good care of them - wash your sail with fresh water to extend it’s life. Buying a used sail is also possible,just make sure there are no apparent holes or cuts in the sail. Large patches, usually found at the bottom of the sail, mean the sail has gone though some rough times, I would think twice before buying that sail.

Next post will discuss two other pieces of equipment - the boom and the mast.