Hi, would welcome advice please from the expert help out there. I am just getting into windsurfing, have done the RYA basic course on a lake and have hired a Starboard Rio which I can (sometimes) sail and turn without using daggerboard. A friend has offered his 1995 Mistral Echoo 133 ltrs with a couple of gun camber induced sails, boom, mast extension and so forth. It does not have a daggerboard. Also the mast foot is a rubber swivel item. Question, at 12 st am I being ambitious in trying to sail this or am I going to make a spectacle of myself, again? Any advice would be welcome, I need something inexpensive to get me started in the sport, the club will rent gear but don't want to commit masses until I work out where and how fast I am going!
Hi 'Wilfster',
I guess it depends on the price, but the Echo is a very old board and in comparison with modern boards long and narrow. More modern
boards are much wider and therefore a lot more stable which is important in the initial learning stages.
Now, that isn't to say you couldn't learn on such a board (we did back in the day!) but you'll progress much quicker on a newer board.
If you can hire kit then it might be worth doing that a few times until you are a little better and at the same time it will give you
chance to try out a few different boards to see which ones you get on best with.
It won't take long to improve and once you do you'll be moving onto smaller boards anyway and will have a better idea of which type of
board(s) you need. Although a board around 130 litres will suit you well as an intermediate board and also be useful as a light wind
board once you've progressed onto smaller kit.
Have fun and let us know how you get on.
Al.
Hey 'Wilfster'
I can definitely second all that Al has advised, you see so many windsurfing students rush into buying a 'bargain' set of equipment
only to find that your progress & fun all but stops dead in its tracks!
I always recommend that windsurfing students who have just finished their beginners windsurfing course hire kit for a while to test out
different size boards & sails & use the time to see just how quickly they are progressing with the sport.
This way, when you do come to buy your 1st windsurf board you are in a much better position to know exactly what it is you need.
For some more great tips on what to look for when buying windsurfing equipment check out the 2 following webpages.
A Buyers Guide to Choosing Windsurfing Equipment:
http://www.poolewindsurfing.co.uk/windsurfing-equipment-needed-buying-guide/
How to Choose Beginners Windsurfing Equipment:
http://www.poolewindsurfing.co.uk/beginners-windsurfing-equipment/