Good to have some beginners on board here...make sure you keep us informed of your progress.
For what its worth, here are my opinions on the subjects (Although I like to think that I'm far removed from the 'beginner' stages these days so how well I can relate to your situation is debatable.)
If you had asked me how to get into windsurfing a few years ago I would have said have one taster lesson (I have never had any lessons), then buy yourself a real cheap battered old beginners board, a fairly decent rig and get out there and practise...Then once you'd learnt the basics, upgrade to a better intermediates board, keep the old rig and get another sail to widen your wind range...
HOWEVER, all this has changed. Modern boards are SO much easier to sail than boards a five or ten years ago that when it comes to buying a board, getting an old battered thing is now a false economy. In an ideal world what I'd suggest now is to go on a dedicated windsurfing holiday to a decent centre somewhere warm with light winds in the morning and increasing winds in the afternoon. Whilst there, you'll relearn the basics on modern ultra wide beginner boards by the end of the first morning (You don't really ever forget them anyway). You'll then be able to use the rest of your time on the holiday learning to cope with stronger winds, perfecting your tacking, and flare gybing and working towards getting into the footstraps and harness and also sailing smaller intermediate boards. Use your time wisely whilst there and try as many different boards as you can so that you have an idea of what you should buy when you get back. (if you find something you really like you may even be able to buy it at a much reduced rate from the centre??)
Right, now onto the actual kit choice. Its definately worth spending a little more money at this stage and buying a 'modern' board. Not only are they more stable and forgiving in the early intermediate stages of your windsurfing career, but they will also perform better as a light wind board for the late intermediate and expert stages. This means that after learning the basics at a centre the first board you buy can remain a useful part of your quiver for a long time.
The actual board choice comes down to several factors. If we ignore the price consideration then your weight is the most important consideration as this will determine which size board you'll need in a particular range (Heavyweight need bigger boards). Your aspirations (be it racing, wave sailing, freestyle or all round general blasting in a wide range of conditions) at this stage are not too relevant as most early intermediate boards are allround affairs that perform well in a wide range of conditions.
If you've mastered the basics then something like a Bic Techno or similar 150+ltr (ish) allround freeride board should suit you well. A 2nd hand board like this in decent condition should set you back about £350. Yep, you can get older boards much cheaper but you'll soon outgrow them and the early stages of your career will be made more difficult and you'll progress slower on them. With the more modern board not only will you prgress faster but it'll take you further too. Many expert sailors still revert to something along the lines of a big 150ltr freeride board with a big sail in light winds.
Once you've mastered the intermediate stages on the big freeride board you'll have an idea yourself of which way you want to take you windsurfing...Most people would then opt for a second smaller freeride board with all round appeal for stronger winds (of about 100 litres). You may also need to add a wave board or full on race or freestyle board to your quiver one day as well.
Rigs: Sails haven't really progressed much in terms of design in the past 5 years, so any 'no-cam' freeride sail in decent condition from the last few years should do you. The size you choose will again depend on your weight and the conditions you are likely to sail in. For most people the first sail they get will be around 5.5-6.0m and should again remain an important part of your quiver...As you progress you'll want more sails (and masts to rig them on) to allow you to sail in stronger (and lighter) winds.
Hope this helps...Basically learn the basics on someones else board then buy half decent fairly modern kit that'll be easy to progress on but have long-lasting appeal.
Of course I could be wrong!!!
Let us know how you get on.
Al.
