AboutPatrick Dean Expertise Windsurfing expert. 20+ years windsurfing experience. I can give advice
about learning to windsurf, the best places to learn and the best
equipment to learn on. I can also offer advice on what equipment to
purchase based on your skill level, weight and sailing location. Ask me before you buy. The boards made in the last 5 or 6 years are so much easier to sail and learn on.
An advance word of advice: stay away from buying old boards unless you know exactly what you are buying and know that all parts are there. I get so many questions about how to set up old boards that usually end up being broken or missing parts and it is impossible to buy parts for these old boards.
Try not to buy a board that is more than 5 or 6 years old. As boards age they begin to absorb water. Once that occurs the board is toast and it happens with a lot of boards over 10 years old.
When you ask questions, please let me know what part of the world you are from so I can tailor the advice to your location.
Question Years ago I owned a Fanitic Cobra and loved the stability and relative speed for the time that board was popular. Would like to have the stability and speed in a new design. The Mistral Screamer might fit that need? Would like for use in light wind and also up to 20+ winds. What would you suggest for board and rig so that I may get back into windsurfing...and maybe even teach my wife! Thanks!
Answer The key point will be whether you can use the same board in 20+ winds and also teach your wife on it. My experience says that you cannot use 1 board to do both. Teaching requires a very stable floaty board in order not to frustrate the learner. Frustrated wife trying to learn windsurfing = wife losing interest rapidly (ask me how I know ;-) I taught my wife 20 years ago on large heavy but stable equipment and she learned quickly and progressed to high wind sinker boards in no time. The boards available now are much better for learning and progressing rapidly on. Decide first what you can reasonably expect from the board you want to buy. If it includes teaching your wife there are some really great boards that are stable enuf to teach on and also for you to sail in moderately strong wind say up to 15mph. A board that is stable in 20mph wind is going to be way too small to teach your wife to sail on. Let me know which way you want to go and I will give you more advice.
