subject: A Beginner Windsurfers Buyers Guide [print this page] When getting started, buying all your new windsurfing gear can seem like quite a daunting task, with such a huge variety of boards, sails, booms and masts and then adding in whether to buy new or second hand there's a lot of different options. So here are a few tips that may make buying your first lot of kit a little easier.
The first decision you need to make is do you want brand new sparkly shiny kit, nearly new and slightly dull kit or some second hand as long as it floats ill take it kit.
So in a bit more detail here are those three options.
Brand new, sparkly, shiny kit from a Shop- Buying from a shop can either be a terrible experience or a fantastic one, depending on the quality of your local shop. If it's a good quality shop the staff will all know what they are talking about and will be able to offer you advice on what will be best for you. They should be able to get you kitted out in all the right gear (note: not the most expensive) depending one your experience level and your preferred style of windsurfing. They may even offer a try before you buy service or discount for buying a package from them, so maybe 10% discount if you buy a full set up. However what you want to watch out for, are pushy sales people who want to convince you to get the most expensive equipment so they get a good sale. If you're a beginner you 100% don't want the best equipment. It will be a nightmare to learn on and you may completely change your style as your progress.
One other thing you need to think about is re-sale value. When buying new you have to be ready to lose money on your kit. As soon as you've left the shop your kits value will drop, first time you use it, the value will drop, however it will work and if it doesn't you can take it back.
Pros: Knowledgeable staff (hopefully), possible try before you buy option, its brand new, possible discount, after sale support.
Cons: More expensive, quick loss of value, potential for pushy sales people.
Nearly new and slightly dull kit- This is where the best buys are to be had. Buying slightly used equipment is almost always the best option. However it does require a bit more work. When buying nearly new you gain from what the new equipment buyer loses. If your lucky you local shop will stock nearly new equipment and you can head there for all the advice you'd get when buying new. However if not, you need to put in the research yourself.
If you're still a beginner and not sure on what you should be looking for it would be worth talking to someone who does know. Maybe a friend who's been at it a lot longer or maybe even a local instructor. Once you know what you want you need to start looking, but where. If you local shop doesn't stock nearly new equipment then will have to start hitting your local "Free Ads", eBay, and forums. Most forums have a "for sale" and a "wanted" section so you can post up what your looking for whilst checking out what others have to offer.
You will also have to consider how your going to get your equipment, if its local that's great but if its coming from further afield you may have to start thinking about the cost of delivery or travel time and petrol.
Pros: Costs well below retails price, possibly stocked in local shops, shouldn't be too worn out
Cons: Need to put in the research by yourself have to know what your looking for, need to consider delivery or pick up, potential for duff equipment, no warranties.
Second hand as long as it floats I'll take it kit- This is the high-risk type of buying. You can come out with some fantastic gear for pennies of you can spend far too much for a board that's has would struggle to compete with an ironing board. Finding second hand windsurf equipment should be easy; there's tons of it around. However there is also tons of outdated rubbish around too. If you feel you can confidently navigate away from the rubbish then it's definitely worth diving in. There may be some hidden gems out there.
Pros: potential for massive bargains, readily available
Cons: A lot of rubbish outdated kit about, need to put in the research yourself, have to know what your looking for, need to consider delivery or pick up, potential for duff equipment, no warranties.
So what do you need to look for when buying used equipment? Well first of all let's start with the board. First check to make, has the board been snapped into tiny pieces? If not move on to check number two. Has the "skin" come away from the foam core of the board? To test this, feel the whole of the board and make sure that there are no squishy bits. If any of it can be pushed in easily then this means that at some point the board has become water logged and the foam inside has shrunk, there's no way back for a board when this has happened so move on.
Next lets move onto sails, once again make sure there's no obvious signs of damage. Make sure there is no damage or repairs on the luff tube, and that there is also no damage or repairs to any of the mono-film panels, also make sure that the mono-film panels are still fairly clear. If the have gone opaque they have been in the sun too much and will be brittle and prone to damage.
The booms should still have plenty of grip and show no signs of cracks, also make sure they are easy to adjust and not overly worn. Check the universal joint isn't worn out and that there are no splits in the rubber and lastly make sure the mast is in good condition and that the pulleys are working and aren't too worn.
And that's it. If it passes all those tests then it should be good to go. Now just make sure your not being overcharged.
