I am looking for a beginner type board and looking for rig to go with it.
I have been trying to narrow down choice but remaining very open to suggestions.
I live in Peoria and wind conditions are light most of the time, so thinking of a bic techno 293, or 160D, or Startboard IQ or GO. Something with daggerboard, with some volume for low wind, but then ability to take out in winds up to 20-30kts. The quiver board! the RSX from Neil Pryde also seems pretty good.
So, if you have some advice or equipment, please let me know. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

My advise to you will be to forget abot the 20-30kts range for now. A wind this stong requires a different size of board and adequate skills to control it. If you try to acommodate a beginner and advanced requirements in just one board/sail kit you may end up with the wrong choice that can have negative consequences for your progress and overall satisfaction with the sport. How far exactly have you come in your progression? Can you uphaul, sail up/downwind, turn? How much do you weigh?

yes

Awesome! So you are past beginner phase and ready to be intermediate which means getting in the footstraps and planing, right?! Can you spare me the guessing and give me some more details like: how much do you weigh; what boards and sails do you own currently /if none, what kind have you sailed before/ and does your job and family situation allow you to choose which days to go sailing??

I have a Mistral Superlight that I would like you to consider. Other than the nosepiece, it is in excellent condition, 100% garage stored.

It is a 1986 w/ 6.3 progress sail, boom with updated mast clamp, large centerboard blade, mast, base & extension.

I live in Springfield.

It is a joy to sail and will go faster than most any other board in light winds.

Length: 12'6''
Width: 26"
Volume: 260L
Weight: 35 lb

It's a classic, and can double as a SUP.

Hi Pierre,

I started windsurfing about 8 years ago. My first board was a 145L Freeride, then I got a big floaty Bic FreeFormula with huge fin. My thinking at the time was that in order to make the most of lightwind days, I needed to get bigger sails and bigger shortboards.

My thinking, however, has changed.

I got a 11'8" windsup (longboard) a couple of years ago and this is my most used board by far, sailing Lake Michigan. My windsurfing philosophy has moved from "I can only take advantage of the water in 15+ mph (planing) winds" to "I can do something almost every day on the water, thereby improving my windsurfing." Over the past 8 years, I have discovered two new modes of windsurfing: 1) lightwind freestyle (LWFS), such as backwind sailing, heli-tack, non-planing duck jibe, sailing switch stance, etc. -- check out the Tricktionary website -- and 2) wavesailing. In 9-15 mph, I can easily do LWFS on a 4.7 sail, thereby improving my sail handling. What's really fun, though, is wavesailing on a windsup. I look forward to the days when the wind is 10-15 and clean sets are coming in. With a 6.0 sail, it's a blast, and it opens up a whole new world of windsurfing. Now granted, for really experienced guys and gals who regularly go to Maui or Baja and can sail monstrous waves on small kits, 10-15 mph on a windsup may not be their cup of tea. But for me, at my stage of progression, it's perfect. Add to this two other factors: I can SUP it any time and I can also practice catching small waves on the SUP. Learning how to time waves, trim the board, etc. in SUP mode helps with my wavesailing.

So.... if I were starting all over again, my first board would most likely be a windsup in the 10'-11'8" range. It can work from 0 mph (as a SUP) to 20 mph as a windsurfer. (Over 20 mph, I'd recommend a shortboard). There are some really good options out there these days, from Starboard, RRD, and Exocet, such as these found at Isthmus. Admittedly, the one downside of the windsup is that is a very large board and rather bulky on land. But in the water, the length makes a huge difference in helping to stay upwind, gliding through chop in sub-planing conditions, and getting onto waves when SUPing or wavesailing. Plus, with the centerboard, you can sail in just about any wind direction. And if storage is a problem, there are some cool inflatable options, and some of these even come with centerboards!

Here's a helpful article on two philosophies of windsurf progression (go to point #4). The first path describes moving from a beginner board to a big shortboard. Indeed, this was my own progression, and I served me well. But the second path describes moving from a beginner board to a longboard with center-fin. I now see what a good long-term investment the second option can be.

If you're looking to get on the water as much as you can, the windsup may be an excellent option!