isen@mtuxo.UUCP (d.isenberg) (08/08/85)
> > Any words of advice for the first-time sailboard purchaser? I'm > not a complete beginner, but I am a novice. My experience has > been solely on lakes - haven't tried the gorge yet. > > Moira Mallison > tektronix!moiram GO FOR IT !! You will find that you will get better at it in direct proportion to the amount of time you spend at it. The learning curve is very long and not very steep, but definitely monotonic. You will find that you may be doing fine in 4-6 knots of wind, but suddenly as the wind gets up to 8 you start falling and have to learn over. This is the 8 kt barrier that we all must cross. There is another one at 12 kts; a bit more of a hurdle because this is about where one starts planing all the time. So if the wind comes up and suddenly you can't handle it: try and try, try and try . . . . . you succeed at last. Two other points that really helped me get started faster: 1) Get a harness right away and wear it every time you go out. Maybe you never clip in, and then maybe it's going ok so you hook in for 5 sec at a time. You will find that by the time you are sailing in the kind of wind that demands a harness it is completely second nature to use one and you will be using your board twice as long as with no harness. 2) As soon as you can pull the sail with a little confidence, get someone to show you how to beach start. It's easy to learn and it is a real work-saver. Also it is the precursor of the water start. The GORGE !! You lucky person. I wish *I* had access to one of the world's fabled finest sailing spots! Spend as much time as you can on your board. And don't let THEM know how much fun it is or they'll make it illegal fer sure!! David Isenberg ihnp4!mtuxo!isen 201-576-6386