I am looking a buying a bombora 270 (don't know what year) but can't find much info on the net about it. I assume it's a plastic board. How readily does it plane and could it be classed as a fast board? I am a beginner who can sail a windsurfer and have the basic skills down pat so how good would this board be to continue to learn on? I sail on a lake sometimes and in the choppy ocean most of the time. Thoughts??? Is it worth it???
Fast - yes. Used by a good sailor they are very fast. However, they are a pig to gybe so it will frustrate the crap out of you if you are learning to carve gybe. Non planing gybes will also be very hard compared to your beginner board.
It is also old school shape which is very narrow (like 50-55cm wide) and unstable when not planing.
I imagine it is very cheap, but if the budget will stretch further, something more modern about 230 - 250 long x 70cm wide will be a million times better
As an intermediate board cheaply, think about a 2002 - 2005 freeride board
How does it stack up against an Exocet speed slider??? The main problem is that I live in tassie so the market for cheap windsurfers isnt really there. Is the bombora a plastic board?
Another question. How does it differ to a windrush xp coz that's what I learnt on.
Yes the Bombora will be plastic. About an early 1990's model. There is 2 kinds of 'plastic' boards - (1) old school moulded polyethylene (like beginner's boards from the 70's and 80's) and (2) newer epoxy boards with a plastic layer over the top to make them more resistant to scrapes and bangs (like a Starboard Tufskin or recent BiC Techno's) . First kind - heavy and slippery and unable to be repaired. Second kind - good for intermediates.
If it is 'plastic' - you want the second kind. Basically if it is not white and doesn't feel the same contruction as your XP, then it is probably OK. The plastic layer over the top of a modern intermediate board is rare though, and not essential.
The Speed slider is a modern epoxy board. Made from about 2004 to 2010 ish?.
There is no comparison - the Bombora is hard to give away and the Exocet will be spot on for an intermediate sailor.
BUT new style boards do not like being smashed and getting water inside. If they are both $50 that is about right for a pristine Bombora 
but it may mean the Exocet has been damaged. How much are they asking?
and ... you probably don't want a smaller Speed Slider unless u are very light. a 135L would be the go probably.
How much do you weigh?
I used to have a Bombora 270. A good board for the time but not as good as a modern board. They are roto moulded, not blown, so they are not slippery. The non slip was actually very good. Quite a quick board though I'm not sure how quick. I remember the first time I used it in Lake Illawarra. I really was impressed with how easy it was to sail. However that was back in 1995. Having a tough board was always pretty good. No need to worry about dings or cracks. They were okay to gybe, much better than the earlier Xits and Zots. The rails are not razor sharp like they are on earlier Bombora slalom boards.
I'm not sure about the Windrush XP but I think that is a board that is another generation or two back from the 270. I think the 270 will be a better board when the wind picks up.
They have a powerbox finbox so fins are available.
It will not be as stable as a more modern board of the same volume. I sold it on eBay a few years ago to a bloke from Wollongong for about $50.
I sail the 292 as my light wind board & its does me not many people are faster when i go out. The only problem is the mast track is to far forward for the more modern sails & the foot straps are a bit to get into as well as they are further back than whats normal but i think for the price its been worth every cent and it appears indestructible.
Thanks for all the replies guys!!!
Mark - They are asking $300 for the Exocet. The Bombora is $450 with a fibreglass mast, alloy clip on boom, 7m sail, 5m north prisma sail, vgc (whatever that is...), mast foot and a base. He is also throwing in a learners long board, centreboard, fins and footstraps. Is this a good deal? And should i expect the sails to be a more modern design (more square top) or an older triangular design? The bombora is also a 110l board and i weigh about 75kg.
AUS02 - I live in Launceston and sail at Bridport. Have you got any suggestions for where to buy a board (and rig).
Obelix - My current board is extremely heavy and is horrible to steer so its hard to say exactly what my skills are but i can mostly tack and gybe, haven't tried water starts and haven't used a harness.
$300 for the Exocet will be a much better buy than $450 for the antique collection. As stated by others, yes the 270 is usable and indestructable. However I reckon I could probably get all the stuff on that list for free over a few months. It is that old.
The North Prisma is an early 1990's race sail with lots of cams and is not what you are after, and may be on it's last legs.
Once you can plane in the foostraps comfortably the Bombora 270 and Prisma could be very very fast. However I am talking about how easy ti is to get to that stage and the Exocet will make it much much easier and still have resale value in a couple of years.
Just make sure it doesn't have water in it, get one of the Tas guys to have a look at it with you
Would it be cheaper to buy board and sail seperatly, or together. If it is better to buy seperatly, what should i look out for?
I'm a 16 y/o who just got a job so my budget doesn't really stretch into the thousands.
Also do I have to watch out in terms of what type of mast extension i get in relation to the board? Or does any mast extension fit any board?
^^^ The only downside of starting on 'older' gear is that it can turn you off the sport. If you're offered free/cheap gear - stick with it, get the basics happening & then demo some newer gear, you'll be blown away by the difference & how much easier it can be.
In saying that, some of the 'old' stuff is still pretty good. A seabreeze member I met in Pt Fairy a few weeks ago chooses the old over the new after owning both.
Al Planet - Thanks for the offer!!! I will message you a bit later.
Sailhack - Don't worry, i wont be turned off windsurfing...it is such an amazing sport!!!
Mmeyer - I have a North Spectro 5.5m sail still in VGC (2 cams but very easy to rig) that you can have for free if you want it - you'll just need to pay for the postage ex Geelong. I also have an old boom to suit (clamp on) that you can have, but perhaps the postage may be more than the boom is worth? Can email you pic's if you like.
Thanks micboode.
When i buy gear, how do i know that a certain mast extension will fit with the mast or the board and how do i know what mast to put in the sail ect. ect. How do i do this???
