What next?

Hello there,
Im posting this forum for plain advice on where i should be at on my level of gear in the wikid sport of windsurfing?

Ive been windsurfing for 3-4 weeks now, i try to go out for a sail 5-6 times a week, whether the wind speed is as little as 5 knots or blowing at 25 knots. I currently only have a 4.7 sail to adjust to these various wind speeds, and im learning on a 155 lt board which has been great to me since i bought it.

My level of windsurfing; Beach Starting, Tacking, Planing, 50% successful water starts, 20% successful pivot jibes, and ive just started to try to use my foot straps and harness.

Well anyways back to my question, im getting all these different opinions on whats the next step for my gear. People telling me that its a good idea to go buy a 95lt board, straight after braking the bank and buying my 1100$ 155lt board, and people telling me to go buy a 7m sail, and others saying to buy a 5. if you see where im at, i would just like some personal opinions on what would be the smartest thing to do.

btw im only a 17yr old earning like 350 a week, so my budget isnt that great.

~cheers

i'd aim at smaller gear, and work your way towards wave sailing (or bump and jump if less than ideal conditions) or freestyle. you'll find freestyle a good challenge to work towards and you can do it almost anywhere. i personally wouldn't go for the speed/race tpe bigger gear as its a bit boring for me. go for a 100l freestyle board, it should be a good board to help progress, pretty forgiving and will be great later on when you get better. don't get a sail much bigger than a 5.4, if theres not enough wind for a 5.4 then go do something else. or just head back to gero and pull out your old 85l board once your waterstarts are perfected. have fun anyway

Yeah around the 70kg mark,
im not even sure if i should be looking for new gear yet. I would like to master jibing and the use of my harness and footstraps before i go spending.

my interests arnt in the speed/race sailing either, when i think of that all i can think of is just waiting for a perfect day just to go 2kms faster than last months perfect day. i would love to just keep on learning new things and expanding my skill in the sport.

What prices would i be looking at?
another question; 10year old gear = good to learn on? or just not bother on the older technology?

You're doing really well.
Well done!

I personally would not go older than 4-5 years if I were buying a second hand board. The shapes from 10 years ago to now have changed significantly from long and narrow to much shorter and wider boards.

I would also go for a 100l board when you are ready to purchase. It will give you a lot of freedom to try new things and still be big enough to get around with a 6-6.5 on lighter days given that you are 70kg.

hey .. i was in the same boat this time last year .. i was 16 and work as an aprentice earning 360 a week .. i only bough USED gear for the start knowing i owuld misstreat it and have a bad stacks ... depending on the average windstrengh u are planning on sailing is what sails u should buy .... i only own a 75l wave boars 3.8/4.2/5m sails and i weight 65kg ..
i use that gear on the lake and at the beach .. some time i take the 3.8 and my lil board 7sl in less than 5 knots just for practise .. practise uphauling and tacking and jybes ... help in in the big stuff .. .... look around on ebay for older gear .. board that are at least 5 years old .. doesnt matter if they have water or ding and scratches cause its only a stepping stone for your next board .. and if u sail as much as u said ull be on a sinker board in no time .. at the boardcrazy down here on lake macquare .. i bough my used sails for 300-500 bucks depending on what condition they were in ... i went thru 3 5mrevs in my first 2 years ... my first small board cost me $1400 and was in perfect condition 2 years old .... hunt around for bargans ....BUT WHAT EVA U DECIDE ....DONT GIVE UP .. STIC WITH IT AND ULL BE BOTTOM TURNING LIKE A PRO

Don't buy anything. Just ride what you've got and build your skills and experience until you can make your own decision.

You will quickly get to a point where you can rip on the gear you have and see the things you are missing out on and then you can decide on the direction you want to go and the gear you need to get there. (ie. waves, slalom, freestyle, etc)

You've only been going for 3-4 weeks so you have barely begun. There's heaps of stuff to learn and plenty of time.

Avoid the temptation of getting a mongrel collection of gear that doesn't work together. Plan your purchases and buy stuff that works as a system and helps progress you.

It's probably best to think about your rig before you spend too much money on boards. A decent set of sails with matching mast and boom can be used with multiple boards.

There are massive bargains to be had in second hand gear. There's heaps of guys selling full quivers ... because they've switched to kiteboarding and they don't need all that stuff anymore. [}:)]

All these varied replies can be confusing. Pay the most attention to the ones who live in your area and know the local conditions, especially if they are around your weight.
Happy sailing