Would it be fair to say learning to sail in the surf in light winds and small waves would be a good place to start,any tips would be appreciated.
Small waves, but powered up.
You want to be able to sail at least as fast as the waves are travelling towards shore.
Light wind is hard if you are plodding and you are just a passenger in the swells. You need to be able to decide which wave you want to catch and when you want to hit a wave on the way out.
If it is so light you can't slow down, speed up or change direction as you are sailing out then you hit the waves when they hit you. It is a lot easier if you decide, not them.
But the biggest thing is location. A fat rolling cross shore point is going to be way easier than a closing out shore dump. 2ft main break Lancelin in summer will be easier than 2ft on shore Scarborough in winter.
I'm mostly a river sailor Mort but I had a great trip up to Geraldton in Dec last year. There were a couple of mornings where we went to St Georges and my mates took out SUPs but as there was about 8kts I slapped a 6.4m on my Tabou Coolrider and tried that. Waves were about chest high and the big board cleared the white water easily. Coming back in there was enough puff to get on the wave and then it was a bit like old school sailing where you walk up and down the board. I had a hoot and the slow motion of it all allowed me to practice stuff in preparation for 20+kts at Coronations.
So I reckon you can have fun in 8-12 knots on a long board. Any less probably presents balance issues due to lack of power in the sail.
Is it a good place to start? No idea. Not really a wave sailor.
Is it fun? Each to their own... but I had fun, I reckon I had more fun than my mates on SUPs. I reckon in less than 8kts, they would be better off.
Hey Mort,
I'm pretty average at sailing- and only ok in the waves, but I do know light wind can be great fun, and very handy for developing core skills. For me, a 90-100 litre wave board in 8-12 knots is great fun. Run a 5.6 or so sail and your set. It's amazing how you simply chug around waiting for a wave, then with a few well timed pumps (of sail and board) and you're hamming, ready to tear the top off the first section looking ready to fold.
So, if you're thinking 8-12 knots, decent sized wave board and spilling chest high waves, you'll certainly learn heaps and have a ball. You can practice tacks, slo-mo gybes, board and sail pumping techniques, as well as critical body positioning (and ballance) through your turns.
I view it as the more the board wobbles around and challenges your ballance and abilities, the better your sailing skills become. 
Select to expand quotePhilSWR said..
Hey Mort,
I'm pretty average at sailing- and only ok in the waves, but I do know light wind can be great fun, and very handy for developing core skills. For me, a 90-100 litre wave board in 8-12 knots is great fun. Run a 5.6 or so sail and your set. It's amazing how you simply chug around waiting for a wave, then with a few well timed pumps (of sail and board) and you're hamming, ready to tear the top off the first section looking ready to fold.
So, if you're thinking 8-12 knots, decent sized wave board and spilling chest high waves, you'll certainly learn heaps and have a ball. You can practice tacks, slo-mo gybes, board and sail pumping techniques, as well as critical body positioning (and ballance) through your turns.
I view it as the more the board wobbles around and challenges your ballance and abilities, the better your sailing skills become. [:)]
It's certainly worked for you!
Select to expand quotesboardcrazy said..PhilSWR said..
Hey Mort,
I'm pretty average at sailing- and only ok in the waves, but I do know light wind can be great fun, and very handy for developing core skills. For me, a 90-100 litre wave board in 8-12 knots is great fun. Run a 5.6 or so sail and your set. It's amazing how you simply chug around waiting for a wave, then with a few well timed pumps (of sail and board) and you're hamming, ready to tear the top off the first section looking ready to fold.
So, if you're thinking 8-12 knots, decent sized wave board and spilling chest high waves, you'll certainly learn heaps and have a ball. You can practice tacks, slo-mo gybes, board and sail pumping techniques, as well as critical body positioning (and ballance) through your turns.
I view it as the more the board wobbles around and challenges your ballance and abilities, the better your sailing skills become. [:)]
It's certainly worked for you! 
Thanks Sue. Looooooooooo-o-o-o-o-ong way to go yet
