board volume and surfers weight

Question
Dear Sir,

I am about to buy a new board and , as a quasi-beginner with some basic experience on long boards , I have to make a compromise between a board which is not too advanced, but also not too beginner's oriented, as I may outgrow it.

My first requirement is a removable daggerboard.
As to my goal and preferences in windsurfing, definitely it is leisurely, light winds sailing, with a taste for planing, but  certainly not extreme speed, high winds , adrenaline , high performance, etc .

I tend to like shortboards, in particular the Starboard Rio, but I fear  that its fat and short profile, while ideal for beginners, may also become all too quickly outgrown as I progress..
In this respect, I wonder whether  the  beginners bias of   boards like the Rio and Nova series could be somewhat compensated by going to lower volumes, compatibly with my weight . Id like to think that this may avert the danger of outgrowing the board too fast and, may be, introduce  me to a more  intermediate stage.. Is this true, and if so, how much can I safely go down on volume, given my 78 kg weight ? A local dealer is offering me a good deal on a new Starboard Rio S , the smallest of the three, listed at 150 lts volume.

Would a 150 lts volume still leave a wide margin of  stability and floatability, given my 78 kg weight,  and, above all, prevent the  tail end from sinking as I shift my weight backwards and get ready to slip my feet into the straps ? THis is a problem I had with a Bic Techno 160 I tried  and wich I dreaded !

In short, I like the idea of progressing on the same board, but not at the cost of foregoing a good stability, evenly distributed across the board, as seems to be the case with the Starboard Rio, but not with the Bic  Techno 160.

Can you comment on this ?

Thank you so much

Franco Vivona  

Answer
Hey Franco,

The Rio seems like it would suit your needs and desires quite well. The tail is wider than a comparable Bic board. The thing to realize is that these new technology boards that you are considering are designed to work well for beginners, intermediate, and even advanced sailors. They are very stable in light winds but perfom well in moderate to high winds.
As for you getting into the footstraps, you need to realize that the board needs to be planning  before you can use the footstraps. This means 12-15mph winds with a large enough sail to power you onto a plane. If you try to get into the footstraps on any board too soon, the tail will sink.

So, my recommendation would be to go with the board that you are most comfortable on now. If you like the Rio, I feel that the board will grow with your abilities and you will enjoy it for many seasons. As for the 150ltr volume, it should support you fairly well for all conditions.

Hope this helps.
Keep on sailing,
Windlover