I recently have the opportunity to get a windsurf board for $40 that has nothing wrong with it. I’m interested in doing a conversion to a paddleboard with it and the following link is about this. Are there any updates or has anyone done this and have pictures to show the process? I’m a visual/tactile learner so descriptions don’t help much. I’ve also tried a google search to no avail.
I am highly interested in this project since my recent ‘refinished longboard’ idea is a flop. I figured this would be a really really cheap project and have nice looking results.
What company and model? Some are heavy, some light, some worth the effort, some better used as is.
Usually, you can dish out the deck to lower center of gravity, remove un needed daggerboard wells and mast tracks for lightening, and maybe chop the tail for more manuevering, but depends what length you’re starting with.
Windsurfboard length ranges from 6’11" to 12’6" generally, and widths from 17" to 40"…lots of variance.
Unfortunately this is the only thing I know about it so far, I’m going to check it out tomorrow and get dimensions and a general idea. If that’s a short bed pickup i’d estimate the length at 8-10 feet… hard to tell though.
Yeah, that looks like a '90’s style slalom board, probably a custom, and might be really lightweight…weigh it and state if straps and fin are still attached.
Straps, pads, and fins weigh one pound each, on the average.
It’ll paddle, but not glide as well as a 19lbs surfboard of that size.
Usually epoxy sandwich construction, it actually might be worth more as a windsurfing board than a paddleboard, unless you live in a non windsurfing area.
But $40, you can afford to lower center of gravity for easier paddling without the tippyness associated with thick, round decked windsurfing boards.
there are good spots for windsurfing but I’m really not that interested in learning something new as I’m told time and time again… I have too many hobbies. It does in fact have the straps and the fin is new and he’s throwing it in.
I talked to him briefly on the phone, he guesstimated it at being 7-8’ but then again it doesn’t appear that way, I hope. I’m really hoping for at least 10’ but maybe it’s not.
I have just bought 4 old PU boards, all custom shaped. I am looking at stripping all the old glass off them back down to the blank, reshaping them into whatever outlines best suit. The 3m board I am looking at adding foam inserts along the stringer to widen the board, reglue and shape. Another is a Burford blank, 118" long. It seems that people are now binning old PU in favour of the new composites. Nice source I hope of cheap blanks…
Well, the windsurfer is useless as a paddleboard since it’s only 8’6" long. I might turn it into a funboard but I’m seriously doubting it will be an easy project.
I don’t think I can convert it straight-away into a full on functional surfboard but has anyone ever converted a windsurfer into a surfboard on the cheap? It’ll look weird but I think that maybe it’s possible, it’ll just take a lot of polishing and some minor ding repair.
Any ideas on this are greatly appreciated since well, I can’t use it as a paddleboard (or maybe I can?)