I started of with a NSP "Elements" SUP with a 8mm mastbase mount. It is a fairly good lightweight board for doing all three tasks SUP/ Sailing / Paddlesurfing, but it is a fragil board and does not like boom and mast strikes. There is also no centerboard with the Elements.
There are some inflateables out there now that I think would be good to try out for a Crossover board
You are welcome to try the NSP to see what you like and dont like about it.

alfred wrote:

Hello All,

I am very new to water sports, started SUP'ing last summer and want to try wind surfing. Im thinking of getting a hybrid SUP board that doubles as a wind surfer- do you guys recommend it. (since the board will not have straps). I was online that straps are not very important.

P.S I've been looking at naish boards

Thanks

Do we recommend windsurfing? Of course.

But seriously, yes, a WindSUP is a good way to bridge the two sports. I'd make a few recommendations, if I may.
1) Take the time to either (ideally) get a lesson or do some intensive watching of youtube videos and online tutorials so you can understand how to handle the sail. Little things can make a big difference such as the proper way of raising the sail from the water so your back isn't sore.
2) Try to look at boards that have some sort of center fin if you can. Some don't since they are more wave oriented (assume we won't be talking about these for the time being). While it's possible to sail without a center fin, it will definitely make the learning and staying upwind part much easier. A big challenge when starting out is to stay upwind (not get blown down from where you started from) - any centerfin will help greatly with that.
3) Don't cheap out too much on the rig - sail, mast, boom. Get something decent so it will be efficient, light weight and stable (won't overwhelm you if the wind picks up). You don't need anything big. Something around 4.5-5.5 sq. meters to start and probably a max of 6.5 to 7.5 when you are more experienced.

You are correct that straps are not necessary. Straps help us stay attached to the board when planing, especially on shorter boards when the speeds and wind forces are much higher and the water surface more bumpy. If you get to the point where you are planing a decent amount of time, you'll probably want to spend time on a more typical windsurfer since it will be more lively while planing than a longer and heavier windsup.

Theoretically, you can SUP on an old windsurfing longboard but they generally are narrower than a proper SUP and not quite as much fun to paddle. A wider board makes learning sooooo much easier, imho. If you decide to go this route, please ask us about which particular boards you are looking at. Only a few are suitable as most used boards are too narrow or don't have enough volume to be stable learning platforms. I can't emphasize this enough. I've seen too many people waste a couple hundred dollars on something they can't use.

A windsup will allow you to glide on local lakes and even enjoy going off the beach when there's a bit of a breeze and catching even small waves. It can be a lot of fun and a good segue into what we do. Let us know if we can answer more questions.

Story time: A couple of summers ago, I caught a decently breezy day at one of our favorite launches, Van Pugh Park on Lake Lanier. It was brilliant - warm and breezy enough to plane with a big sail and wide board. After scooting around the lake, I came back to the launch just as a chaperoned group of teenagers were coming around the corner trying to paddle upwind on their SUPs. One kid took one look at me and my sail; and said, "that's what we need!"

Let us know how it goes and good luck.

Chinook has a WindSUP that may be worth looking at as well.
There will probably be a few of us sailing this Saturday at either Old Federal park or Van Pugh. ( we will post on the Website where we will be sailing from). Come on out and join us. I am still learning and this group has been very helpful and supportive.

some suggestions (not necessarily endorsements - I don't know these boards well enough)
https://www.bigwinds.com/naish-sup-16-nalu
http://www.isthmussailboards.com/2017-RRD-Windsup-110-EPX/productinfo/RRD16WS/
https://progressivesports.com/exocet-windsup-ast-25371
http://wind-nc.com/2016/06/starboard-inflatable-sups/
https://chinooksailing.com/index.php/sup/inflatable-boards/isup-power-glide-rig-w-epoxy-fiberglass-sdm.html (Chinooks with a center fin are sold out, though. Bigwinds has a Naish/Chinook package for a bit more money)

I'd be tempted to ring up bigwinds and isthmus and pick their brains a bit.

Center fin... it's not necessary but does two important things (at the risk of repeating what I said earlier):
1) when you start out, it will absolutely make things easier and simpler. The board will more naturally track across the wind and, when you end up a bit downwind, it won't be a pain to work back upwind to where you started. This is more important at a place like Van Pugh which tends to be sideshore ie you sail out across the wind instead of Old Federal or, better yet, Sunrise, where you set off into the wind so you get blown back home if things don't work out. Remember that few people go downwind as fast as someone learning.

2) A center fin will, as mentioned, allow you to stay upwind but better yet allow you to go way upwind. Most windsups without a centerfin are more surf oriented so upwind performance isn't important. As well, they tend to have smaller fins. If you are paddling, a fin just helps you go straight so you really don't need a big one. Sailing is different as the fin actually has to provide "lift" like a wing. It converts the sideways force of the sail into forward motion. A more experienced windsurfer can coax a smaller finned board upwind but it's not very efficient. A board with a center fin or centerboard, on the other hand, easily goes upwind. That means you can do more than simply sail back and forth across the wind - you can now go places.

If you really think you are going to be using it to sail on lakes, etc. I'd strongly suggest considering at least a center fin. Otherwise, it's like getting a mountain bike that doesn't have knobbies. Sure, you can still ride it on the road and some smooth trails but you'll never get the full use of the thing.

Peelskid got an RRD windsup without a centerfin and was a touch disappointed with the performance, iirc. It was more of a task to sail than he expected. He can correct me if I'm wrong. Gene has had a blast with his Chinook inflatable and a 7.5 sail.

shameless self-promo. I have a complete 5.0 rig for sale. Kona 5.0 sail, carbon mast, older alum boom, ext, etc. https://windsurfatlanta.org/content/short-board-palooza-9816

Alfred,

Gene has a couple of the Chinook inflatable SUP boards you may be able to get a look at. I'm not sure if he is in town now.

in the meantime here are a few video's of a hybrid SUP sailing at local spots.

I do have two Chinook Inflatable SUPs, the 12.6 Race Touring (has mast attachment) and the 11.6 All Around with the Windsurf Center Fin and mast attachment. I'd be glad to let anyone demo them on a nice warm 5 to 10 to 15 day, but not this Saturday, 15 to 25? When the air and the water warms up some, maybe we should have a cookout/hangout at the lake.

Inflatables are good and bad. Regular hard SUPs and longboards are bulky, always in the way in the garage, hard to load, etc. Inflatables are easier to transport (inside the car) and to store but are kind of a pain to pump up and a real pain to get in the back pack. In the warmer months, I usually leave one of them pumped up. I use them more as SUPs than as Windsurfers. I have been able to get both of them planing, but they are not high performance windsurfers (like the older race boards (equipes, etc.)) but probably the hard Windsups are also not high performance.

Per Chinook, the Chinook 11.6 All Around with center fin will be available toward the end of March.

Gene