I've accepted that I am a wind junkie, making up for all the lost time spent in grad school and during tenure. I listen to the VHF and check Metvuw (http://www.metvuw.com/forecast/) obsessively. At least I'm buying used gear, which is good since I'm still having some fantastic crashes that have not only lead to a ripped sail but a crack in the nose of the 75 L AHD board. The 96 L Starboard Kombat came with some good dings and a repair to the mid-deck. The Fanatic is bomb-proof. Solid German construction. Gib's andere aus Deutschland? The three boards cover all wind conditions now. While the Kombat is the "middle board" in volume it is actually a couple inches shorter than the AHD, but makes up for it in width. I can tell it is a great all around board for sail conditions of 5.4 m^2 and lower. For light wind days I prefer the Hobie 16 with my boys. Both Isaac (6) and Nik (9) are proficient at working the jib sail and are real trapeze enthusiasts. I may (just maybe) buy a kid's board from Marc that has a 2.5 m^2 sail and is super wide and stable. Do I dare introduce this sport to the next generation? Both Jenn and I have constructed swear-words prio unbeknownst to us during the early learning phase. But maybe the better equipment now available will reduce the frustration and pain?
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