In December of 2018, I wrote an article called Evolution of a Quiver (you may want to read it here before proceeding). In that article I discussed how board and sail quivers change over time and why this has significance for intermediate/advanced riders. Now, in September of 2020, it's time to update the discussion.
You will recall from the 2018 article that, at the end of the 2018 season, I was mostly riding an 85 liter board while occasionally riding a 105 or 76, with sails from 5.7m to 2.9m. This has changed. The 2020 season has taken a turn. This year I am ONLY riding 85 liters for windsurfing. It's a one board windsurfing quiver, with smaller sail sizes now from 4.7m to 2.7m. But, I have added windsurf wave foiling to the mix. So my second board is a dedicated windsurf wave foiling board (you can learn about our Windsurf Wave Foiling experience here). I use this foiling board with the same sail quiver, 4.7m to 2.7m. This has also allowed me to reduce my boom quiver to a one-boom quiver of 125-175cm with adjustable harness lines.
What is the significance? The net result is a smaller overall quiver with greater wind range. I now have a 2 board quiver instead of 3, with only 6 sails instead of 7, one boom instead of 2, and a wind range of 14-50mph instead of 17-45mph. Less total gear, more wind range, and much smaller sail sizes for greater maneuverability. I get more wave sessions with a big wave feel because of the wave foil, and I don't have to drive as far chasing bigger wind because the wave foil is as much fun in 15mph as windsurfing is in 40mph. Plus there is more room in my vehicle.
The maneuverability achieved through smaller sail sizes is the greatest bonus. As you recall from my article and video series called Riding Smaller Wave Sails, there are many ways you can improve your ability to ride smaller sails. Once you learn to ride smaller sails you will experience the wave in a more surfy way as the sail interferes less with the wave ride. When you introduce the windsurf wave foil to your quiver, coupled with even smaller sails, you feel an even greater surfy-surfy experience. It's a double bonus!!!
Don't be afraid to allow your quiver to change and evolve as you improve and as you discover what you love doing the most. Small sails give me a great sense of freedom. They allow me to experience the wave more intimately. They allow me to be so much more maneuverable. And the windsurf wave foil has increased that love and experience drastically. I can now enjoy the biggest rush of high wind riding on my windsurfing board and the epic feel of small wave surfing on my foil board, all with much less gear.
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