shoelessone
New Member
Hello All!
Kevin here, I'm a 20 year old Computer Science/Bioinformatics double degree student at Michigan Tech.
I weight about 160 pounds (flucuates depending on school load actually from around 154-163).
I'm about 6', and despite being a huge computer nerd who spends far to much time on my computer (school, work, etc), I am relativly athletic and have played hockey my entire life.
I also SCUBA dive, have been certified since I was 12 and also have my nitrox certification.
I live near Grand Rapids (Lake Michigan) during the summer, and near Houghton (Lake Superior) durring the Late summer/fall/winter (no sailing up here!) to early spring.
I love the water. Very much.
I sailed (with my father) a little sunfish about a year or 2 ago during a trip up to a friends cabin. The experience (despite not being optimal as the sunfish was tiny for my dad and I) has stuck with me and kept the idea of buying a sunfish in the back of my head for a while. I did a bit of research, and have been told by quite a few that a Laser would be my best bet, as its small, relativly easy to sail, but has a bit more "kick" to it and if ever I want its a big racing class.
I dont know much (at all) about sailing, however I'm confident that I can pick it up in time. I already have a few sailing books in the mail.
So, my questions? Well, i'm sort of wondering about what its like to begin sailing.
I'm also wondering, considering my body weight, am I big enough to handle a Laser? How about sailing on Lake Michigan, is it a problem?
I'm really concerned that (for instance) free days I have off of work this summer will be too windy, or not windy enough, to sail on. How much of a concern should this really be?
Any general advice, or thoughts?
Also, feel free to check the "Wanted" section of the forum, I'm currently looking for a boat (a cheap old boat ). Might sound like I'm jumping the gun considering I dont even have a boat yet, but I'm confident that if I look hard enough I'll be able to find a good (if not old) boat in my price range
Thanks for your thoughts!
Kevin here, I'm a 20 year old Computer Science/Bioinformatics double degree student at Michigan Tech.
I weight about 160 pounds (flucuates depending on school load actually from around 154-163).
I'm about 6', and despite being a huge computer nerd who spends far to much time on my computer (school, work, etc), I am relativly athletic and have played hockey my entire life.
I also SCUBA dive, have been certified since I was 12 and also have my nitrox certification.
I live near Grand Rapids (Lake Michigan) during the summer, and near Houghton (Lake Superior) durring the Late summer/fall/winter (no sailing up here!) to early spring.
I love the water. Very much.
I sailed (with my father) a little sunfish about a year or 2 ago during a trip up to a friends cabin. The experience (despite not being optimal as the sunfish was tiny for my dad and I) has stuck with me and kept the idea of buying a sunfish in the back of my head for a while. I did a bit of research, and have been told by quite a few that a Laser would be my best bet, as its small, relativly easy to sail, but has a bit more "kick" to it and if ever I want its a big racing class.
I dont know much (at all) about sailing, however I'm confident that I can pick it up in time. I already have a few sailing books in the mail.
So, my questions? Well, i'm sort of wondering about what its like to begin sailing.
I'm also wondering, considering my body weight, am I big enough to handle a Laser? How about sailing on Lake Michigan, is it a problem?
I'm really concerned that (for instance) free days I have off of work this summer will be too windy, or not windy enough, to sail on. How much of a concern should this really be?
Any general advice, or thoughts?
Also, feel free to check the "Wanted" section of the forum, I'm currently looking for a boat (a cheap old boat ). Might sound like I'm jumping the gun considering I dont even have a boat yet, but I'm confident that if I look hard enough I'll be able to find a good (if not old) boat in my price range
Thanks for your thoughts!