Interesting question - but you've got to ask yourself too, how comfortable do you need to be? Some folks could probobly tell you the effective float increase provided by salt water. I don't know, but I suspect it would be not much more than 10%, maybe less. The biggest "wave boards" top out around 100 liters - that being said, fun in the surf does not necessarily require a wave board. Any smaller board and fin combo that's relatively loose and turny should work fine, especially in typical E. coast conditions. Personally, I don't like to go out on any board that I can't shlog reliably, but if the wind is such that I can't count on being able to waterstart, then I don't usually go out. It's possible to uphaul in open ocean conditions, but it's very difficult.

1 Liter volume=2.2 lbs. flotation (fresh water)
1 Liter volume=2.3 lbs. flotation (salt water-ocean)

That's about a 4.5% increase in flotation (depends on salinity too, Salt Lake will have higher bouyancy, brackish water less). A 100 liter board will therefore have 220 lbs of bouyancy in fresh water and 230 lbs in salt water.

Data from March/April 2002 ABC newsletter http://windsurfatlanta.org/pastnews/200204.pdf

Bill H.

Do you plan on using the board at the lake, and how often are you actually going to be in waves? I have found that large dedicated wave boards generally suck for lake back-and-forth sailing unless it gets really windy (5.0 and below). You can't drive up wind and there is not enough speed for good jumps. And, the few times of year that I actually sail in the ocean, it is almost never, ever down the line wave sailing. I would seriouly consider a crossover wave boards (like a JP freestyle-wave), verses, lets say, a large Evo.

I agree with Chris about being on a board that I can schlog on. In the ocean, I want to fall in as little as possible! I just feel more comfortable knowing that my jibes and tacks don't need to perfect, or that I can uphaul if needed. I am a 150lbs and I can uphaul a 91L board, but if the swell is up, it is not easy. So no doubt if I were you, I would be looking more at 100L than 90L.

Allan -- under the circumstances you plan on using the board, a large Evo would probably be very a good choice.

Your opinion on freestyle wave boards are wrong though. They have a much wider range of use and generally suite the average sailor much better than a dedicated wave board.