A windsurf equipment setup is a simple sailboat. Since the beginning of this unique activity improvement of equipment and skill level exponentially rose to a near plateau. The industry and it's proponents still advise a regular change of equipment in order to make you think you need it to improve performance. In reality a lot of older (to a point), equipment works just fine. Over time things do weaken and sailboards may break in a lot of different ways, sails play out and booms/masts may break. Of course at this point you have sailed the money out of the equipment. Even 10 year old equipment can depreciate to near zero, hard to believe. Other wind water sports, same story.
Things that I like that improved the equipment over the years.
Standardized Mast Track. Originally each manufacturer had their own proprietory mast attachment to board system. Now, almost all use a "Standardized Mast Track". Some one design sailboards use their own proprietory attachment like in the Techno 293 sailboard.
Better fin boxes and better fitting fins. You now have a choice of "Trim"(older almost not used anymore), "Power" (common), "Tuttle" (two screw attachment and strong) and "Deep Tuttle" (strongest and strong enough for foils in some cases). There are also a number of foil fin box systems that I think are somewhat proprietory but these are related to windsurf foiling. The originial "US" fin box is still used on a lot of paddleboards and surfboards.
Two piece masts . Originally all masts were one piece but for travel, the two piece mast has become the standard.
Clamp on Booms. Original booms were tie on and this was possibly the first improvement from the orginal sailboards.
Twist off Sails. Original sails were "closed" in that the top of the sail would not twist off depending on the amount of downhaul when setting up the sail on the mast/extension. With a twist off sail the wind range of the sail is improved. The amount of twist is adjustable but not on the water. When sailing, these sails can be managed in sometimes very overpowering conditions.
Lighter weight equipment. Easier to load, setup, carry and use. Everything is lighter today compared to the 1980's.
Sail material Original sails were mostly dacron. Today the materials are mostly laminates that are usually reinforced and generally improved on in nearly every way. Current sails can have a long life provided you keep them out of the sun when not in use. Dry with a towel and let hang to fully dry before putting away. Clear tape like "Gorilla" tape can be used for a lot of tear and puncture damage.
Soft decks Besides being grippy for good footing they are easier on the legs over the older "sandpaper" decks. If I sail a board without a soft deck I like to wear a long wetsuit to protect the legs. This is very important if you are a beginner.
Some of the Boards I have sailed over the years
1980's. Bic Dufour Wing, Wayler, F2 Bullit (130 li) The F2 Bullit was one I should have kept longer than I did. For me it was a fairly forgiving size to begin shortboarding with.
1990's Mistral Screamer 105 li 1989 vintage, Alpha 105 li, Seastrend Bump & Jump 75-80 li, Mistral Malibu, Mistral Equipe 1, Sailed the Screamer and Alpha a lot during this time.
2000's Mistral SST Hybrid 230li +, HiTec Wave Board 85 li, Mistral Synchro 92 li,
2010's. Bic Techno 273 125 li, JP X-Cite Ride 95 li, Bic Techno 293, Kona One Design, Neil Pryde RS:One Convertible, Bic Race Tec Slalom 280 Presto 122 li, Mistral Screamer 133 li., Bic T2 148 li, Fanatic ProTec Bee 124 li, Starboard Carve 111 li, Starboard Kombat 105 li, F2 Air 115 li., Kona Surf 170 li, Bic 11'6" sail & paddle, Bic Core 160D, Fanatic Poly model 175li, F2Sputnik, JP Supercross 105li,
2020's. Exocet Nano 130 li, Exocet Carve 105 li, JP Magic Ride 119li, Fanatic Gecko 111 li,