I say boom

A 60% -75% mast makes a little difference in speed ...... but is way more durable than 100% (and particularly more than SDM)
That lack of performance is something that is measured more than felt...... and its tiny. But you get durability.

The boom flex can be felt with sail distortion and in gusts you get way more overpowered. You get no advantage like durability . Hmmm OK you do get price advantage, but $400 every 3 yrs or $1000 every 6-10 yrs....?

So IMHO - boom.

I went to all rdm Ezzy Hookipa masts, with my Chinook pro 1 Alloy boom. Been happy with the change. Notice quite a change in performance with the Ezzy masts. I got most all Ezzy sails too but 1 and the spring back response is amazing. I won't go carbon boom, I'm happy with my boom. On my 6th year with this boom. Can't comment on if were getting the carbon boom with my older, less carbon masts. But yes, you will notice an improvement on a high percent carbon mast, especially if that mast is designed for your sails. I noticed the weight reduction instantly as well as my jibes were much easier to perform and they became better too. Good luck!

Difficult choice - and of course the answer is both.

I tend to look at rig weight a lot and you can save a lot of overall rig weight by going to a higher carbon mast, which then also works better with the sail in terms of 'reflex'. A light rig simply feels better in the hands and helps you sail longer.

With a carbon boom, you might not save so much weight but a carbon boom lasts forever, whereas an aluminium one lasts for maybe two years before the metal work hardens and eventually become brittle.

Both if you can, otherwise definitely the boom.

Boom

MagicRide said..
I went to all rdm Ezzy Hookipa masts, with my Chinook pro 1 Alloy boom. Been happy with the change. Notice quite a change in performance with the Ezzy masts. I got most all Ezzy sails too but 1 and the spring back response is amazing. I won't go carbon boom, I'm happy with my boom. On my 6th year with this boom. Can't comment on if were getting the carbon boom with my older, less carbon masts. But yes, you will notice an improvement on a high percent carbon mast, especially if that mast is designed for your sails. I noticed the weight reduction instantly as well as my jibes were much easier to perform and they became better too. Good luck!

They already have the RDM masts designed for their sails.

Tardy said..
I would also buy a carbon boom first ,,then you have it for all your sails .

A very valid point. Way better value there

Interesting thread, My boom is my only piece of kit that isn't high tech. Mark's comment about the sail bagging more when a gust hits has me thinking I should upgrade. The only time I've had an alloy boom break was when I let Waiting4Wind test drive one of my sails and, him being considerably heavier than me, he had to pump rather vigorously to get on the plane. The following day it snapped on my first run, fortunately I was on my way out so the side I needed to use to sail back to shore was still intact.

Definitely carbon boom. You notice the response from the sail straight away because there's no lag when you pump, and the sail shape doesn't change when hit by a gust, so the acceleration is also better. Hope you enjoy it Nelle. :)

Good point Sparky! I'm always in fresh water, and my gear is always garaged when not in use. Could be the reason my metal boom is lasting. But with all the talk about my metal boom possibly on its last leg, I may replace it in another year. My boom costs $250, new as of to date in the US. and almost $900 for a new carbon boom. Based on these numbers, I could get a new metal boom every 6 years to last me up too 18 years for the cost of 1 carbon boom for the hopes it lasts 18 years. I guess to me, I'd rather have a new metal boom every 6 years, than have 1 carbon boom for 18 years. I figure in 18 years with a carbon boom, the gripping would need replaced several times, as well as the out haul pulley needing replacement several times, and the boom clamp as well during the course of the 18 years of carbon boom. I don't know how to wrap a boom with gripping, we don't have anyone close to do it. See where I'm coming from. I'd rather sacrafic a little weight and stiffness and have a newer generation metal boom every 6 years than having a carbon boom, that I hope will hold up for 18 years.

im with you re masts orange whip. 100% masts do feel lighter and the sail feels better.

booms too. the stiffness of carbon is what made me switch. first time i used carbon i switched every boom that season. when booms first started coming out in carbon they used to break. not so much these days. all my carbon booms are 10-15 years old now.

weight wise it depends. race are fairly heavy because of the length but carbon wave booms are pretty good. especially if you run them on longer extension settings. that keeps the weight down. aluminium just cant match the stiffness at longer extension.

i'd get both in carbon.

Gorilla masts are 75% carbon. The marketing does focus heavily on the indestructability of them more than performance.

Manuel7 said..
I'd say fin or board,.... sorry :D !!!

Manual,
Damn you are right, I need all new gear, there is also my complete lack of ability to consider. The board is a JP magic ride wood 111 with a stock fin or Starboard Kode 94, I can only get 27 knots out of both these boards, so although neither are speed machines, rider skill is the obvious limiting factor.

Yes, about a 2015 Starboard Kode freewave. Just the stock fin and US box so not great for putting a slalom fin on. I actually usually sail it as a tri fin in what we loosely call waves in Port Phillip bay. The magic ride is my flat water board and so the one I try to get some speed out of. We get a lot of 15-20 knot seabreeze in the summer which when its on the 15 knot end I cant keep the 94 litre Kode planning.

Makes sense to get the carbon boom as most people say. They last longer and perform better than alloy. Having said that, I just had to replace my 18 month old carbon boom because I left it in the rigging area and it had disappeared by the time I realised and drove back to look for it. So, if you are a bit forgetful or anything like me - alloy might be a smart investment. Then again, I went carbon for the replacement