I have a carbon boom which is amazing, but I like to carry a second boom for rigging a second sail or if my dad wants to borrow something. What is the best aluminum boom to get?

I have bought a few Unifibre bits recently which I have been impressed with, so I am looking at the Unifibre HD but the Neil Pride XFS one looks good. It would be a Wave 140 or 190.

i've had a good run with Duotone Silver
I like the bend curve in the wave size, they are durable and reasonably stiff without being too heavy
Only negative is the outhaul cleat feels flimsy, although not had an issue

Patrik Booms are looking good .most of his accessories are really good quality .

Select to expand quote

onshoreroy said..
I have a carbon boom which is amazing, but I like to carry a second boom for rigging a second sail or if my dad wants to borrow something. What is the best aluminum boom to get?

I have bought a few Unifibre bits recently which I have been impressed with, so I am looking at the Unifibre HD but the Neil Pride XFS one looks good. It would be a Wave 140 or 190.

would not bother....very hard to go back to using a ally boom after having a carbon one.
i tried but just ended up getting a good second hand carbon one.

Select to expand quote

ratz said..

onshoreroy said..
I have a carbon boom which is amazing, but I like to carry a second boom for rigging a second sail or if my dad wants to borrow something. What is the best aluminum boom to get?

I have bought a few Unifibre bits recently which I have been impressed with, so I am looking at the Unifibre HD but the Neil Pride XFS one looks good. It would be a Wave 140 or 190.

would not bother....very hard to go back to using a ally boom after having a carbon one.
i tried but just ended up getting a good second hand carbon one.

I bought a 10 year old carbon NP X9 wave boom (140 - 190). Paid $300. I've had it now for 3 years, it's my go to boom for wave wind foiling. I use in 10 to 30 kts and have used in broken surf. I average over 100 sessions per year. It's much better (lighter, stiffer, stronger) than my Severne aluminium boom of the same length.

I will never use an aluminium boom ever again. The amount of crap expetiences of had with them ! Ending up in hospital for 4 days because of an aluminium boom isnt fun!

Select to expand quote

AusMoz said..
I will never use an aluminium boom ever again. The amount of crap expetiences of had with them ! Ending up in hospital for 4 days because of an aluminium boom isnt fun!

What happened?

Corrosion inside the boom head that i couldnt see although i washed it after every sail. Let go at speed and landed heavily - one serious injury that resulted in surgery a week later. The boom was 2 years old.

Select to expand quote

ratz said..

would not bother....very hard to go back to using a ally boom after having a carbon one.
i tried but just ended up getting a good second hand carbon one.

Agree. Alum booms are ok for speeding/slalom sailing that have negative outhaul (some of those guys have very good reasons for alum booms). But for modern wave sails that rely on very positive outhaul, an alum boom flexes too much (or a too far extended carbon boom), and this changes the centre of effort on the sail as the effective length of the boom changes. If you use a carbon boom with these new rigs for a while, and then use a same size alum boom for a session, this effect is very noticeable. Plus, one wants to make a wave rig as light in the hands as possible anyway.

I also recommend buying a used carbon boom. All aluminium booms that I ever had broke after some time close to the head, sometimes twice a year in the early 2000s especially the North Silvers and Tecnolimits Ergal . I switched to Al360 and Severne Carbon booms later on and never had issues anymore. The Al360 carbon is 15 years now, regripped, clips are multiple times renewed and that thing just works and is since 5 years my spare boom. Those aluminium booms can bring you in trouble and are seriously dangerous if you don't windsurf in knee deep flat water.