Being heavy (105kg), I break an aluminium boom in two years. And this happens before the rust sets in.

I tried different manufacturers, and they rarely last longer than 2 years. I don't catapult, so it likely just the stress of a regular use.
My current alu boom seem bent, and will likely also break soon.

I don't mind buying a carbon boom, but not sure which ones are robust enough to sustain my weight and big equipment.
I mostly sail 7m to 8.5m sails in the ocean chop.

It would be great to hear from other big guys which booms they use successfully.
Aluminium or carbon.

Thanks in advance

Im also heavy and in rough water and got over bending and breaking alloy . Financially alloy don't work for us .
So now I use a slightly ( 20cm ) chopped down NP RSX boom. 225 -265
So its now 205 - 245
Carbon .
Super strong and chunky .
Fits my 7.2 up to 9.4 , ( using about 20 cm of extension ).
Good second hand ones pop up for around $500 in need of a re grip.
I think you would have a hard time breaking it , especially a chopped down one only using 10 cm or so extension on your 8.5.

Thanks IMax. It's a great advice.
I need a 195 to 230, so I presume it can be shortened a bit further. (?)
I saw some re-grips been sold in the local shops, do that should be possible.
Edit : is the X9 equally strong ?

I'm not sure about the x9.
Also I'm not sure how much more u can shorten it. The back end of the boom where the tail piece slides into is bigger than where u hold it . You could make it shorter but the extension may not fit all the way in . You could shorten the extension but then it won't come out as far with full strength .
I would get a pipe the same size as the tailpiece and see how far it goes in.
Measure the length of how far the tail goes in.
Take one from the other and that is how much u can chop off .

Ps: So I went outside and properly measured , ( so I wasn't lying ) and I actually only chopped 15 cm off.
So it's a 210-250
By looking at the fat part of the boom it looks like I could easily chop another 5 cm .
Definately measure before chopping.

Thanks Imax. Will be on the lookout for it.

X9 is great. I've had Severne Enigma too. Swapped the X9 as I use NP sails. might be interested in selling it soon as my big kit will be retired because of foiling. (NP Hornet 8.2 2016 NP FLX100 490 mast. )

North platinum, hands down best boom ever made

x-booms.com The cork grip lasts a long, long time and can be refinished to feel like new. There's lots of great booms mentioned above. North/Duotone platinum is a great boom but it is narrow compared to the xboom. The x9 is also a fine boom.

Obelix, I have a few more kegs than you and I have managed to break just about everything. Say farewell to aluminium booms forever. My longevity top two performers; North and Aeron carbon booms. Best boom-head is the Streamlined - expensive but works brilliantly.

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Obelix said..
Edit : is the X9 equally strong ?

Neil Pryde X9 is long gone.

You mean Neil Pryde XC Race?

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JakeNN said..

Obelix said..
Edit : is the X9 equally strong ?

Neil Pryde X9 is long gone.

You mean Neil Pryde XC Race?

Not very familiar with NP booms. Just what I read recently. What Imax daid nakes sense. Get a large boom made for big sails than make it shorter, hence stroger. Hence a S/H X9 could work.
I'll check the xc race as well. Thanks.

Appreciate your responses guys. Good to hear from other guys of the similar size.
I'll have a bit of a read on the booms listed above then look for an opportunity to get the right one.

I'm up there at 113kg I use Simmer Style SX10 booms and they are tops and as there moto says " Just go for it your gear can handle it"

Nothing under 28mm

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stroppo said..
I'm up there at 113kg I use Simmer Style SX10 booms and they are tops and as there moto says " Just go for it your gear can handle it"

Pretty confident bunch
But not the SX8 ?

Now that I looked around, the prices are shocking.
So paying $1100 for the Simmer Style SX8, seems less shocking after seeing other brands. But is the SX8 up to the task? The SX10 is $300-$400 more expensive.

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Obelix said..
What Imax daid nakes sense. Get a large boom made for big sails than make it shorter, hence stroger.

you don't need anything stronger than what the pros use .. and it will have a warranty also .. you'll lose your warranty if you hack around modifying the boom.

buy a larger brand with better support in australia .. like Neil Pryde, Severne, North.

some of the smaller brands imported by some local dude is likely to be tougher to get much warranty support.

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Obelix said..
Now that I looked around, the prices are shocking.

retailers cannot put their real pricing online.

you need to make some calls and have a quiet chat.

it wont feel 'shocking' when you look back with all the fun you've had with your $1000-1500 boom in 2029 when you're 10 years older.

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JakeNN said..

Obelix said..
What Imax daid nakes sense. Get a large boom made for big sails than make it shorter, hence stroger.

you don't need anything stronger than what the pros use .. and it will have a warranty also .. you'll lose your warranty if you hack around modifying the boom.

buy a larger brand with better support in australia .. like Neil Pryde, Severne, North.

some of the smaller brands imported by some local dude is likely to be tougher to get much warranty support.

I would not chop a new $1500 boom under warranty .
I would a $500 secondhand one.

Aluminium booms make sense only for hard core (or crap - depends who you ask) wave sailors, who wreck a lot of gear, and rental centres. You save money (and maybe your life) with a carbon boom.

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Mark _australia said..
Nothing under 28mm

Interesting,I would have thought that a slimline boom should be stronger as the walls are thicker.

RDM masts last a lot longer due to their wall thickness.

ive only ever broken the arm of one boom that I remember in 30 years of sailing.

For me I like the lighter weight of a carbon boom over a alloy boom.

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petermac33 said..

Mark _australia said..
Nothing under 28mm

Interesting,I would have thought that a slimline boom should be stronger as the walls are thicker.

RDM masts last a lot longer due to their wall thickness.

ive only ever broken the arm of one boom that I remember in 30 years of sailing.

For me I like the lighter weight of a carbon boom over a alloy boom.

I've seen plenty of wrecked wave enigmas. I have one and, touch wood, it's been fine for almost 3 years, but a) I'm only 70 kg and b) I don't wave sail. Standard diameter booms are stronger.

Cheers guys.
No argument on alu vs carbon.
However, I thought that some people may have used a particularly resilient alu boom, which would be interesting to hear about.
So far, all the advice is towards carbon, so I will abandon the alu option. Thanks.

However, not all carbon booms are the same, and heavy guys have a hands on experience, that is, if it works for them, should work for me too.
So far, I got some very useful advice in respect to the type of boom to look for, and the brands.

Use what 80% of PWA slalom guys and girls use.......Duotone/North Platinum.

I bought a Severne Enigma boom a few years back and it was just over $1000 at the time. I weigh around 97kgs.

I sort of ignored it and kept using my chinook carbon booms, even though the head broke on one of them and then broke the tailpiece. I started using the Enigma, not really keen on it because it felt so chunky in comparison, but after a while I really like it. You don't notice the chunkiness of it, just the solidity of it, and the thicker bits are not the bits under your hands anyway.

I think if I broke one of these, I would have hit something, hard. Gone are the days of worrying about breaking aluminium booms, and the fear the next time you use one.

+1 for Carbon. Im 108kg n have two 2nd hand booms.
For my larger sails
NP RSX 225-265 $500..
For my smaller sails
NP X9 180-230 $150.
RSX boom is great, no complaints.
X9 has a carbon head which needs a spacer to use rdm.
Carbon makes a huge difference to the feel n handling of the rig.

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AUS4 said..
Use what 80% of PWA slalom guys and girls use.......Duotone/North Platinum.

What is this based on?

When you look through the latest photos on the PWA website, this is not the case. . Even checking carefully for rebadging.

Perhaps your data was from the 1980s when there was a unique product or something?

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JakeNN said..

AUS4 said..
Use what 80% of PWA slalom guys and girls use.......Duotone/North Platinum.

What is this based on?

When you look through the latest photos on the PWA website, this is not the case. . Even checking carefully for rebadging.

Perhaps your data was from the 1980s when there was a unique product or something?

I have also heard this rumour a couple years ago . Maybee in small local races , but would doubt in pro sponsored events . If this is the case , it would be hugely embarrassing for all the other brands .
Somehow I don't think NP would use North booms .

I'm heavier, use severne enigmas 180-240 & 210-260 on sails up to 9.7 & am happy with them.

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Imax1 said..
Somehow I don't think NP would use North booms .

agree ... I just checked some PWA photos and guess what ... they don't use North/DuoTone booms .. they use NP.

anyway it is just a stupid rumour.

i have heard that 80% of PWA pros use Neil Pryde booms .. most of the DuoTone booms are actually NP booms but rebadged to look like a DuoTone.