Gday good people!

Curious about the Unifiber carbon booms currently being sold (June 2025).

1) Are the boom heads truly universal across different brands and mast diameters?

2) Will the 70% carbon model be suitable for my usage (recreational racing and short downwind runs, 3 and 4 cam sails, tinkering with trim).

3) Are the boom heads identical on the 70 and 100 % carbon models, apart from the mast clamp ropes?

4) Are the boom heads and mast connection as solid as advertised? How do they wear over time?

5) Other info I should know about? Grip and ergonomics? Tail piece and rollers quality (I use outhaul trim)? Size related issues (width, inside tail width, etc.). Durability?

Any input highly appreciated!!!

this might help ....

?si=kI9ybAoe-sgbDbFw

Helps a little, yes, there is a short segment on the booms. Thank you! I like the mast bases. I don't get why they haven't developed a cleaner outhaul system than the bulky clamp-and-cleat system

Select to expand quote

southharbourWC said..
Helps a little, yes, there is a short segment on the booms. Thank you! I like the mast bases. I don't get why they haven't developed a cleaner outhaul system than the bulky clamp-and-cleat system

A couple of Windsurfing brands have an internal rope outhaul system. No clamps just a cleat, I have been using them for 6 years.
There are pros and cons with these types of systems.
Look up the top of the line North or NP booms.
Cheers TK

Knew about NP, didn't know North was doing it. Guess P7 is the middle way, still external but without the cleat. Kind of nice not to puncture your boards with the outhaul cleats when storing your gear

Can you get spare parts quickly if required as nothing worse than being off the water waiting for a clip to arrive

Select to expand quote

southharbourWC said..
Knew about NP, didn't know North was doing it. Guess P7 is the middle way, still external but without the cleat. Kind of nice not to puncture your boards with the outhaul cleats when storing your gear

Do you store your boards on top of the booms?

Select to expand quote

col5555 said..
Can you get spare parts quickly if required as nothing worse than being off the water waiting for a clip to arrive

Yeah, that's the thing. It's about the same for most brands in this part of the world. Most things have to be ordered online with the exception of a couple of brands that I'm not really interested in. But shipping usually works good, 3-4 days from the opposite end of Europe, that's 2-3 days more than brands with in-country stock. But overall it's hard to predict if brands are able to deliver parts sometime in the future

Select to expand quote

choco said..

southharbourWC said..
Knew about NP, didn't know North was doing it. Guess P7 is the middle way, still external but without the cleat. Kind of nice not to puncture your boards with the outhaul cleats when storing your gear

Do you store your boards on top of the booms?

I don't. But it's always a risk if you make a mistake and accidentally store the boom with the outhaul cleats pointing the opposite way of what you intended. I don't have a van so packing the car creatively is required

I own a Elite 160 220 with internal tail extension since two years. The boom head is efficient and reliable. The two points clamping is a real plus, with very little effort required to close the levers and the (maybe subjective) feeling that the mast "breathes" more freely.No wearing so far and I use it without the nuts. It is stiff enough for me that way. I only sugger to turn it upside down (logo head down), it makes the rigging and derigging easier IMO.The boom itself is light and strong, and the global geometry perfect for me, not too wide, with harmonious curve. The covering is soft and not too fragile, you hardly feel the light oval shape and the rather small diameter is perfect for my hands (183cm/92kg). My tail block is a loop and go version wich works ok. Still I would appreciate to be able to clamp an extra pulley block when I use the boom in slalom.Did not try the 70% version but I might consider it for the shorter boom in my quiver. I don't want my high wind rigs to be too stiff or reactive. A bit of dampening is sometimes welcome ;)Hope that helpsEric

Select to expand quote

foolonhill said..
I own a Elite 160 220 with internal tail extension since two years. The boom head is efficient and reliable. The two points clamping is a real plus, with very little effort required to close the levers and the (maybe subjective) feeling that the mast "breathes" more freely.No wearing so far and I use it without the nuts. It is stiff enough for me that way. I only sugger to turn it upside down (logo head down), it makes the rigging and derigging easier IMO.The boom itself is light and strong, and the global geometry perfect for me, not too wide, with harmonious curve. The covering is soft and not too fragile, you hardly feel the light oval shape and the rather small diameter is perfect for my hands (183cm/92kg). My tail block is a loop and go version wich works ok. Still I would appreciate to be able to clamp an extra pulley block when I use the boom in slalom.Did not try the 70% version but I might consider it for the shorter boom in my quiver. I don't want my high wind rigs to be too stiff or reactive. A bit of dampening is sometimes welcome ;)Hope that helpsEric

It helps a lot, thanks!!! Do you by any chance have an opinion if the boom head is truly universal across different diameter SDM masts from various brands? As an example Severne SDM vs Gun SDM (Severne is thinner, Gun is "classic" SDM)?

I use only rdms sorry.But I heard nothing about any problem like that in my area (french britany)Ask them on their FB page or mail, they react quite quick and are super honest on the pros and cons of each product they make.

I will, thanks again!

I have retro fit the boomhead to my severne boom . After a bit of work building it up 4mm in diameter . It comes with 2 sets of rubbers. One set for sdm and 1 set for rdm . Have used it a few times and works great . The boom is not slipping down anymore like with the severne head . The dual lock in system is great. It's also built rock solid .

I agree that all boom heads wear and can become loose over time.
Some are then difficult to tighten up - and removing the head is often a pain, as is painting the boom arm front end with new resin to bring it back to a thicker/tighter diameter. For sure, that is a good solution. Replacing the boom head with an other brand is probably not a great idea.

My top tip, and an alternative solution which seems to work, is to buy waxed 'whipping twine' from your local yacht chandler, and then bind in a few turns each side of the rotating boom clamp head.
This whipping twine acts as a packing which then seems to tighten up any play in the boom end, and it doesn't seem to wear out.
Try it. Works for me.

If your boom clamp is slipping down the mast, then that's another issue all together - and normally you simply have to tighten the inhaul rope on that clamp.

Sorry Basher. I've been putting up with a slipping boom head for 6 years. Always slipped even from new. Tried replacing the rubber which didn't work either . Using a different boom head is 100 percent effective .no slippage now. My other 3 booms which are all maui sails that have never slipped down .All around 10 years old.Anyhow this thread was about unifiber booms . I just gave feedback on the boomhead .

Select to expand quote

fanatic02 said..
Sorry Basher. I've been putting up with a slipping boom head for 6 years. Always slipped even from new. Tried replacing the rubber which didn't work either . Using a different boom head is 100 percent effective .no slippage now. My other 3 booms which are all maui sails that have never slipped down .All around 10 years old.Anyhow this thread was about unifiber booms . I just gave feedback on the boomhead .

Sorry for offering tips then. I windsurfed today with twenty others on our beach, and none of us have trouble with boom heads slipping. Can you perhaps post a photo of the gear you were having that issue with?
(Obviously, most clamp end booms have been pretty good for twenty or so years, and it was only the advent of RDM masts that led to further design change.)

Unifiber stuff is pretty good, and I'm not dissing them.

Select to expand quote

Basher said..
Replacing the boom head with an other brand is probably not a great idea.

But can be done... I broke a Severne front end on holiday and only had a Goya head available. Been using that for 2 years now. So far so good.

Ive owned 2 x Unifibre Carbon booms previous generation model , 1 x Slalom 1 x Wave , still own the wave, they are rock solid and reliable and good value and decent lightness , grips are great and previous heads great ...the clew tail/cleat on the wave boom is only stuck on with adhesive ...it can and does come off if/when you get absolutely rinsed :)
Aside from that they are/were great.

I'm not convinced on the new boom head system/style though, had a look , had a look feel see touch, had a think and decided 'yeah nah'