Decided to re-grip my 'carbon' boom from a well know and current windsurfing brand who shall remain nameless.

Up until this point, nothing but beautiful, black, gleaming carbon weave was visible across the large diameter (40mm) head and the last 50cm of the large diameter arms protruding out the back of the foam grip.

Upon peeling off the old grip, I was amazed and dismayed. As the front of the boom arms began to taper from 40mm dia down to the grip-sized 30mm, so the material transformed from carbon to what looks like plain old fibreglass, evidently moulded in two halves and glued together. Presumably, as the diameter tapers up at the rear into the large diameter tubes that sleeve the tailpiece inside, the same transformation happens.

This is on top of discovering some months ago that the tailpiece carbon work was hopeless - cracked, not wetted out in some places and whopping great voids through various parts of the transition from the tube to the solid back cross-piece.

Disappointing but I suppose everything mass-manufactured comes with some tradeoffs.