I just broke boom ( third this season) and need urgent replacement.
I am looking on entry level cheap boom and considering one of this two:
-Severne ALU Race Boom 190-240cm $340
or
Neilpryde X3 Boom 180-230cm $350
is there any advantage and difference between this two in your experience?

Or should I add bit more and get more expensive ?

but there is no guarantie that last longer as two of tree broken were carbon

You sail flat water and you have broke multiple carbon booms this season?? Unless you are sailing to break speed records I'd say have a good look at what you are doing to break gear, cause somethings not right.

aus301 said...

You sail flat water and you have broke multiple carbon booms this season?? Unless you are sailing to break speed records I'd say have a good look at what you are doing to break gear, cause somethings not right.

My thought too, but I assumed secondhand ones that have been dropped a lot, or abused on the water

Mark _australia said...

Thought for 'entry level' you'd be thinking cheaper.

Severne, good
X3 really really bad. So many reports of breakages here

Think about a Hydrodynamix, Aussie made and strong. Email "Paul Kelf" on here.
Or in lower price range (?), people are always talking about Aeron

ok we don't need to do free marketing here but where can I find and buy this Aeron and Hydrodynamics ?
My local GC and Brisbane shops don't stock this brand

Going off the pic you posted Macro, you got ripped off as I am fairly sure that is not a carbon boom.

Hydrodynamix - email Paul Kelf here like I said
Aeron - lots of places stock them with free freight

Pretty sure that is a carbon boom. The flouridium in the sea water corodes the carbon back a shiney colour like that.

Maybe wait until after 1st July. Carbon booms should drop in price because you will be able to get global warming carbon credits for locking the carbon up in your boom

Suggest Aeron V-Grip. As stiff as carbon, and very strong, just google the specs and comparative tests. Also, a lot less tiring to hold due to the profile. Of course, the tradeoff is weight, but I think it is worth it at the price. Have the 160-210 currently - very happy. I also don't have Pryde anymore

Macroscien said...

That could be quite interested topic ...
If I do not longer catapult or accidently ram on the boom at the bank sand fall over ... but I do still sail in clear over-power conditions such as 7.4 m in 30 knotts on the chop .... could be considered as an abuse on the equipment ??
In my opinion the human body is the weakest link in that chain
so if I could sustain that abuse my equipement should also...
Am i wrong ?

There in lies part of your problem. Unless you are racing at a high level or searching for record breaking speed I don't understand why the average sailor would use a sail that big in 30 knots (unless the day in question was very gusty).

Reduce your sail size, you will put less pressure on your equipment and possibly even enjoy your sailing more. You see there is a law of diminishing return with theses things, at 30 knots there would only be a slight power advantage in a 7.5 over say a 6.5. Certainly nothing like the advantage you would get between the same rigs at 15 or 20 knots. And this could then fall into negative advantage when you consider the difficulty the normal sailor might have in rig control etc.

But each to their own, and if that is what you enjoy you need to buy your gear accordingly. Cheap entry level booms will not tolerate that sort of use. I would say you need to be looking at the other end of the market. Same as in a car, you don't put std family car parts behind a 2000hp drag race engine.

As I said I was in hurry so I bought what was only available at the store

NAISH CT Slalom 180-230 cm $329

then straight to the beach and here surprise
I couldn't fit onto my standard mast 460 so I was sure that terrible mistake was made and now I have RDM boom
short drive back to the shop and there with some effort it was proven that could be fited one SDM just need really hard push
ok will see how next time easy will be to rig, when there is not much room in my sail pocket
or should I file down this brand new boom a bit
or should I return and get another one?
or mayby it will get better after time ?
The question is how much force do we need to put mast into slot?
Should I always use my knee and both hands to pop mast into slot from now on?

Macroscien said...

aus301 said...

(unless the day in question was very gusty).

that is exactly the case.
Sometimes wind vary from 10-15 to 30-35 knots every half an hour and that all along the day.
I use to setup two sets sometimes 5.8m on 84L and 7.4 on 110L simultaneously and switch between often.
As you can see none of this is ideal for other extreme. If high gust is only temporary bigger set properly tuned could go through both low and high wind since smaller set could me more risky - to get stack offshore for long time.

Without being too blunt, there is no way you were sailing with a 7.4m in 30 knots. No way!

I know you said this in a previous thread, but there is no way. You are not heavy, so a 7.4m in 30 knots would have you even able to get started without being thrown over the front. You would not be sailing, you would be swimming.

Sorry, but 30knots is a lot more than you think.

Macroscien said...

FormulaNova said...
Without being too blunt, there is no way you were sailing with a 7.4m in 30 knots. No way!
Sorry, but 30knots is a lot more than you think.

When 30 knots gust hits for a while it is no sailing just a matter of survival and going back to shore.
For sure will be difficult to water start (if possible at all) but when you are already sailing that is nothing unusual.
In our configuration no water start is needed and beach start on both sides from knee deep water in wind shaded area. To be fair in max gusts even beach start will be extremely diffucutl but once you already sailing that is different story.
Anyway I do invite you on Shearwater any time you wish when wind blows 30+ and you could prove me wrong...

Yeah, I am still doubtful.

I guess the only thing I have to compare it to is a day at Safety Bay where the BoM were reporting 35 knots. In this location, its the same, where you can step off a sandbar and get to the other end, turn around and step off another sand bar to go back.

I was overpowered on a 4.7m sail and something like a 76L board. My weight was around 96kgs at the time.

So, a 7.4m in 30 knots? I still don't think it would work unless you weighed a lot more than I think you do AND if the water was buttery smooth.

Anyway, getting back to your broken booms, aluminium fatigues. If you are a lard-arse like myself it fatigues quicker.

Where did the carbon ones break?

Do you attach your boom before or after you downhaul? It might make a difference in attaching it.

Guy as noob
what is a entry level Boom

what the best size to get ?

Please don't say carbon as i now know Carbon = more $

i now understand that u need more then 2 mast to suit a range of sail , but what about the booms

are most sail 160 to 210

looking to sail 5 m to 7 , i only want to sail big winds with smail sail , and prob would never use a 10 m in low wind

In NSW the winds vary a fair bit. So a full quiver of sails could cover sizes from around 4.5m up to over 8m. To cover those sizes you should be able to get away with two booms. A range like 1.4m to about 2.2m would cover these sizes. If you got into formula windsurfing another specialist formula boom would be needed.

^^^^ Not sure you need that much gear, nice to have though

My sails go 3.7m2, 4.2, 4.7, 5.3, 5.7, 6.5 on two masts (400 and 430) and one boom - 140 to 190. I could live with one board at about 100 litre, but got an 80 and a 115.

Sees me out in anything worth sailing. If it isn't windy enough for a 6.5 find something else to do. If it is too windy for a 3.7 it is too unpleasent to be outside anyway.

If you are a fatty on a lake drop the 3.7 and 4.2 and add a 7.5 and go with a bigger boom.

There are sail ranges that are designed to rig on one mast and one boom - Pryde did the Zen, not sure if they still do. But if you can afford a whole set of sails from Pryde then you probably aren't too worried about having one boom (unless you are worried your caddy might scratch the inside of the Merc)

Best cheapest boom I still vote for Gun at $230 delivered brand new for 140-190 (windsurfingsales.com.au)

Macroscien said...




Definately not a carbon boom, not that u said it was, but have u ever seen carbon fold like the aluminium in the picture, carbon does not fold it tears or snaps

Chris 249 said...

I've had one of the Windsurfing Sales booms for about four years; gets used 35 times a year or more, across a big range of wind and with plenty of serious pumping. Not a single issue so far.

If a carbon boom breaks, you can normally just fix it with carbon cloth and epoxy. No big issue.

"If it isn't windy enough for a 6.5 find something else to do"

Dunno about that, I've always had some great sails in light winds.

Yes I been considering repair to my carbon boom. Do I need carbon cloth or could use fibreglass instead ?
I tough that first prepare 10 cm fibreglass pipe -to go inside broken boom tightly and cover with epoxy, the do next few layers from outside.