Its time to upgrage booms.
Been looking at a few top of the range is maui carbon neilpride x9 and chinook pro 1 carbon.
To justify the 1000+ bill on one makes me cringe
There is a carbon boom call amex Has anyone ever used these carbon booms before there condiderably cheaper But does the cheapness reflect of the quality? Here is a link.
www.roho.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=watersports+Amex+Carbon+Tapered+Mono+Q
The other quick question is is there any hardcore ali booms that are indestructable. The weight dont matter the shape dont matter just has to not break around the mast clap.
The best ali boom i had was an old scholl one lasted a few seasons It was a large diametre and you could unbolt the head to replace bits with caphead screws. Do they make them like this anymore? I have been thru 2 x6 neild prides and after the long swims back woulkdnt rig them unless i have to.
reading that alot of them have small diametre grip? Just want a big chunkie ali boom that will last more than a few seasons. Or go to carbon.
Whats your best indestructable carbon boom? Whats your best indestructable ali boom.
Cheers for the imput.
I destroyed 2 booms last year (probably 'cos i suck) but both were hybrid booms. NP and Pro Limit though both were 2nd hand.
I purchased an Aeron V-Grip and have no complaints strength and flex wise.
Select to expand quoteNowindSurfer said..
To justify the 1000+ bill on one makes me cringe
It is pretty expensive. Single most expensive piece of kit after the board.
+1 North Platinum, but everyone's gonna chine in here with their own kit.
Note that the Severne booms probably have their head on back-to-front/inside-out/mirror-image like some sort of alter-universe vampire.
...Just thought: Am I a numbnuts for buying a super stiff boom and a super soft sail?
I use $250 - $300 Prolimit or Chinook booms and replace them every two seasons. Not broken one yet.
I'm 80ish kgs and most of the abuse they get is freestyle rather than big waves and landing flat etc, but they do cop a bit of abuse.
I'd like a carbon boom but it'd have to last 8 seasons to justify it to me.
I think if you look at carbon booms as expensive I look at it this way, my carbon wave boom is now 3 seasons old and still going strong, cost about $1000, if I was on alloy booms I would be on my third boom in 3 seasons so I would have spent more on booms of way less quality, also after using a carbon boom alloy booms feel very average.
If you do go with a carbon, do a bit of research, find one you like on features, feel, shape etc, not price just because mr no name has made a carbon boom and it's $400 cheaper don't mean it's just like the quality of the major brand one, there are many levels of carbon quality around and mr no name is using the cheapest not the best like major brands will be.
Select to expand quoteevlPanda said..NowindSurfer said..
To justify the 1000+ bill on one makes me cringe
It is pretty expensive. Single most expensive piece of kit after the board.
+1 North Platinum, but everyone's gonna chine in here with their own kit.
Note that the Severne booms probably have their head on back-to-front/inside-out/mirror-image like some sort of alter-universe vampire.
...Just thought: Am I a numbnuts for buying a super stiff boom and a super soft sail?
the north platinums are a fantastic booms, never had a problem with the grips like others have...
got a severna enigma now, love it except its sooo small for my bear mits i get numb hands occasionally, but the grips need a bit more glue to stay on 
Just gave the misses my card to get herself a 1000 dollar engagement ring. Already spent like 2500 this year ;-( Have to go with the x6 for a while its a pretty stiff boom but make no maistake dont go out to far cause it will break ! That north platnuim looks like a good boom just reading up on it now.
Thanks for your imput guys Just be curbing the distance that i go out untill i get the reliability in my gear. Go a new chinook base with the double locking mast track Pretty pleased with it. And also got a severne new/second hand severne 4 batton swatt. Guess it takes a while to build the pile !
Select to expand quotejsnfok said...evlPanda said..NowindSurfer said..
To justify the 1000+ bill on one makes me cringe
It is pretty expensive. Single most expensive piece of kit after the board.
+1 North Platinum, but everyone's gonna chine in here with their own
the north platinums are a fantastic booms, never had a problem with the grips like others
Grip on my North Platinum fell to bits starting the first session. They replaced it with a new one no questions and it's perfect so far. Can't complain.
North and Starboard must use the same glue.
I have had an Amex boom for the last year and it is still going strong. the only thing that I would say is that the clamp is a little flexible and have thought of upgrading it with a Maui sails clamp.
www.roho.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=watersports+Amex+Carbon+Pro+Mono+Q+non+elliptical
I have an Aeron ally boom 3+ years old and going strong. Im 95kg and have given it some punishment, including some big wipeouts where i expected to cop a bent arm. For a carbon boom to justify itself on economics alone, I would want to get 10yrs out of it.
I believe Aeron isn't available in Aus now 
is that true?
I am very happy with my Severne Metal wave boom (thin diameter) - nice clamp also. I also really liked my Gun mono boom - maybe some cheap ones on windsurfingsales? FYI I wave sail, wipeout a lot and weigh a christmas pudding induced 90kgs++
Chinook pro carbon are exceptional and easily available made in the US
best in the world are www.x-booms.com
I've recently invested in two chinook carbon booms (a wave boom and a mid size slalom boom) and I'm very happy with them.
I recently compared my chinook slalom boom with a severne carboon boom same size and the severne booms do seem stiffer. Having said that I recon that my chinook slalom boom is lighter than the severne boom.
You could probaly fix your boom with a 60buck part and a few screws and hacksaw
Hey would any one know if its possiable to manafacture one out of stainless? any one tried making one themselves. ??? aM I CRAZY???http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/STAINLESS-STEEL-TUBE-32mm-OD-x-900mm-LONG-1-5mm-W-Brushed-/390444270820?pt=UK_BOI_Metalworking_Milling_Welding_Metalworking_Supplies_ET&hash=item5ae84ac4e4#ht_1922wt_1125 (find a supplier for 32mm od (29mmid seamless stainless 316)
Jig benD it to how you want?
and just buy a boom head?
www.surfsailaustralia.com.au/showProduct/Windsurfing/Boom+Accessories/234757/Hydrodynamix+Enduro+Boom+Front+End
wOULDNT BE TO DIFFICULT TO RETRO FIT? a few more kilos and you could use stainless?
Standard tube 32mm areo grade Titanium .
Ill keep you posted. i recon i could build an in destroyable boom (may snap masts) On retro parts for under 300 bucks.
I have had a one Chinook carbon boom for about 1 1/2 years now. Since then, I have used my older booms (NP hybrid, Aeron v-grip) maybe twice, compared to > 100 sessions with the Chinook. Most of the time when I have to change sails, I rather de-rig completely than use another boom. A second Chinook carbon boom (for my smallest sails and to be able to have two sails rigged) is pretty high on my wish list.
Select to expand quotebusterwa said..
Standard tube 32mm areo grade Titanium .
Ill keep you posted. i recon i could build an in destroyable boom (may snap masts) On retro parts for under 300 bucks.
Buster, I think it will be difficult for you to bend to the shape you want, while it is also rigid. Good luck though. It would be good to see someone experiment.
Buster said ???Hey would any one know if its possiable to manafacture one out of stainless? any one tried making one themselves. ??? aM I CRAZY???
Yes, it would be possible but as others have said, it would be very difficult to bend to shape and in doing so, would set up pressures within the SS that would have to be stress relieved. That would be another problem for you to solve.
???Jig benD it to how you want???? There???s a shedload of work involved in making a jig and it???s a project just by itself.
A departed friend made up a SS front end and used it on his ultra light, 6kg slalom board (this was about 12 years ago). He was lousy at gybing and in the end his board weighed 13 kg because of water ingress due to repeated board/SS front end contact. Clearly, a full SS boom would weigh a ton, so board contact would be even more problematic.
??? aM I CRAZY?????? Perhaps not, but why try to reinvent the wheel when there are plenty of time-efficient and cost-efficient alternatives?
Hope this helps.
^^^ He's talking titanium. That seems like a workable notion.
Ti's not only much more corrosion resistant than Al it's a lot stiffer so you wouldn't need to use 32 mm tube. 28 might be nice.
It's still going to have a thin wall though so bending it may be tricky.
A bloke who used to sail at Wello made his own Al booms. I'm sure he's not the only one. He was a joiner and he made a jig out of 32 mm chipboard. He cut the chipboard to the profile of the bend and routed out a channel around the edge to suit the tube. I don't know how he supported the tube internally but the bending was done with joinery clamps and wood blocks.
