So I began the exciting journey of searching for boom reviews on the web.
If anyone else ventures this pursuit, good luck! There aren't any... in fact, most google hits come back to SB....
No windsurfing magazine sites with comprehensive reviews on stiffness, weight etc..... nothing.............
Has anyone tried this search before with some good data results?
I guess booms aren't all that important 
it can be difficult to get reviews that are more than just ad copy these days. Try your local shop - go in and run your eyes over some physical models - the quality of hardwear , fittings and current curves (vs old curves) will give you an idea of the quality of the product - keep the weight in mind too.
its a side effect of the relatively small scale of our very awesome sport - whereas a camera or tablet will sell in the millions. Lots of dodgy reviews here though - so it can be hard to find the truth. this is where web sites like
thewirecutter.com/
are awesome as they differentiate themselves by being unbiased and selective
I would love to see a windports site that is brave enough to do the same!
As a side note to being a small industry-
we dont have anything like the congestion and angst that surfing has - so maybe small is beautiful!
A number of windsurfers talking about the teardrop profile on the boom arms being very comfortable and very strong Kurt. I know a couple in Inverloch Windsurfing Club are using them.
what sort of boom Slalom or Wave?
my 2c
dont waste your time with ali booms unless you like swimming or buy a new one every 1.5 - 2 seasons
Slalom: North Platinum
good: strength, stiffness, reliability, strength/stiffness at full extension
bad: grip (falls off and schred you hands), price tag, sharp pulley plate- needs rounding off (easy job), extn gets stuck if sand gets in.
Wave: NP X9
good: lightish, strong, nice tail piece, grip
bad: price
you get what you pay for more often than not with booms
i haven't tried the Severne Enigma but its supposed to be pretty good. i am not sure how i would go with the 26mm diameter, the 28mm on the X9 seems small compared to my race booms.
I completely concur with the North Platinum mini-review above. I've the wave version. Honestly a very, very well put together piece of kit, the head is great (and adjustable), super stiff and yes, you can definitely tell the difference over alloy ones. I've upgraded from Alloy to Hybrid to full carbon. Full carbon if you can afford it. Got mine for $1k (last season's, oh no).
But, the ****ing grip falls off. Like the very first minute I sailed it I noticed it was starting to peel. I'm taking it back to the shop (eventually) and I'm not sure what'll happen as far as a replacement. Replace with another North that will have the grip fall off too?
you can find a couple of reviews if you can read french, just search for "wishbone"
boom wise it doesn't get much better than this stuff : www.al360.it/windsurf/
just need the $$$$$$
Saw some nice formula booms in hawks nest. I think they were MB fins brand. Looked pretty sexy, ( or maybe that was just Remi). Don't know if they do smaller sizes.
I disagree that ali is bad, I honestly don't know what you blokes do to them
As a 100kg guy sailing in 35kn 3 x a week and crashing bad I got 3 seasons from a Tecnolimitz Ergal boom. $500 boom.
ONLY changed it cos I felt like trying carbon.
Before that I had 3 seasons on a Chinook ally ($300 boom) and that was learning to wavesail at a hollow dumpy spot. I busted 3 masts and countess sails and that boom is still fine. Again, only changed it cos I had money burning a hole in my pocket.
I've got a Surf Sail Australia carbon boom which is a rebadged Autima I believe.
A bit heavy perhaps but absolutely bullet proof.
I have broken numerous ribs on it.
Its 10 years old, still going strong. You can still buy these from Surf Sail for just under $450.
The NY times for the first time ever had received more income from subscriptions (ie paying readers) than it does from advertisers.
Traditionally the price you paid for a newspaper was just a token amount of revenue compared to the percentage of revenue generated by paying advertisers.
Partly driven by ipad / tablet electronic subscription - and partly driven by consumers awareness of environmental concerns (1 kg of paper pulp in a Sunday times that is read and then thrown in the bin anyone?)
Joining the dots on this one we may see more impartial quality reporting and journalism in the future -
ie - you may get your boom review after all! And journalists / media producers may actually get paid to produce quality content.
It could be that booms aren't that differentiated?
If reviews started encouraging 'innovation ' then that would bea bad thing if it wasn't required...
That said, Neil Pryde produced the singularly best length adjustment system in the nineties. Easy trim could be twisted on the water to tighten or loosen outhaul without any messing around with ropes....
Likewise the eyelet is faster to rig up with on downhaul because you hook a pulley in... Rather than threading one...
Old school strap batten tensioners were maybe lighter and cheaper...
Mistral fin bolts don't need a screw driver..
Maybe reviews should slap down changes for the worst..
Be interesting to chat to Mark whether the current Surf Sail booms are the same as these older ones.
Ginger Pom said…” That said, Neil Pryde produced the singularly best length adjustment system in the nineties. Easy trim could be twisted on the water to tighten or loosen outhaul without any messing around with ropes....”
Er-r-r-r, that was a Fiberspar boom, badge-engineered for NP (and it can't be used with an AO system).
Oh cr*p!!! I'm showing the number of years I've been windsurfing.
