I have a used Gaastra 4.8 sail to begin learning on. Might not be ideal but its really the only option for me at this time to get out on the water. The board I'm learning on is a Kona One and I have a lesson scheduled next month. I still need a mast though, and the Gaastra website says that the sail I have requires a 400cm mast with an IMCS of 19(?). I understand that the IMCS relates to the stiffness of the sail, so I would imagine I need to be pretty exact in finding a mast that fits. I am on a pretty tight budget at this time so I looked at the Chinook 400cm epoxy mast. I know down the road it might not be ideal but it fits my budget right now. The issue with this mast is that I cannot find anywhere what the IMCS is. I even checked the Chinook website and it says "n/a" under the IMCS column on the spec sheet. I have found that most 400cm masts seem to have an IMCS of 19 but I can't imagine this is universal for all 400cm masts. The other option would cost me about $75 more but throwing extra cash for a product that I don't NEED is not ideal for me right now. I'm wondering if anybody knows how I can find the IMCS of this mast (linked) or if I should completely stay away from an epoxy mast. I really don't know much about masts so any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!
IMCS isn't as important as the curve. The heavier you are the stiffer the mast should be, so the quoted IMCS is for average weight riders. Where as the bend curve is critical to the way the sail sets it's draft and twist. Most generic masts are constant curve, but Gastra has done different things over the years, I'm not sure what you should use with that sail.
And "epoxy" doesn't mean much I think all masts are epoxy, the critical thing is carbon or glass. Don't buy a fibreglass mast!!!!!!
Thanks for the quick reply! Just checked and the mast that I'm looking at is fiberglass. The Gaastra website claims that the sail should work with any 400cm sail with a 19 IMCS so thats the only reason I bring it up. Regardless, by the sound of it I should just throw an extra $75 on the carbon mast and save myself any problems later on.
Fibreglass masts for free are OK, just to see if it works, and maybe get you through your first lesson, but certainly not worth spending money on.
the "dont buy fibreglass", should be read as "dont uy 100% fibreglass"... 30% carbon (so 70% glass) is fine for a beginner. I will easily last you a few years. For reference: 30% carbon is the minimum; 50-70% is common; 75-90% is high end; 100% carbon is for people with too much money.
If you have the option to purchase a 100% fibreglass (zero carbon), best to decline. If they offer it for free - you might as well take it, as it wont hurt while you are learning.
