Boom Basics: Virtually all modern booms adjust,  some up to 18", and many  24". Booms come in roughly 3 size ranges: Wave, Slalom, and Race.  Wave booms adjust from about 4'6" to 6'0", Slalom booms 5'0" to 7'0" and Race booms 6' to 8'.  Often people confuse these adjustment size ranges with sail size.  The adjustment range is merely the length from the front of the mast to the clew.  Sizes of sails are in square meters.  Most sails have a recommended boom length marked on the sail or sail bag.  You may need to use a metric conversion chart to determine the correct boom length.  If the boom length isn't printed on the sail, you can just measure it with the sail rolled flat on the ground.

Aluminum vs. Carbon:   There are basically two types of booms on the market: Aluminum and Carbon. The big advantage of carbon over aluminum is stiffness.  A stiff boom will keep the sail stretched tightly in higher winds.  In a perfect world, as the wind increases, the sail should be pulled tighter.  In reality, just the opposite happens with a windsurfing sail.  With a flexible boom, the boom gets shorter as the wind increases.  This is caused by the sailor pulling on the boom arm, pulling the clew and luff closer together making the sail more powerful.  A stiffer boom will make a sail perform better in higher winds because it won't distort as much.  The longer the boom, the more it tends to flex.  Because of this, carbon booms are more common in the longer lengths. Carbon booms are usually twice as expensive as aluminum ones.  Our most popular boom, the small diameter Chinook aluminum wave boom, weighs 5.5 lbs.  The comparable Chinook carbon wave boom, with an aluminum tail, weighs 4.5 lbs. 

Diameter: Booms come in different grip diameters, the old standard being 1 1/4" (plus the thickness of the foam boom grip). Smaller grip diameter (1 1/8") booms have become more popular because the new small diameter grip booms are stronger than older small diameter ones.  Smaller grip is less fatigueing, and larger diameter is a little stiffer, so it is a matter of personal preference which diameter you choose.  If you still want the strongest, stiffest aluminum boom on the market, the 1 1/4" diameter may be your choice, and go with the longest boom body you can. Carbon booms are usually made in just the small diameter, because they can be made strong enough that a bigger diameter does not add any additional strength. 

To make boom comparisons, click here.

Frequently asked Questions

What size boom should I get?
You should get a boom that is long enough to fit your sails.  Boom lengths for the sails should be printed on the sail or sail bag in either feet/inches, or centimeters.  You can also measure the length from the boom cut out to the clew of the sail, with the sail flat on the ground.  Most booms have a range of 18" to 24" of adjustment so it often is possible to get a boom that will rig sails 3.7 to 6.5. 

What Diameter boom should I get?
Most booms are available in two diameters: standard 1 1/4" and small 1 1/8". the small grip booms used to be recommended only for smaller sailors with small hands due to their reduced strength and stiffness.  With the advent of carbon booms and improved aluminum alloys, the small grip booms are now growing in popularity with all sailors.  Many sailors with large hands still prefer the standard grip booms, but those with smaller hands, or those who sail with gloves are usually happier with the smaller grip. 

What is the Advantage of carbon fiber in booms?
Carbon booms are lighter and stiffer.  Increased  stiffness helps maintain the proper shape of the sail in high winds, because the boom doesn't distort and flex as much which effectively shortens the boom length.

If you have any questions that might be good here, please email us windance@windance.com

Windance 108 Hwy. 35, Hood River, OR 97031
Phone: 1-800-574-4020 (or 541-386-2131)
Email: windance@windance.com
  Customer Service | Directions to Windance | Shopping Cart | FAQ | Search
Copyright© 1995 - 2006, Windance Inc. All rights reserved.