Woo! New site is online - select here to use it!


Forums > Windsurfing General

Fat slalom carbon booms

Reply
Created by nebbian > 9 months ago, 25 Oct 2009
nebbian
WA, 6277 posts
25 Oct 2009 7:15PM
Thumbs Up

Anyone know where you can get a non-slimline carbon boom?

I bought a slalom carbon boom, but every time I use it my forearms pump up like crazy. Have no issues with my 32mm ali boom (which cost 1/4 the price). It's gotten to the stage where I'll rig a smaller sail than I should just so that I don't use that carbon slimline boom.

The trouble is that every shop I've gone into only has the slimline carbon boom because they're supposedly more ergonomic... but I find it completely the opposite. Maybe I'm just weird.

Anyone know a dealer in Perth that stocks non-slimline carbon booms with wide arms (for fat bellied slalom sails)? It has to go up to 215 cm.

swoosh
QLD, 1929 posts
25 Oct 2009 9:32PM
Thumbs Up

can you wrap like tennis racket grip around where u grip it to boost the diameter?

mineral1
WA, 4564 posts
25 Oct 2009 7:44PM
Thumbs Up

Yep, just emailed you at home.

Mike

nebbian
WA, 6277 posts
25 Oct 2009 7:47PM
Thumbs Up

Wrapping grip would work I guess...

But I'd still have the problem of the arms being too close together, so when the sail is bagged out it rubs against the leeward arm.

Really what I'm after is some ideas on what brand makes a good wide armed (for slalom sails), non-slimline carbon boom.

Gestalt
QLD, 14969 posts
25 Oct 2009 9:49PM
Thumbs Up

KA

sausage
QLD, 4874 posts
26 Oct 2009 7:22AM
Thumbs Up

Don't Aeron make a 32mm carbon monocoque boom. Nice wide head which makes gybing so much smoother - using other booms now feels a little awkward.

petermac33
WA, 6415 posts
26 Oct 2009 5:26AM
Thumbs Up

stuart bell sails have cheap carbon booms $500 i think.

mathew
QLD, 2174 posts
26 Oct 2009 9:54AM
Thumbs Up

Not directly related to boom diameter, but to tail-end-width.... Sam Parker modded a Neil Pryde X9 boom, so that it became a "wide style" boom. Maybe he could post a few pics -> might help increase your options of available booms.

Bender
WA, 2236 posts
26 Oct 2009 9:51AM
Thumbs Up

Hey Nebs, how about taking the boom to Paul K and get him to re-grip it over the top of the existing grip.

Paul Kelf
WA, 678 posts
26 Oct 2009 11:11AM
Thumbs Up

Bender said...

Hey Nebs, how about taking the boom to Paul K and get him to re-grip it over the top of the existing grip.


Ben,
I did the very same for a guy a few years back, he's a big guy with big hands & found the small diameter grip uncomfortable.
I double gripped it & as far as I know it's still going strong.
When I see him I will ask about it.

I personally use both 29mm & 32mm booms & find the skinny ones tend to give me callouses.
I think it is because the skin in your palm area becomes bunched up more on the smaller diameter.
Or maybe on smaller gear I'm hanging on more, the fear factor

nebbian
WA, 6277 posts
26 Oct 2009 10:28PM
Thumbs Up

Thanks for the replies.

Just borrowed a KA boom from a mate and it's the same diameter as my existing carbon boom... so no joy there.

It's weird how a couple of mm can make a difference, I just measured them with some calipers - the ali boom that works well is 34mm, while the skinny carbon is 32mm. The manufacturers must state the diameter without grip or something.

If I can't find anything that's off the shelf, then perhaps a grip job and a wide tail might work? Anyone got a spare slalom carbon tailpiece? No way I'd be able to build one without it breaking

firiebob
WA, 3182 posts
27 Oct 2009 6:21AM
Thumbs Up

Hey Neb's how about gloves ?

sausage
QLD, 4874 posts
27 Oct 2009 8:59AM
Thumbs Up

firiebob said...

Hey Neb's how about gloves ?


Yeah, Elmo can loan you a pair.

PS - get yourself an old mast extension or 40mm or 50mm dia pvc pipe (about 40cm long), drill a hole in the middle, thread a 1 metre bit of cheap rope into hole and tie off with knot in end, tie approx 4kg of weight to other end of rope and now the fun bit:
hold bar in horizontal position with hands/arms and start rolling up and back until your forearms are burning so bad it feels like they're going to explode. Ensure you do slow large rotations with your wrist and don't go too fast.

Do this daily and you'll increase sailing time in really blown out conditions without the arm pump.

FormulaNova
WA, 15109 posts
27 Oct 2009 10:19AM
Thumbs Up

Is it the narrow boom, or is it the change in diameter between your different booms?

I found that when going to a boom of a different diameter, my forearms would tire easily until I used that boom for quite a while. I noticed the same thing when wearing sailing gloves even though it only increases the diameter very slightly.

What about making sure all of your booms are the same diameter?



Subscribe
Reply

Forums > Windsurfing General


"Fat slalom carbon booms" started by nebbian