I need a new mast for an 08 zen 4.9 and 04 search 5.8 (both 430)
Obviously the masts on the net are much cheaper than in a shop. Does anyone know if any of these cheaper masts (gun, loft or billow) will suit the bend profiles of these sails?
or should i just quit complaining and spend the dollars???
Just check your sails imcs the Loft/Gun masts are great and have good warranty from 12-24 months.
from loft site;
Loftmasts are carefully controlled in design and construction to have "constant-curve" flex character. All Loftmasts measure 64% bend at base (lower 1/4), 76% bend at tip (upper 1/4).
stupollard - May not be of much help to you but, the latest boards magazine have done a test (measured stiffness , bend curve & weight) of the major brands in the 400-460 range. Ezzy, Fibrespar, Gun, Maui, MK, Powerex, Simmer... etc, etc.. Quite interesting and possibly worth a read if your trying to find a good match.
There is a few bend characteristic threads floating around here, try a search
I think NP and North are the same sorta mast bends, so maybe North are an alternative?
Gun (I think) and Loft are constant curve, so prob wont suit the NP's
Anyone got any info on these (new?) Billows masts (selling on ebay and via a website in Aus)?
Thats why I plan to stay away from the big names, to mast and component specific
Good luck tracking down a cheap mast
Billows masts look cheap and nasty, those guys have a website too, not much going on, think i would try to get hold of a Pryde mast for your sail, bit more expensive but will work properly, a cheap mast in a good sail is like putting a daewoo motor in a V8 supercar, yer it will go around the track, but one lap would be all you could take..
What are peoples view on PowerEX Skinnys?? I thinkin about buying one... Prob either the 85% or the 60%
Whats do you guys and gals reckon?!
Thanks John, that answered many of my questions
Hopefully we can get some user comments soonish, as it'll be good to have another reasonable priced mast seller in the Aust market (NP is a ripoff)
An article in a recent pommy windsurfing magazine looked at this article, magazine kindly donated by forum member Katapult. They tested a large number of sails with different masts. The authors said the test was one of the most time consuming and difficult ones they have done.
In the final analysis they found that most sails from most brands worked better on masts that were not the recommended masts.
If anyone wants the article I can scan it and then post it. My scanner does not have the greatest of resolutions so it may not be legible as there is a fair bit of text in it.
If your going to pimp your site on seabreeze why not pay to sponsor it like the rest of the expensive companies Johno??
fair go Sorse, I don't think he was pimping his site. He was just responding to a question that was posed to him. Agreed he did put his website address up but don't be too harsh, he was just explaining what the situation is behind the origins of the masts. 
And before you ask, no, I have nothing to do with the masts nor do I know the guy who imports them.
My apologise's I didn't think I was being harsh I hope it didn't come out that way..
Sorry guys :-)
Oi, Sorse. What are you doing over here. Get back on the Dark Side where you belong.
I just realised that the Alpha IS the new Search so, Haircut, that sail is meant to be a drafthorse. With that Powerex in it you have depowered it a bit.
Hey geoffs I do windsurf as well, it's where I started way back at 8 years old :-)
I wish we had more strong breezes here as I would get out on the windsurf gear more often :-)
I have the two issues of Boards magazine in digital format where they tested a range of SD and RD masts (May 2007 430cm test & April 2008 400/460cm test). I use downloadable software called 'Zinio reader' to open the digital mags and from what I understand, I am able to give away at least three free copies of each mag to 'friends' (never tried it before though!). If anyone is interested, send me your email address via Seabreeze (email link above).
Also refer to my recent post in Seabreeze General forum thread entitled 'skinny masts' with links to interesting info re masts.
Going back to flex top/constant-curve masts....
Is the difference mostly going to be tension in the leach,
which would be moving your wind range higher or lower for the sail?
Are there other considerations before mismatching sails and masts?
I'm thinking of getting two Severne S-1 sails, a 5.0 and a 5.9. I will need to get RDM masts and was wondering if this would work. Get a 430 Red Line RDM and just a 400 Redline RDM top. Use the 430 with the 5.9 and for the 5.0 use the 430 bottom and 400 top, making 415cm. The Luff for the 5.0 S-1 is 421. Would this work well, or do you have to use the recommended 400 Red Line RDM for the 5.0 S-1?
To evlPanda,
Possibly difficult questions for anyone to answer briefly. There was an earlier mast test article in May 2007 Boards that I felt was easier to understand and more comprehensive than their most recent mast test in April 2008 Boards. I have digital copies of both mags and can arrange for you to get a free copy of May 07 Boards if you forward your email address to me via Seabreeze (click on 'email' link above).
To bd123,
Maybe give Marco at Auswind a call on 92444446 to answer question (Severne and Powerex importers). I would have thought that if the 5.0 S-1 has an adjustable head and you used a 430 RDM mast then you would only have 9cm of mast sticking out the top, which I personally wouldn't worry about!
I currently use a NP X6 430 bottom with a NP X6 400 top in an 05 NP 4.7 Combat (409 luff) and it appears to work well, though NP chose not to put adjustable heads on the smaller 05 Combats for some strange reason!
Yeah Gazman, i'm new to the game, but from what i've seen so far brands like NP pricing new/young windsurfers like myself (i've been on the planet for less time then you've been windsurfing) off their gear (via individual pricing and brand incompatability) is the main issue in the viability of this sport.
Yeah, i'm calling a spade a spade!
I don't doubt that they are one of the best performance wise, but they lack a bit in other areas. Surely the biggest companies could play smart and boost the comsumer base by having better priced sails?
Look at KA sails too Gazman, they are Aussie made (Severne is sadly owned by Starboard but at least an Aussie has main? input), meanwhile i'll stick with loft/gun at least whilst i'm temporarily poor (they are pretty good kit, just haven't got the name to put a big pricetag on I think, shame not Aussie but)
Stupollard - What you end up going with?
Did you tell her it's got NASA technology in it?
And you'd probably use it more then her dresses (count up enough dresses to equal the mast then compare usage)!
^probably the reason I get in the bad books with the missus, using that thinking
Well meeting the designer is alot better then just buying sails from Hong Kong I reckon!
KA's sails look pretty schmick too
To GazMan:
I would have thought that if the 5.0 S-1 has an adjustable head and you used a 430 RDM mast then you would only have 9cm of mast sticking out the top, which I personally wouldn't worry about!
Yes, that would have been good and is what I normally do with my Rocks, but both the S-1 5.0 and 5.9 have fixed heads.
Thanks for Marco's number. I'll see what he suggests.
