Guys,

After years with older stuff I decided to buy something new and just spent a huge amount of money for a new set of wave/freestyle sails and 100% RDM masts. So far, I used "normal" masts (also 100%).

I is worth the money to buy a 100% Carbon extension?
Since the mast / extension does no flex at its bottom end, I feel a carbon extension only reduces the weight a little bit?
How much weight reducion can that be - perhaps 200gramm ?

Thanks for your help!
Jan

Personally I think there is very little difference especially as the weight is all in the centre of the board/sail so would be hard to feel.

Maybe there is a small different in flex for large (40+ cm) extensions but even then I doubt one would notice.

Al

Agree with Al
masts - carbon great the more the better
booms - same big difference in stiffness etc
extention? fills the 'carbon' desire for trinkets but worth the money? dunno
weight improvement is minimal on something like that
pick up a carbon extension and then a quality aluminium one - i can't tell the difference but my wallet can
maybe if your sailing at the top end and every little counts - save the pennies and put them towards a nice van ;-)

I agree with the lads on this one, I got a 42 north xt not to long ago and have used north carbon xt and i think that if you wanna go pro and evey little helps then yeah but i'm sure the mere mortals like ourselfs won't notice it i never did apart from the fact i liked the fact i was sailing on full carbon kit.

Save your money to get a 2010 freestyle board and rip it up hard.

Sparrow

There can be a bit of a difference weight wise between carbon and aluminium but down at the mast foot its where you feel the difference the least. I think the main issue is strength. I have snaped one carbon extension and bent 2 aluminium ones but at least I could sail back in with the bent aluminium ones. These days I use carbon for bump and jump sailing but then use aluminium once the wave get mast high. The strength becomes really important it you go over 30cm on the extension.

I am at the pro level in freestyle, and I can barely tell a difference performance wise. The weight difference can't be more than a couple ounces either. What I have noticed mostly and what has me sold on them is the carbon extension's ability to take more of a load than and outlast the aluminum. So while the carbon extension may cost more when you're at the shop, over time, from my experience is that the carbon extensions will long outlast aluminum, just like with booms. So I end up going with carbon extensions now so I know that the extension is one less piece of equipment that's going to leave me stranded at sea. The last aluminum extension that let me down was on the north shore of Cape Cod a few years ago. It snapped after a jibe while I began to pump onto a plane. The bad part was that I saw a shark on the way out! I swam in ready to use the top half of the extension as a knife. (not like it would have helped) So all carbon extensions now for me!

Many thanx for your help and quick answers guys!

I hope it will be a great saison for all of us!

It depends on the extension and I think also on the way You treat them.

I don't know how is it with RDM extensions but as I remember from racing, some carbon extensions when treated not well (falling on the ground couple of times or being inserted with even a little bit of sand) could snap like matchsticks during the race). Since I've spent some serious amount of money on carbon extensions for formula and slalom witch left me really pissed with disconnected kit on the race course, I've started using mast extenders with aluminium extensions. Of course there is no comparison between 48cm sdm formula extension and 30cm rdm one but it makes me feel a bit unsafe when using carbon extensions, even if it's only inside my head.

However I think it also depends much on the construction of the extension. If pipe and joint insert is one piece of pipe it will definitely last longer than a two part construction.

As far as I'm concerned also the system plays a huge role with extensions as experience of the many shows that generally US double pin system extensions stay much longer than euro pin constructions.

Us pin also has many benefits and I have never heard of the US pin stuck in the extension even if it was loaded with sand or anything else You could ever think of (I bet if anyone ever heard of situation like that

On the subject of north style pin v's the US double poppel system I had a us one jam when the sprung popper got all distorted due to a wave trying to pull it apart.

the rdm carbon extensions, just like rdm masts tend to have thicker walls so are not so prone to "drop " type damage.

For the price the north extensions are hard to beat although I'm not sure about long term corrosion resistance see - [www.north-windsurf.com]

fair point i would say on the US vs North pin system

i have now changed to the US bases as twice now i have been deposited a long way out in big seas with just a rig whilst my board headed off back to the beach, all thanks to ( two different ) North pin bases

ever tried swimming 1/2 a K with just a rig in 2+m swell? got a bit tiresome after a bit to be fair

would be keen to know if anyone has had similar with a US pin

i'm hoping not!

When I was still using aluminium RDM extensions they had a tendency to bend at the bottom after a while. With newer versions this might not be a problem. I use carbon RDM extensions now. They have the BLING effect, they weigh less and they last longer :-)

Jens Kirk

there is a chemical reaction happens between aluminium extender and carbon mast in salt water, so don't leave it for a long time inside

Are you talking about bare aluminum turning a little green ish in salt water over a long period of time? this is corrosion that alu experiences, has nothing to do with carbon masts...

The water of Red Sea, for example, is salty enough to work as an electrolyte [en.wikipedia.org]
So you have electrolysis between carbon and aluminium

in order for electrolysis to happen, you need a power source and a conductor. in this case, Alu, Carbon and salt water are all conductors, but fresh water that people sail in is also an electrolyte as it is slightly acidic and has all kinds of minerals in it allowing it to be an excellent conductor as well. in our situation we clearly have plenty of conductors, but no real power source, so unless you hook up your mast or extension to a car battery or some sort of power source, there's no way you have electrolysis. I am curious however as to what kind of evidence have you found of such a reaction happening??

I'm pretty sure it would make a battery... Try using a multimeter on it next time you sail.

make sure the meter is measuring charge and not conductance, because it will conduct even if your theory is wrong..

yes i think its ok, because there are little difference. and if you fine best thing that would be great. if i chose then i agree and buy this.

E20-322 and 1Y0-A08 as well more about F50-521 and F50-522

waste of money as it'll break in big waves or hard use, stick to ally

Hey,

I was asking same question few years ago. I consulted older and wiser guyes and I came out with conclusion.

With my gear (smaller than 6,4), my weight (less than 70 kg) and my money (less than zero €) Alu was my choise. However one thing made me wonder about carbon. I was told that carbon extension bends just like mast. Aluminium extension doesn't bend. This thing was mentioned to be one big thing for bigger sails.

My sails are small and so on. But if you're pro or want to have 101% performance I reconmend you to test carbon and aluminium in same rig. I didn't but maybe you...