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is carbon much better?

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slowboat
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Re: is carbon much better?

Postby slowboat » Fri Feb 22, 2019 9:00 pm

Very hard to go backwards: Carbon to aluminum. Small board to big board.

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Re: is carbon much better?

Postby airsail » Fri Feb 22, 2019 10:30 pm

I have both, a carbon Levitaz and an alloy Naish setup for waves. Love using both, no corrosion issues on the Naish but I do disassemble every 2 weeks and all the joints and screws are greased.
Alloy masts are very stiff and amazing value compared to similar stiffness in carbon. If you want speed you have to go carbon, the alloy mast profiles are just too thick.
But for slow riding on big surf wings the alloys are quite good, heavier yes, but on the water it isn’t an issue, your not jumping and the big floaty wing doesn’t sink quickly making water starts fairly easy. And note that Moses still use alloy for the fuselage, provides a nice slim but strong fuselage at a reasonable cost.
And you can pickup second hand alloy foils so cheap now, 1/3 of a carbon foil price.

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Re: is carbon much better??

Postby jatem » Fri Feb 22, 2019 10:42 pm

Mossy 757 wrote:
Fri Feb 22, 2019 8:23 pm
Yes, it's insanely better just from the weight perspective. Safer when transiting the surf/impact zone in waves, easier to travel with and transport, better performance all around. I'd be more worried about long term durability and corrosion on a foil that wasn't all composite. The only drawback is cost.
Agreed, safer in surf, easier to carry.

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Re: is carbon much better?

Postby Peter_Frank » Fri Feb 22, 2019 11:51 pm

Oh yeah, forgot about the corrosion issue - that is another reason why I would never go alu...

When I occasionally got or borrow one, I always forget to dissasemble things, as it is SO cumbersome and a waste of time I would happily pay to get rid of.

I never rinse my foils at all, only take the mast (one screw only) apart for space, if I got two foils in the car at least, otherwise not necessary :thumb:

Life is too short and too good for using time on that, if you dont have to :naughty:

I think this would be a lot bigger issue than I could ever imagine, for me, come to think about it :roll:

8) PF

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NYKiter
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Re: is carbon much better?

Postby NYKiter » Sat Feb 23, 2019 12:15 am

I wouldnt say its MUCH better...its just different...everything has benefits and drawbacks...it really depends on where you ride and how you treat your gear....I find carbon foils chip, ding and scratch much more easily than G10 wings and Alum masts when I throw them in my car or run into gravel shoals.... Here in the great lakes we dont worry about galvanic corrosion - but then again thats what needs to be weighed when going for alum over carbon. Can weekend warriors really feel the difference anyways? When I went from alum to carbon I thought the hand of god was going to come down and my riding would change forever....like most things it didnt really amount to a dramatic difference for me anyways....

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Re: is carbon much better?

Postby Flyboy » Sat Feb 23, 2019 7:04 am

Same topic as the "does weight matter" I asked a couple of weeks ago. I just bought a high end carbon foil at a great price ... but now I'm reading that carbon foils can be "too light", making them more twitchy & unstable. I guess I'll soon find out. Some manufacturers seem to use carbon mast with alloy fuselage ... & some use alloy mast with carbon fuselage.

It seems that until recently "high performance" foils were more speed orientated, but in the last year or so the trend has been to promote slower, wave-oriented foils. Perhaps light weight is less of a factor in these type of foils & the large wings themselves are inherently heavier anyway?

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Peter_Frank
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Re: is carbon much better?

Postby Peter_Frank » Sat Feb 23, 2019 5:07 pm

Dont worry Flyboy, those saying they can be twitchy and unstable got no idea what they are talking about, it is very wrong :roll:

Look forward to the best time of your life to come now, just go ride and enjoy life, dont you worry bout a thing :thumb:

8) PF
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Re: is carbon much better?

Postby Flyboy » Sat Feb 23, 2019 7:52 pm

I hope you're right PF! I wonder, because I queried the manufacturer about this & they responded by promoting their new mast, which is (supposedly) stiffer & ... heavier. Additionally, they are also coming out, like everybody else, with a line of lower aspect wings, including some huge wings for windsurfing, surfing, SUP etc. I am assuming these lower aspect, chunkier wings are also heavier (like my Zeeko Carver wing compared to the original "free ride" wing. So, I am wondering if these new generation wings also perform better (in waves) because they are heavier (as well as lower aspect)?

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Peter_Frank
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Re: is carbon much better?

Postby Peter_Frank » Sat Feb 23, 2019 9:06 pm

You are focusing on the wrong things...

Heavier isnt better whatsoever in waves, and not really worse either as long as not too extreme.

You have bought your gear right?

No need to worry anymore then, it will just work :naughty:

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Re: is carbon much better?

Postby tomtom » Sat Feb 23, 2019 9:10 pm

You "feel" stiffness and shape. You dont feel weight.
Light is good for manipulation for float and for safety.
There is no such a too light IMO


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