Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

[rnelias]

How the heck do you dent aluminum masts, anyway?

Just hit a tree log at 30kph and you'll earn a dent in your mast like this one.

Btw, I use just a half strap in the front foot to help in water start, thus, the board doesn't get stuck with me when I crash

Was it a kite / board brand who make foils etc as part of their range or was it a dedicated foil brand? I think it makes a big difference...

When I tried the carbon mast (main brand), I kept my same board, and same wings, only changed the mast and I could feel the difference, although could of been placebo affect?

I have now gone to a foil brand as the latest model from the generic manufacturer is no longer compatible, if I bust my wing (they don't make them anymore) I have to buy a whole new fuselage and that really annoyed me, so will only use a dedicated foil brand now that is forward and backward thinking.

For me the weight saving overall, everything is carbon (board as well) and with titanium bolts, corrosion is very minimal if anything.

It's a foil dedicated brand but they've been evolving the product line regularly and now it seems they're producing better masts. My mast was an earlier generation with fuse, mast and head in just one piece but the whole set was not rigid enough. Not when compared to an aluminum set up.

[deniska]

Aluminum takes the hit gets a dent and you sand it out.

maybe this works in fresh water...
Once you scratch the anodized layer, it will corode quickly in salty water..
Carbon - you can patch and sand all day...

I rode a raw un-anodized mast daily in salt water for 6 weeks, without any special attention, and it was fine. My current mast, I cut it down from 90cm and haven't done anything to the raw end, and have used it for a couple of years in fresh and salt water...

maybe have different aluminum or different water
I have 2 moses fuselages all with dots from corrosion after less than 12 months (just tiny scratches that start to grow)
I also had a nobile mast/connector - connector started to rust badly after 3 months of usage in the spots where the rail bolts were touching/scratching it.

[Kamikuza]

How the heck do you dent aluminum masts, anyway?

Just hit a tree log at 30kph and you'll earn a dent in your mast like this one.

>cut<

Btw, I use just a half strap in the front foot to help in water start, thus, the board doesn't get stuck with me when I crash

I've hit wood and things in the water, with my wings even, and never dented them. I'm strapless so I guess I just keep going when the board stops...

[Kamikuza]

maybe have different aluminum or different water
I have 2 moses fuselages all with dots from corrosion after less than 12 months (just tiny scratches that start to grow)
I also had a nobile mast/connector - connector started to rust badly after 3 months of usage in the spots where the rail bolts were touching/scratching it.

Maybe, I don't know what any differences would be though.

I've seen older Slingshot masts fur up, but that was some years back. Even the scratches in my mast aren't going bad.

I'm pretty thorough with the TefGel since I had to cut down and drill my first foil... but that would affect things like cuts on the end of the mast or scratches through the anodizing surely.

[edt]

there are thousands of different kinds of aluminum some are highly resistant to salt water others aren't.

[rnelias]

there are thousands of different kinds of aluminum some are highly resistant to salt water others aren't.

here in Brazil we can get cheap aluminum masts sold by length.

I've used this mast when was learning. It's heavy but rigid like a rock.

I've had a bunch of scratches and dents but no problems with corrosion.

https://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB ... 2679d3c0cc

BRL to USD conversion is 1/5.3

90cm = 441 BRL = 83 USD

[Kamikuza]

there are thousands of different kinds of aluminum some are highly resistant to salt water others aren't.

Maybe just "the right kind" of aluminum in my preferred brand then