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Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

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Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

Aluminum
9
29%
Carbon
22
71%
 
Total votes: 31

jaros
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Re: Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

Postby jaros » Sat Sep 24, 2022 7:07 am

Peter_Frank wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:26 pm
Besides being lighter, and less drag, carbon has one key point others havent mentioned:

No galvanic corrosion, so you can let it stay fully assembled, or partly assembled, as long as you want - stainless screws wont get stuck, like they do on everything with aluminium.
But that is not true, if the foil has alu fuselage in the mix, like most carbon foils do have these days. And some even alu top plate. Many places where alu is in contact with inox and carbon...

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Peter_Frank
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Re: Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

Postby Peter_Frank » Sat Sep 24, 2022 7:12 am

Mine, KETOS, are all carbon so it is true for me :rollgrin:

Of course if you have alu parts, it is a problem :-?

8) Peter

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Re: Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

Postby rnelias » Sat Sep 24, 2022 4:04 pm

Peter_Frank wrote:
Sat Sep 24, 2022 7:12 am
Mine, KETOS, are all carbon so it is true for me :rollgrin:

Of course if you have alu parts, it is a problem :-?

8) Peter
Carbon threads too? I can't imagine threads made with epoxy resin to resist frequent tighting process...

galvanic oxidation is only an issue if you have contact of different metalic alloys.

My foil is aluminum. I usually disassembly only the airplane from the mast and the mast from the board and leave all 3 "big parts" pre-assembled. Never had any issue of screws getting stuck due to oxidation but F-One has some stainless steel inserts in the fuse and mast to avoid stainless screws contact with aluminum parts. I suppose Ketos does the same ;)

Regarding durability. I usually ride in an urban bay area where, sadly, pollution is an issue :( . After any rainfall there's a bunch of solid trash floating on water. My mast already has some dents due to impact against tree branches and other floating solid objects.

I'm now thinking about getting a carbon mast but I'm afraid it would not last very long riding in such conditions. Other concern is if carbon masts suffer with "aging". I mean... it's a composite material and constantly under stresses that could modify carbon fiber properties. It's even more concerning for second hand masts that we don't know the history of its use.

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Re: Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

Postby leeuwen » Sat Sep 24, 2022 5:10 pm

rnelias wrote:
Sat Sep 24, 2022 4:04 pm
Regarding durability. I usually ride in an urban bay area where, sadly, pollution is an issue :( . After any rainfall there's a bunch of solid trash floating on water. My mast already has some dents due to impact against tree branches and other floating solid objects.
If you are not already: consider riding strapless even if just on these days.
Would considerably reduce the forces involved since you just get launched of the board rather then all off your mass adding to the collision forces.

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edt
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Re: Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

Postby edt » Sat Sep 24, 2022 5:26 pm

I can't believe how many people love carbon. I kite lake erie so there will be logs, rebar, automobiles, dead cows, you never know what you will hit. Aluminum takes the hit gets a dent and you sand it out. Carbon is stronger but the way it fails is either everthing is perfectly fine after a hit, or the entire thing shatters in a million pieces. Carbon is more expensive and lighter, and it's "carbon" so people love it. Give me aluminum any day thanks.

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Re: Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

Postby Peter_Frank » Sat Sep 24, 2022 6:40 pm

I've hardly never hit any objects in the water, we have quite clean waters here, and no obstackles.

Hitting a sandbank happens now and then, when I ride in too low water say to get ashore when ending the session.
Doesnt matter, carbon can take this no problem, if you ride strapless in particular like leeuwen says.

But I have seen alu masts getting bent, wingfoilers quite often in fact.
Good thing is you can just throw it away and buy a new one, or have a spare, as they cost nothing :rollgrin:

One of my carbon masts, used extremely often, are now more than 8 years old and still holding up just fine, I am happily amazed by their "lifetime" - havent had one getting "worn out" so not good anymore, and I have more then 300 sessions per year (not all on foil though, but most are on foil) :naughty:
Even half as long lifetime would have been okay, so truly impressed.

I understand if one has rocks or logs or other stuff in their riding areas, or they are tough on their gear and can compromise on weight and performance - then low cost aluminium might be preferred indeed.

But you most often end up having the clumsy baseplate-board connection then - I have a baseplate on my wingfoil (eventhough carbon) and hate it, luckily it can stay fully assembled to board and 102 cm span foilwing in my car, otherwise I wouldnt have such thing.

Many brands offer adapters to their alumasts though, to better and faster connections, but not always possible.

8) Peter

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Re: Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

Postby edt » Sat Sep 24, 2022 6:47 pm

It takes me 2 minutes to assemble or disassemble my hydrofoil. You can buy 25 e-scewdrivers for the price of one carbon mast.



I understand a carbon board. That makes sense to me! The carbon mast, not on Lake Erie. The carbon board is where you get performance. I get it though, carbon mast, carbon wings, micro carbon strapless board the size of a waffle, and a control bar with no floats (too much weight?), and of course a peak. Is it really the weight or is it style?

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Re: Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

Postby deniska » Wed Sep 28, 2022 4:07 am

edt wrote:
Sat Sep 24, 2022 5:26 pm
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...
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Kamikuza
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Re: Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

Postby Kamikuza » Wed Sep 28, 2022 12:22 pm

deniska wrote:
Wed Sep 28, 2022 4:07 am
edt wrote:
Sat Sep 24, 2022 5:26 pm
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...

The stainless bolts create more of a problem for me, but TefGel has solved that.

How the heck do you dent aluminum masts, anyway? :lol:

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Re: Freeride mast: aluminum or carbon and why?

Postby PeaBody » Wed Sep 28, 2022 1:08 pm

rnelias wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 12:12 pm
................ local brand and did not like it. It did not feel as rigid as the aluminum mast. I know there a bunch of expensive and rigid carbon masts in the market but...............
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 :angryfire: :evil: 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.


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