VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

Is a Boom Bra something that fits over the part of the boom that attaches to the mast. I'm just wondering if I should get one to fit over my old boom so it doesn't damage the surface of my nice new board. Is that the intended purpose of the boom bra?

Thanks
Ross

Ross, it depends on how new is your new board and how tall you are.

Boards newer than ~2001 usually much shorter than older once and for a medium high person it's just impossible to hit a board with a boom if the boom is set up on proper hight. You should be afraid of mast hitting the nose of the board. To prevent that get yourself Deviator. Works great.

Good Luck

if your boom is getting saggy a nice padded bra will hold it firmly so it wont jiggle around. beware they can be tricky to unhook.

Well the board is a brand new Start, so I guess it can go braless. I assume the Deviator is for the protection of boards that are really moving in high winds and chop. I'm a beginner and my wife is a complete beginner. So it's probably not necessary for the impacts that we'll experience for a while.
Thanks
Ross

Speaking of Russian Dude, I still have your Deviator and it is getting use. I owe you some beers, let me know when you are going to be at Nitinat and I will bring some, or we will have to wait till the Columbia South Easts again. What Russian dude said is exactly right regarding short boards and boom bras. I dinged my new board because the mast hit the nose, not the boom.

you should check with the board manufacturer regarding boom or mast bras and/or deviators. Some manufacturers (and I believe Starboard is one of them) recommend that a deviator not be used because of the stress on the mast-box. - with the newer boards that have very short noses, the boom will not hit it in a crash, but the mast will, so some sailors now put a mast pad under the boom to protect the board nose in a crash. Have fun learning!

Yukon-eh! wrote: I assume the Deviator is for the protection of boards that are really moving in high winds and chop.....

Nop. Speed and chop has nothing to do with it. It was designed to deflect mast from the nose during catapults, that's very likely for a beginner and MUCH less likely for an experienced sailor. As a matter of fact when I was with Locarno sailing club we had Deviators on all entry level boards and on most (but not all) high performance boards for exactly that reason. Deviator is a good investment for a beginner. It's better to pay $40 once than lose lots of $$ on the repairs and board value. I think AirTime may have them in stock.

And Mr. Chewy I'm coming to Nitinat this weekend.

My advice. Get a boom bra. It's a cheap way to protect your board nose.

I like the black rubbery ones that are a little more expensive, like the "DA KINE BRO BRA ". I don't fit the front snug with the front of the boom but leave a little air space by pushing the boom bra forward on the boom. You can even usually stuff a little more soft foam in if you are paranoid about de-nosing your board.

I personally never liked the deviator. But that is just personal preference.

Hey, mb let's do the math.

Starboard Start lenth - 258 cm
The mast track is aprox in a middle 258/2 = 129 cm
Average woman boom hight = 140 cm

140 - 129 = 11 cm that's how far away boom is from the nose when it hits it. If we are talking about man that difference is going to be even bigger.

I wouldn't worry much about Start since it's already made with integrated nose protector. (This nice coushy thing around the nose)

Yeah sounds right RG. I just remember in 1996 buying a BIC Vivace 290 and the first time on the water I hammered the nose when I got yanked and split the seam.

You are probably right that it is more important to prevent the mast from striking the nose. I guess you could use a mast base pad and put it just below the boom clamp.

Thanks for the advice guys. My wife is only 5’ tall so that would put the boom very close to the nose, and if there is a young kid using the board the boom could be lower still. So for the sake of $10, I’m gonna get a boom bra to keep the EVA looking good. And like you say, Russian Guy, the Start has built-in nose protection.
Ross

over the shoulder boom holders can also be turned sideways and attached to the mast below the boom and that will offer a little cushioning when your mast hits the nose.

Good idea, Bean.