There are so many brands to choose from. What have you found to be good or bad about what you have tried?

The Windance site has several on the same page for comparison.
http://www.windance.com/Masts/Mast%20Page.html

I like that the Ezzy masts are interchangable top and bottom.
http://www.ezzy.com/masts/mixmatch.cfm

Do other masts have this ability? It could cut down on the number of masts I need to buy.

Any other features I should look for? Any problems with extensions or boom compatability?

And my last question: where to buy? A previous thread recommended eBay, but there is nothing there at the moment.

4J- PAUL MAY HAVE SOME EZZY MASTS FOR SAIL SOON , WHAT ARE YA LOOKIN FER. G.W.

Thanks G.W.

I haven't decided on how many yet, but I'm looking specifically for a 370 for the 3.5m sail I just bought.

I'll let Paul know that I'm interested.

Hi 4J,

Most of the skinnies for sale in the Gorge or locally (mostly Ezzy and Powerex) are very good and offer interchangeable tops and bottoms. The biggest thing is matching the mast bend to your brand of sail. Some skinnies are softer in the bottom than the top and others are the opposite. Getting the wrong mast for your sail can make a huge difference in feel/handling. What brand are you sailing with?

I just picked up a 400 Severne skinny from windance. They are actually made by Powerex. A great deal @ $299 ($25 shipping). They have 370's available too. The Powerex are quite a bit stiffer than the EZZY, so I have been told.

Cheers, iamvwman

Ha, Doc! "What brand"...that's funny! Not two of my sails come from the same manufacturer! I pieced together my "quiver" from various places (I'm trying to be somewhat thrifty). That said, the sail I'd like to match is the 2005 Loft Lip 3.5 I just bought off Gord. http://www.loftsails.com/loftsails2005/ ... sp_on#menu
They list that a 400 SDM could work, but out of curiosity I rigged it with mine and it is really stiff.

Thanks vwman, I saw those Severne masts...looks like a good price when compared to the others at $400+. And the shipping cost is not that bad either!

I guess I'm looking for a mast brand that will work with a variety of sails. Consider too that I'm not at a level where I'm going to notice subtle differences in tuning.

edit: I read in the Loft Forum "all rdms which measure constant-curve are compatible with our sails" and "Loftmasts measure 64% bend at base (lower 1/4), 76% bend at tip (upper 1/4). Please check the flex specs of the masts you are considering, if they match these specs then you can be confident that the mast will work well in your Lip Wave sails"

Hi,

I have found the Ezzy skinnis are quite good in Ezzy sails (daaaa) but also work well in my sailworks and Northwave sails. If you like, we can try rigging one of your sails on one of them - RU in Nanaimo these days?

I have nothing but good things to say about my Ezzy masts rigged + Ezzy wave sails. Reliable and the rig performs. When I bought in 2005 NoLimitz was making them for Ezzy. I think Ezzy has changed manufacturers since then.

http://www.nolimitz.com

One advantage of skinnies is easy grabbing of the mast for freestyling.

The one drawback is when the narrow diameter masts bonks you on the head - definitely more hurt than a regular diameter.

my main mast is a 400 ezzy, i like it very much - i think its of the Nolimitz generation. I rig everything from 5.3 on down on that bad boy. I also have a 430 Technolimits skinny that is holding up well (made in italy i believe).

You should look at what your most used sails are and put the money there. If you are using the 3.5 all summer at oldman you might just want to get a 370!

also, some booms are skinny-compatible but to me its a non-issue, I got enough thick vinyl hose for 2 shims from duncan hydraulic for $10.. i like having the clamp area padded on the mast plus it never slips.

Odd nobody mentioned carbon content I guess most skinnies are around 70-100. As a smaller guy I would certainly prefer a lower carbon or "softer" mast. I rig my 3.7 using a Gaastra 75% and it feels much more forgiving in our gusty conditions. Otherwise due to my weight 100%, esp on the bigger stuff.

Yes, mast should match sail. The KA's and Gaastra's rig wicked on the KA masts but I have found Powerex and Gaastra masts are better for Sailworks sails.....which is bizarre..the Gaastra thing. The KA's seem just too stiff, esp. up top for the sailworks. I cannot from the specs tell bend characteristics, seems to me you just have to try things out. The Powerex seems to be the mast of choice to make most sails happy. I would go for that. I have tried an Ezzy and it worked great with Ezzy sails.....that's about it.

As far as that Windance sale, the Severne masts are from 2005 or older. I cannot find any specs on them. They've been using the Redline 100% and Blueline 70-75% for three years now. Never sailed their masts but the Severne Blade is a great sail!

I would never mess around with different tops and bottoms not only can you then not rig two sails at the same time but the fits will be different on the masts.

As far as boom clamps, I always use an 8 inch tire tube to save the mast from scratches and eliminates any slippage of the boom. With one older course boom I have left (which usually rigs SDM's anyway) the 2 1/2" hose shim works just fine, non-issue.

As for a shameless plug, I can provide 2008 KA 100% Carbon Italian made RDM's at $379+15% tax, handling, brokerage. ( I still have some 2007 430's for the $359) The carbon from made-in-china is apparently turning to crap, might consider THAT in your selection criteria And I will let you test drive it anytime you like and 1 yr local breakage warranty....if you've ever wanted to take one back to Oregon you know the advantage of this

Response from Windance: The Severne masts are 90% carbon. The imcs is 17 with an even flex. They weigh in at 1.5kg (370cm). They are made in the same factory as Powerex. So the Severne masts are pretty much Powerex masts without the kevlar wrap where the boom attaches.

fyi

Thanks everyone, your time spent writing your responses is much appreciated. Lots of good info and tips. I'll be researching some more...

The lates issue of BOARDS (the 1st of my subscription!) has a 400 & 460 mast megatest. I haven't read it yet but if you know Boards you know that they are the most thorough testers out there. I'd pick up a copy if you want to delve into the details. D.

lots more mast-debating going on in this thread too
http://forums.iwindsurf.com/viewtopic.php?t=14415

Did you know this?: "[2007 Ezzy] masts also interchange with Powerex carbon masts so you can break your Powerex top and replace it with an Ezzy!"

http://www.boardseekermag.com/equipment ... 2007-2.htm

So -- extrapolating from the above info -- would that mean that Ezzys are also interchangable with Severne masts? Maybe just pre-2005 Severne masts...not sure who makes the newer Severne redline and blueline RDMs

...and if since 2005 Ezzy masts have been made by NoLimitz (to Ezzy specs)...maybe NoLimitz will also interchange with Powerex?

I should start a table...this info could be useful if you break a top and are looking for a replacement, or if you want to "tune" your mast using tops/bottoms of different specs.

By the way, I just ordered the clearance Severne RDM from Windance. The new owner Dave was friendly and helpful. Good service is so rare these days!