How long do you get and expect to get out of a new sail? I am a weekend warrior at best. I don't really crash on the water and rig up as carefully as possible behind a massive van or sheltered in the field and at best get 2 years out of my simmer sails before they get holes in them, where creases have formed. I spoke to someone at the beach who I have only really seen using a 5m Ezzy and it is 12 years old !!!! I have a 2017 Goya fringe which I keep at my caravan, use at the unfriendly rocky beaches and take on flights abroad it is in much better condition than my new simmers I have rigged twice which have creases in. Is this just me or are there brands that last longer? Trying not to slag the brand off, I have used chiefly simmer boards and sails for 10 years and love the performance, but I can not afford to replace them every 2 years.

Which sail? RDM or SDM?

Probably. Sails with a lot of luff curve are harder to get the mast in/out without creasing. Probably why the Ezzy 5m lasted longer as they have low luff curve.
I've seen creasing a lot with locals using SDMs on freeride sails.

I have an Icon, haven't owned it too long but love it - very powerful and stable. Can't see any issues with build quality but it is a pain to rig due to the luff curve - previously I have had 'hard top' sails and they are much easier to get the mast in the sleeve.

Sounds like I need to take extra care rigging to make sure no creases form, easier said than done when you are rushing to get on the water.

For rigging, it seems like pulling the top above the luff cutout for the boom clamp next to the bottom of the opening seems to let everything go in quicker without creasing? I saw a video here somewhere and have been doing it since.
And for removal I think simply twisting and working the mast that way seems to be the most effective, but maybe there's another easy trick...

I've got blacktips, triceras and a vmax. 3-4 years old. I'm only a weekend warrior but they are solid sails built to last.
The only damage on them is from me.
Simmer is every bit as good as ezzy for strength and you get the added bonus of a sail that works. lol

I have been obsessing over it, just rolled them all out and the black tips are in better nick than the icons. I can't figure out how to rig them without damaging them. The 5.6 icon is so hard to get a mast in.

De-rigging is not the problem because of the loop at the top.


I will go and practice now

Mark _australia said..
^^^ yes and those two together will increase the life of your sail.
Its not Simmer, its your rigging and de-rigging technique sorry to say

Very true Mark though it's obvious that some sails are harder to rig and derig than others so even if you're really careful then they're going to deteriorate quicker than a sail that doesn't get scrunched every time the mast goes in!

If Dave Ezzy got rid of that ridiculous Tack Strap the whole world would be on Ezzy's

CBuzz said..
If you want real longevity - absolutely no question, go for Ezzy.

I had some (Wave SE's) that lasted many years of solid use.

Then had a quiver of Simmer Blacktips - beautiful sails which I really liked - but nowhere near the lifespan of Ezzy (which I knew/accepted when I bought them). I had panel repairs in every one - and also on the 2 Simmer XC's that I also had - across a 5 year period. I never had to repair an Ezzy

Now on 2022/23 Goya Banzai's which are super high quality and I really love them and I think should be better than the Simmers in terms of lifespan .... I tend to change quiver every 4/5 years so expect these to perform.

But in short - if you want to keep them for a long time ( 5 years + ) - there is only one answer IMHO

There is no eternal sail-everyone would agree on that. Ezzy sails are synonym for longevity. I was on them for a couple of years pantheras and elites- yeah, good sails, a breed of their own really, but not so much impressed with durability. As a matter of fact the praised x-ply degraded faster than the ordinary monofilm of other brands. Goya Banzais are slick but the made in the usa biply window creases in an ugly way. Now I am on Simmer black tips. Skeptical in the beginning, now I love them. My recipe for sail longevity- select only single layered monofilm wave sails, never glued layered monofilms, x-plys,thick monofilms. All these degrade on UV faster than good old classic original monofilm-despite brand claims. Careful derigging (not rigging,notice). And of course avoid catapulting into it with the harness hook first. Cheers.

What are causing the creases?

Outside of liking the feel of the Ezzy sails owned. Found them to be durable. Still using '12 Cheetah 6.5M. Luff sleeve has faded. Freshwater use only. Bit of mildew on the sail body around the lower two batten pockets has formed from storing wet. Rolled as tight as possible. Transported usually at the bottom of the stack of sails. Stored vertical with luff and vent end at the bottom with air space.

Maddlad said..
I find the Neil Prydes last really well but they can be expensive to buy compared to some other brands.

Last well compared to what?

philn said..

sheddweller said..

Maddlad said..
I find the Neil Prydes last really well but they can be expensive to buy compared to some other brands.

Last well compared to what?

Crinkle paper?

I think crinkle paper is longer lasting. Maybe I'm ham fisted because I tend to damage mine all the time.

Those batten tensioners are incredibly fragile . They have been using this system for 20 years and still haven't made them in a more durable plastic. The system is great and there is no cost difference for using a different plastic. Fortunately they are easy to replace if you know how . I reckon on my sails I have replaced 30 over the years

It's all in how you handle the sail (except for bad crashes). I always thought I handled my sails well, until a semi-pro who sold his quivers every year pointed out a key element I had missed: never put your sail on the ground while rigging or de-rigging, unless it is downhauled well or the boom is on. In addition, when putting the mast on or taking it out, minimize the creases in the sail. If you put a sail down, for example to get the mast extension from your car, you're just putting pressure on the creases, and shorten the life of your sail dramatically. It always pains me when I see people handle their sails like that.

When following these guidelines, most sails can last 100 or 150 session before the first panels need replacing. For most weekend warriors, that's more than 2 or 3 years.

That said, there are some pretty big differences between brands and types. The material and width of the mast sleeve is one big factor. On one extreme are race sails with deep luff sleeves that make it easy to rig and de-rig without wrinkles. One the other extreme, some types with thin mast sleeves and "wrinkly" mast sleeve material make it impossible to avoid wrinkles. Ezzy's are in a world of their own - you need special talents to break them, and there are tons of details that help them outlast other brands. Just don't bring them to the current sail repair shop in Hatteras if they need repairs...

2keen said..

boardsurfr said..
It's all in how you handle the sail (except for bad crashes). I always thought I handled my sails well, until a semi-pro who sold his quivers every year pointed out a key element I had missed: never put your sail on the ground while rigging or de-rigging, unless it is downhauled well or the boom is on. In addition, when putting the mast on or taking it out, minimize the creases in the sail. If you put a sail down, for example to get the mast extension from your car, you're just putting pressure on the creases, and shorten the life of your sail dramatically. It always pains me when I see people handle their sails like that.

When following these guidelines, most sails can last 100 or 150 session before the first panels need replacing. For most weekend warriors, that's more than 2 or 3 years.

That said, there are some pretty big differences between brands and types. The material and width of the mast sleeve is one big factor. On one extreme are race sails with deep luff sleeves that make it easy to rig and de-rig without wrinkles. One the other extreme, some types with thin mast sleeves and "wrinkly" mast sleeve material make it impossible to avoid wrinkles. Ezzy's are in a world of their own - you need special talents to break them, and there are tons of details that help them outlast other brands. Just don't bring them to the current sail repair shop in Hatteras if they need repairs...

Ummmm
"never put your sail on the ground while rigging or de-rigging, unless it is downhauled well or the boom is on"
Isn't step one of rigging, roll out your sail on the ground?

Rigging in a calm sheltered place is very important. When you are in a hurry, just arrived on the spot, wind cranking, waves peeling you are mentally unstable- just thinking about spray and getting airborne. That is when most trauma is inflicted on sails,boards (often brand new), cars etc. Apart from water time most dangerous step is derigging- after release of downhaul there is a sudden collapse of tension. Monofilm,x/ply cannot resist and incur small creases(sometimes big). This is unavoidable unless you derig in a laboratory for research purposes. .the other way to go is reduce/remove monofilm panels but then instead of sail you get a sponge... with no visibility. Monofilm is what makes a sail. And it will stay that way until artificial intellect says else...