Boom vs Handles on a Wing: The Choice That Matters More Than Size

A fork that does not exist in kiting: in wingfoiling you choose not only wing size but how you hold it. Ensis offers a rare chance to compare fairly — the SCORE sells in both versions with identical construction.

What we are comparing

• Ensis SCORE BOOM — rigid boom, seven sizes, from 972 €.
• Ensis SCORE HANDLE — soft handles, the same seven sizes, from 1 048 €.

76 € apart, and curiously it is the handle version that costs more — against the intuition that a tube must be the expensive part.

The boom: a grip point anywhere

A boom is a rigid tube running along the wing. What it fundamentally gives you is that you grip anywhere on it and move your hands without letting go.

Why that matters on the water. Correct hand position on a wing depends on wind, speed and what you are doing: wider and further forward under acceleration, narrower and back once planing, forward again in a gust to spill power.

On a boom that is continuous, smooth adjustment: move five centimetres and feel the difference. There are no correct points — there is the whole range.

Second: changing hands through a turn. In a tack or gybe your hands swap. On a boom you simply walk them along the tube without losing control of the wing.

Handles: lighter, smaller, easier to travel with

Soft loops in fixed positions. Their advantages are equally concrete.

Weight. A boom is metal or carbon running the length of the wing. Remove it and the wing loses several hundred grams. And wing weight, as we covered in the ALUULA article, reaches your shoulders within about an hour.

Luggage. A handled wing rolls tighter, because there is no rigid element as long as the wing. On flights that is noticeable.

Repair. A bent boom is a replacement part. A torn loop is a sewing job.

Freedom in tricks. Freestyle spins the wing around you, and a rigid tube is in the way. It is no accident that freestyle wings more often come with handles.

What decides it for a beginner

Here the answer is unambiguous, and it is about stage rather than comfort.

A beginner's grip is imprecise. You do not yet know where your hands should be, and early on they are constantly wrong. On a boom that is fixed with a movement — slide and go. On handles you must release the wing and find another loop, and releasing the wing while balancing on a foil is a task better not added.

Second: a boom gives you something to lean on when getting up out of the water, which at the start happens constantly.

Recommendation: start with a boom. The same conclusion as in our first wing guide.

When handles are objectively better

So this does not read one-sidedly.

Freestyle. Tricks that rotate the wing are awkward on a boom.

Waves. There the wing is often held one-handed and flagged out constantly — a rigid tube becomes surplus inertia.

Frequent flying. Compactness, and no rigid part to bend in the hold.

Small sizes. On a 3 m² wing a boom is proportionally heavier and more noticeable.

A third option: a removable boom

Worth knowing the choice is not always binary. Some brands — Takoon, for instance — sell booms as separate items, and on some wings they replace the handles.

Ensis sells carbon and aluminium booms separately in three lengths: 85, 108 and 118 cm.

Boom length follows wing size: short for small wings, long for large. Too short limits how wide your hands can go on a big wing; too long is in the way on a small one.

Carbon against aluminium is the usual story: carbon is lighter and stiffer, aluminium cheaper and better at surviving impacts.

Choosing in under a minute

First wing → boom.

Freestyle with wing rotation → handles.

Waves → handles.

Flying often with the wing → handles, or a removable boom.

Long runs and downwinders → boom: precise balance adjustment over distance matters more.

Not sure → boom. It forgives more, and you can outgrow it later.

Common questions

Why does the handle version cost more?

At Ensis the gap is 76 € in the boom's favour. It comes down to the wing's construction and mounts rather than the cost of a tube.

Can I fit a boom to a wing with handles?

On some models, yes — booms are sold separately. Check compatibility with your specific wing.

What boom length do I need?

By wing size: short (around 85 cm) for small wings, long (around 118 cm) for large.

Carbon or aluminium boom?

Carbon is lighter and stiffer, aluminium cheaper and better at surviving impacts. For a first season aluminium makes more sense.

Does a boom hinder flagging out?

Slightly: a wing with a boom carries more inertia and flags a touch slower. Noticeable in waves, barely so in freeride.

Where to look

Ensis SCORE BOOM and SCORE HANDLE — one wing in two builds. Booms separately: carbon and aluminium. All wings are in the wingfoil section.