Buyers Guide: Boom Bars

We sell one brand of boom: Barefoot International. This guide covers what a boom is good for, how each model in the range matches a different boat layout, the accessories that make it work for kids and taller riders, and the safety rules that come with it.

What is a boom bar used for?

Barefoot International describes the boom as the best teaching device for skiing, barefooting and wakeboarding. The reasons are practical:

• Slower speeds. Because the rider is holding a solid bar beside the boat rather than a rope behind it, the boat can be driven at lower speeds. Barefoot International's own advice is that this makes it safer for small children and easier to learn on.
• The coach is right there. The rider sits just a few feet from the instructor, so you can talk them through body position on every pass instead of shouting over the engine.
• No rope to manage. No slack to take up and no rope to untangle before a start.

Teaching kids and beginners to ski or wakeboard

For a nervous first-timer, the boom takes away most of what makes the first ride hard: the deep-water start at the end of a long rope, the speed, and the feeling of being a long way from the boat. Kids get up holding something solid, close to a parent, at a speed that doesn't frighten them.

For small hands, add the Boom Handle Attachment. It slides over the end of any Barefoot International boom, locks with a set screw, adds 17.5 inches (about 44 cm) of length and narrows to a 1.25-inch (about 32 mm) grip that children can hold properly.

Pair the boom with gear sized for the rider: kids water skis, combo skis or a kids wakeboard. Our guide 5 Awesome Ways To Teach Kids To Waterski covers the other options.

Learning to barefoot

Barefoot International's founder, Mike Seipel, began manufacturing booms in 1983 as his way of introducing skiers to the sport, according to his USA Water Ski & Wake Sports Foundation Hall of Fame profile. Holding a bar beside the boat lets a new footer learn at a lower speed with a coach alongside.

The Barefoot International Easy Footer takes this a step further. It gives the rider full support so they can concentrate on foot and body position rather than balance. Barefoot International recommends it be used with their booms only, because the Easy Footer puts high loads on the clamp.

For setting boat speed by rider weight, see our barefoot water skiing speed calculator, and for suits, our barefoot suits range.

Why we stock Barefoot International booms

• Built by barefooters. The company was founded by Mike Seipel, who won six world titles in barefoot water skiing, including overall world champion in 1984 and 1985. It started as one of the first training centres for barefoot skiers, in Wisconsin, and booms grew out of that coaching.
• Materials. Aircraft-grade aluminium and 1018 stainless steel, made in Milwaukee, USA. Every boom is braced by two braided steel cables to the bow for side-to-side stability.
• A model for almost every boat layout. Direct-drive pylons (tapered or not, windshield forward or behind), V-drive rear pylons, Malibu XTi retractable pylons, round towers, and boats with no pylon at all.
• Simple clamps. Solid clamp boxes with quick-release pins, so the boom goes on and comes off in minutes.
• Parts you can actually get. We stock replacement clamps, clamp boxes, quick-release pins, cables, cable blocks and inside and outside boom sections, so a damaged or lost part doesn't mean a new boom.
• Warranty. Barefoot International covers its booms against manufacturer defects for one year from purchase.

Which boom fits your boat?

Start with where the boom will mount. For pylon booms, two more things decide the model: where your windshield frame sits compared with the pylon, and whether the pylon is tapered.

Pylon booms: straight vs contour

All pylon booms must clamp below the taper on the pylon. The contour models (Single Straight Contour, Universal Contour, Quad Contour and Quad V-Drive) have a bend that lets the clamp sit low on a tapered pylon. The Universal Contour's bend sets the boom back 8 inches from the pylon to clear a windshield that extends past it; if you need more offset than that, the Quad Contour is the one.

The Universal Contour comes with a 2.5-inch clamp as standard, with a 3-inch version for larger pylons. Barefoot International lists 2.5 inches as the most common pylon diameter.

V-drive boats

The Quad V-Drive is built for factory pylons that come up through the rear seat. It is not for aftermarket pylons, and the pylon needs at least 3 inches (about 7.5 cm) of untapered pylon above the seat for the clamp to attach. Its contour angles the boom forward, keeping the rider closer to the driver or passenger and out of the spray. It is side-specific, so choose passenger or driver's side when ordering.

Tower boom

The Tower Boom Bar mounts entirely outside the boat on a round tubular tower, using dual support arms and turnbuckles, so it takes up no room inside the boat. To stow it, unclip the bow cable and pull three quick-release pins. Both support arms must always be used.

It only fits round towers. Measure the outside diameter of your tower tube before ordering:

• W206: 2-inch towers (bushings included for 1-7/8 inch)
• W207: 2-1/2-inch towers (bushings for 2-3/8 and 2-1/4 inch)
• W209: 3-inch towers (bushings for 2-7/8 inch)

Barefoot International flags the Illusion tower on some Malibu boats as an exception, so talk to us before ordering for one of those. Changed boats? Separate clamp boxes refit a Tower Boom to a different tower size.

Boats without a pylon: the gunnel boom

If your boat has no factory pylon, the Deluxe Gunnel Boom spans across the boat and clamps to both gunnels, with the same twin steel cables to the bow. It fits boats up to 84 inches (about 2.13 m) wide and was designed by Mike Seipel.

Boom accessories

• Boom Handle Attachment (B111): narrower grip and extra length for kids. Fits every Barefoot International boom.
• Boom Height Adjuster (B107): raises or lowers the rider's end by up to 12 inches (about 30 cm) either way, for riders of different heights. Not compatible with the Gunnel Boom or Tower Boom.
• Boom Extension (B110): adds 18 inches (about 46 cm), moving the rider further from the hull and out of the spray. Fits every Barefoot International boom except the Tower Boom.
• Easy Footer (B228): full-support trainer for first-time barefooters.
• Gunnel Saver, Boom Pad Sleeve and Cable Protector: padding that protects the gunnels, the hull and anyone who bumps into the boom inside the boat.

Setting up and using a boom safely

• Factory pylons only. Barefoot International does not recommend fitting a boom to an aftermarket pylon. They aren't reinforced for the load and can tear out of the floor.
• One rider at a time. Never put more than one person on the boom.
• Angle it slightly forward. This moves the rider out of the side spray off the hull.
• Height. If several people share the boom, set it at roughly chest height of an average adult. On a pylon boom, the lower the clamp sits on the pylon, the higher the rider's end of the boom.
• Which side? In the US most owners run the boom out the passenger side, which Barefoot International notes keeps spray off the driver. In Australia it's the opposite: most booms here go out the driver's side. Most booms can be fitted to either side; the Quad Contour and Quad V-Drive are built for one side, so tell us which side you need when ordering.
• Take it off to trailer the boat. The clamp can stay on the pylon; the inside and outside sections come off in a few minutes.
• Grease the pins. Clear silicone grease on the quick-release pins keeps them working smoothly.
• Life vests still apply. A rider on a boom is still being towed. Wear an approved life vest, put kids in a properly fitted kids life vest and never an adult one, and follow your state's observer rules.

Boom bar FAQ

Can I fit a boom to a boat without a ski pylon?

Yes. The Barefoot International Deluxe Gunnel Boom clamps across both gunnels and suits boats with no factory pylon, up to 84 inches (about 2.13 m) wide. If your boat has a round tubular tower, the Tower Boom is the other option.

Can I use a boom on an aftermarket pylon?

No. Barefoot International does not recommend it, because aftermarket pylons aren't reinforced for boom loads and can tear out of the floor. The Quad V-Drive Boom is specifically not compatible with aftermarket pylons.

How do I know if I need a straight or contour boom?

Check two things: whether your pylon is tapered, and where the windshield frame sits. Windshield in front and no taper suits the Straight Boom. Windshield in front with a taper suits the Single Straight Contour. Windshield level with or up to 8 inches behind the pylon suits the Universal Contour. More than 8 inches behind suits the Quad Contour.

Can more than one person ride the boom at once?

No. Barefoot International recommends only one rider on the boom at a time.

How do I adjust the boom height?

On a pylon boom, move the clamp: the lower it sits on the pylon, the higher the rider's end. If you can't move the clamp far enough, the Boom Height Adjuster gives up to 12 inches either way. It doesn't fit the Gunnel Boom or Tower Boom.

Do I need to remove the boom when trailering?

Yes. Barefoot International recommends removing the boom whenever you tow the boat. The clamp can stay on the pylon.

What warranty do Barefoot International booms have?

One year from purchase against manufacturer defects.

I'm not sure which boom fits my boat. What should I do?

Contact us with your boat's year, make and model, and a photo showing the pylon or tower and the windshield. We'll match the boom and clamp size before you order.

Related guides

• Barefoot water skiing speed calculator
• 5 Awesome Ways To Teach Kids To Waterski
• The Breakdown: Double Skis
• How to fit a Life Jacket correctly

Shop the gear

• Boom Bars and boom parts
• Barefoot
• Barefoot Ropes & Handles
• Kids Water Skis
• Kids Life Vests