aluminum pole thickness vs CF

[Brion Toss]

Hi,
From the little I know about carbon fiber, and about poles, there can be no simple rule of thumb re wall thickness relative to aluminum. Unlike with solid metal, carbon poles are made of layers of strands, and the orientation, path, and spacing of those strands is what provides the moments of inertia. Even with aluminum poles, as with masts, there are the variables of radius and unsupported length, in addition to wall thickness. Carbon is getting more common in all fields of rigging, but that just means that tubes are being built with regard to lots of things that have requirements unrelated to sailing. It would seem that the only reliable way to compare the two poles would be to determine the moments needed, and then to select the correct tube, in either material.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss