The composite tip is several feet at the top of the mast. (maybe about 1/3 of the mast) You can tell a comp tip from an aluminum mast simply by the way it looks at the top. The aluminum mast has a round mast head. The comp tip is flat on top. It is in fact that much safer, simply based on conductivity of materials. Of course the safest thing to do is be careful where you raise your mast and move your boat.