I was wondering about the employees. Maybe they just don't have a good supporting staff right now. And I wonder who draws the lines for the fin boxes and installs them. Is that done by the ghost shaper or Epoxy Pro staff? Seems like something that needs to be double and triple checked before execution, and maybe that level of employee is the issue. If it is, they need to be taught and supervised more closely. I'll probably just lurk on here and the internet through my next board or two, and keep an eye on what the state of their business is looking like. I kind of want to try some different constructions, anyway.
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XTR
- Thread starter isurfcardiff
- Start date
I'm thinking electralite. Performance is more important to me than durability (with some balance of the two, of course), but I'm also getting the next board more for head high and over days at my beach break. I would like less chatter and something a little more solid feeling. The XTR Tomo with the issues is so freakin fast, it's almost too fast on larger waves. And the fatter, wider tail on it makes it difficult carve tight turns while going so fast. The speed is really fun, though. The weird thing that happens, is that sometimes when I'm surfing backside it feels like the board is pulling me away from the face of the wave into the bottom flat area. It's weird, and then it messes me up when I surf the El Tomo (which is not that often). First world problems haha.
That explains the higher prices.... having to pay for those board runs back and forth x 2 to Santa Barbara.
And of course, getting those boards to Tomo in OZ?
In all seriousness, is the foam just difficult to shape? Time and again it seems finish shaping is an issue, from the boards I've seen with two different rails to the above poster who had a hard edge all the way to the nose on one side.
What's up with the weird files? Aruka's TP is a glaring example. I had a board come out absurdly corkier than it ever should have - totally worthless to me - I wrote them about it - no reply - and that was the last one I ever ordered.
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Pretty sure it's the other way around. XTR is the foam, and Epoxy Pros make the boards from that foam with a patented process. Kind of confusing how they use the terms interchangeably.
XTR Epoxy Surfboards
XTR Epoxy technology builds and manufactures the most advanced surfboards in the world. We've partnered with the industries top shapers to provide custom epoxy technology direct to consumer.
epoxysurfboards.com
Yes. Most members here have had great experiences with XTR. You’re in SC, correct? I am in the minority that had problems with QC on a board. The eventual resolution (remade board) took three 85 mile round trips (9+ hours of my time) to get sorted out. Factoring in mileage and my time, I was in + $1500 for the board. I recently sold it for more than a $450 loss ($933 paid).
I had ridden a poly version of the same size board which I really liked and was why I felt comfortable spending the additional money for XTR to get some purported added durability/longevity. I preferred the poly version to the final XTR board I received, but that could attributed to the XTR being pretty heavy compared to polys in the same size range and even compared to the original XTR one that had the QC issues.
I think their tech is top notch, just saying if you're one of the few that do have a problem, being on the right coast could lead to some delays and/or frustration shipping things back and forth. I’m personally never going to order a new board from XTR. I think enough of the construction to be open to a used board, but their communication (lack of) has put me off in the custom realm.
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Bingo. Not the easiest foam to work with from what I understand. I’ve never had a problem but it seems folks are more recently. It must be tough to get and keep good workers in the board building industry.
XTR and Epoxy pro are the same thing. I have never had any issues with them, very strong boards. Have one 10 year old board now still very lively it has a small open ding on the bottom for the last 5 years I never even addressed it no issues. fwiw I only get stringered boards havent tried any of the gucci construction options. edit: actually I think I did have an issue way back around 2005 before they got the vents figured out but no problems since then.
All the issues sound messed up, but quad rears shouldn't be symmetrical to fronts, right?
To my understanding XTR is the parent company. Epoxy pro is the glassing. That’s why some of the firewire boards have the epoxy pro logo on the tail. It’s an LFT blank but glassed by epoxy pro (javiers crew). He takes pride in being the best epoxy shop for the past 30 years. He’s been doing epoxy longer than anyone I’ve known of. In the early days when epoxy wasn’t popular he was doing epoxy work on jet skis, boats, etc. whatever to pay the bills. He’s experimented with epoxy for years and has earned his reputation for being one of the best - of not the best with epoxy.
I was told XTR is a very is a dense foam. The same machines that cut eps and pu can’t cut an XTR blank. So Javier gets the file. Cuts it. Then sends to the shaper to finish shape. Then Javier will glass and finish. There is a thread here about how long Lost takes through XTR. I’m guessing it’s a similar time frame for Pyzel, Album, T-Patterson, etc.
I was told XTR is a very is a dense foam. The same machines that cut eps and pu can’t cut an XTR blank. So Javier gets the file. Cuts it. Then sends to the shaper to finish shape. Then Javier will glass and finish. There is a thread here about how long Lost takes through XTR. I’m guessing it’s a similar time frame for Pyzel, Album, T-Patterson, etc.
XTR had a shaper(s) available for quicker turnarounds on CI's and Pyzel's, but they've removed the expedited service for those brands off their online ordering form's delivery time drop down.
As in the distance from the left front to left rear is not the same as the distance from right front to right rear
I had similar issues with fin placements on Tomo XTR (among other things). I am 100% sympathetic that different materials may be more difficult to work with. But Rusty’s torsion spring is just them licensing XTR right? I don’t pay very close attention, but ive seen nothing but positives about Rusty boards
I'm starting to get worried about my next order myself. after the issue I've mentioned before with the buckled board that was sanded too light, Shey told me they could remake a new board for me with $450 and will make sure to supervise the process for me.
They were super responsive with me up until the point when I paid my invoice on Paypal, now it's two weeks in, and I don't even see my order anywhere on the order sheet, and they just magically stopped responding to me all the sudden as well. I don't want to rush them, because I know it's the busiest season ever in the surf industry, but if I don't hear anything back in a week or two, I might be asking for my money back directly from Paypal
They were super responsive with me up until the point when I paid my invoice on Paypal, now it's two weeks in, and I don't even see my order anywhere on the order sheet, and they just magically stopped responding to me all the sudden as well. I don't want to rush them, because I know it's the busiest season ever in the surf industry, but if I don't hear anything back in a week or two, I might be asking for my money back directly from Paypal
I was hesitant about asking status on my order until I saw Javier in the water one time and he told me that he’s a surfer too and understands how bad surfers what their boards done and told me he’d check on my order. All the guys there get it, and if your order is delayed or you don’t see it on the status I would definitely email them and ask what’s going on. They won’t take it as annoying and I don’t think it will affect the outcome of your board.
Your freaking about 2 weeks in? In a normal year, I've only occasionally seen my XTR boards pop on the order status in 2 weeks... let alone the busiest season ever...
they shape Merricks in O'side too no need to take them all the way up to SB
@ReForest best epoxy glasser? Because they'll do some contract work for FW? Where do you come up with this stuff?
Pretty well-documented that QC is off/non-existent there, boards with glaring shape issues, can't match simple color requests, stuff is rarely aligned properly (fins, patches, "tech") and sand throughs everywhere (the one XTR board I had basically disintegrated around the squarish tail rails - including a weird area behind the tail pad - some other guy on here posted the same issue - foam was basically not there under the glass).
I'm not a stretch guy but difference in quality is pretty big. I will say the concept of XTR foam is great. Closed cell/waterproof. Feels fine in the water too. But I think it must be a pain in the ass to shape and it seems like the foam/glass bond is not that great.
Last thing, I think the discounts are a red flag. How/why would a glass shop offer a discount like that? Someone's eating that or corners are being cut. Why would you be able to get a board cheaper from XTR than direct from shaper? Something seems off there. Maybe just my opinion. I would also venture to guess FW uses them more for cost than quality.
Pretty well-documented that QC is off/non-existent there, boards with glaring shape issues, can't match simple color requests, stuff is rarely aligned properly (fins, patches, "tech") and sand throughs everywhere (the one XTR board I had basically disintegrated around the squarish tail rails - including a weird area behind the tail pad - some other guy on here posted the same issue - foam was basically not there under the glass).
I'm not a stretch guy but difference in quality is pretty big. I will say the concept of XTR foam is great. Closed cell/waterproof. Feels fine in the water too. But I think it must be a pain in the ass to shape and it seems like the foam/glass bond is not that great.
Last thing, I think the discounts are a red flag. How/why would a glass shop offer a discount like that? Someone's eating that or corners are being cut. Why would you be able to get a board cheaper from XTR than direct from shaper? Something seems off there. Maybe just my opinion. I would also venture to guess FW uses them more for cost than quality.