Lighter board makes lighter swing weight for the advantage. That makes EPS builds great for bigger dudes slinging bigger boards into the lip and usually strength advantage for them too. Lighter swing is great for all in small waves. Big waves, chop, offshores is preference or tolerance of +/-s. Weighing boards not always about lightest, can also measure consistency in glassing/sanding and in dupe attempts.
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Endtimes for the Surfboard Industry?
- Thread starter vanrysss
- Start date
I'm not going to give a lot away, but I have had really good results on a simple poly build using a combo of PVC stringers. My results have been replicated by a couple of others. Shapers who were playing with the concept of flex and failing or experiencing frequent breakage. I look at some of these uber complicated/expensive builds that purport to be chasing flex and I have to wonder why they have made things so difficult.
Lighter boards nice for the shoulders as you get older too. Rode a weightier fish for the first time in months this morning and post surf my left shoulder pain is apparent whereas the lighter boards I have been riding have no such problem.
Besides durability the thing that’s a con with really light boars is it doesn’t have momentum paddling into a wave. At least for me. My mom blessed/cursed me with short arms, not quite Purple Barney Dino arms but…..when I stop paddling boar stops. Same size boar glassed a tad heavier feels like it glides in and under easier.
Another con is falling or kicking out and the wind catching boar and turning into a boomerang at my head.
Another con is falling or kicking out and the wind catching boar and turning into a boomerang at my head.
I've made one board with a PVC stringer. White stringer with black glue up. Can confirm a lot of flex, especially on the glassing racks. This was a 5'9P blank in red density. I think it was a good blank for a grom board but would have flexed like a wet noodle under the feet of a powerful adult. You'd end up adding carbon to control the flex.
I'm really noticing that with the balsa boards I'm riding at the moment- the extra momentum paddling into a wave is really noticeable.
Sure, you need the muscle strength to drive that and as Pete mentioned, that might put extra strain on shoulders.
But for me it really offers an advantage.
That's why I said use a "combo" of stringers. Multiple stringers. No carbon fiber necessary. 59P-60P is a good blank for a grom board if your hand shaping it. Kind of a pain to machine but I've pulled plenty of sub five footers out of them for mini rippers.
USB used to make a fiberglass stringer but I never tried it. It was expensive. I liked the concept but hardly anyone gave them a go.
But as I remember, there are two thicknesses of PVC. 3-4mm Now start creatively placing said stringers in the blank. I really only tried three configurations. But I can envision a LOT of variations. My favorite small wave board is 3" thick and has three PVC stringers. I was paranoid about snapping it. In retrospect, I think I could have easily gone with two. One of my shapers had multiple team riders on two PVC stringers. Then you can start playing with the glassing schedule.
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That's one of the things I don't like about EPS builds. You stop paddling, the board stops moving rather quickly. Takes a few extra strokes.
It's weird, I've never ridden wooden boards, tried all different flavours of EPS/Epoxy and pretty much hated them all.
Now I'm wishing I'd discovered wooden boards earlier.
Now I'm wishing I'd discovered wooden boards earlier.
I love them both.
Rode the 5'8" in well OH punchy beach break today and had an absolute ball on it.
Rode the 5'8" in well OH punchy beach break today and had an absolute ball on it.