EPS/Epoxy board fans: you still going with a wood stringer or nah?

bird.LA

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Jul 14, 2002
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Thinking of ordering an EPS for my next DD. What's the stringer/construction consensus in epoxy world?
 

need 4 speed

Phil Edwards status
Nov 1, 2003
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A lot of factors to consider, but for me: shortish/ no stringer, longish/stringer
Construction would dictate
Some really good shapers in LA area
Ry Harris
Spider
Oak
 

jkb

Tom Curren status
Feb 22, 2005
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I think it depends on the construction like N4S said.

If you get a light EPS blank and a heavy glass schedule, then you can pull off stringerless.

But IMO, an EPS DD feels better with a blank that has a similar density to a PU and a standard 4x4x4oz glass schedule. In this case I would go with a stringer or at the minimum either a high density foam stringer, carbon wrapped rails, or something along those lines. I'd be a little worried about the long term reliability of a stringerless EPS board with a standard glass schedule.
 

bird.LA

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jkb said:
But IMO, an EPS DD feels better with a blank that has a similar density to a PU and a standard 4x4x4oz glass schedule. In this case I would go with a stringer or at the minimum either a high density foam stringer, carbon wrapped rails, or something along those lines. I'd be a little worried about the long term reliability of a stringerless EPS board with a standard glass schedule.
Great insight. Thanks :shaka:
 

jkb

Tom Curren status
Feb 22, 2005
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bird. said:
jkb said:
But IMO, an EPS DD feels better with a blank that has a similar density to a PU and a standard 4x4x4oz glass schedule. In this case I would go with a stringer or at the minimum either a high density foam stringer, carbon wrapped rails, or something along those lines. I'd be a little worried about the long term reliability of a stringerless EPS board with a standard glass schedule.
Great insight. Thanks :shaka:
I meant durability, not reliability above.

:shaka:
 

JDJ

Miki Dora status
Mar 1, 2014
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If you're going with Stamps, I would just use whatever he normally uses for EPS builds.

I like stringerless, but it needs to be the right builder. Also like a heavier glass job.
 

grg

Phil Edwards status
Mar 11, 2006
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FresnoRipper said:
My 7'11" Hoyte Twinzer was stringerless EPS and it was fvking awesome.
I own this board now and have had some good sessions on it. I was curious how it was going to be in the surf with its size etc. Wont be getting rid of it anytime soon.
 

deforestcooper

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Nov 1, 2016
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Stringerless with full carbon on top and bottom might be something to consider. I tried that on an XTR blank. Felt a little too flexy for me though.
They also have stringerless with dual parallel carbon on each side!
I think XTR's high density foam stringer is the best feeling. Not as stiff as a wood stinger.
 

bird.LA

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J_D_J said:
If you're going with Stamps, I would just use whatever he normally uses for EPS builds.
I am, and I had already been pretty much set on getting a stringered board this time around when I made this post.

Was more curious if I'd get any carbon wrap/alt tech crazies who were ready to throw down treatises on the obsolescence of wood in surfboards. Doesn't seem to be the case.
 

JDJ

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bird. said:
J_D_J said:
If you're going with Stamps, I would just use whatever he normally uses for EPS builds.
I am, and I had already been pretty much set on getting a stringered board this time around when I made this post.

Was more curious if I'd get any carbon wrap/alt tech crazies who were ready to throw down treatises on the obsolescence of wood in surfboards. Doesn't seem to be the case.
Ah. Ok.

I've had some conversations with Tim about his EPS build. If I recall, he was using a certain stringer type and at a certain thickness, but I can't remember what or why. He has a foam preference too, if I recall.

But I would just ask him.


 

Hazrus

Nep status
Sep 23, 2016
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I've had plenty of stringered EPS/epoxy boards. I think they work fine for small waves. They feel more alive or sensitive than PU in these sized waves. Also, I've ridden a few of the so-called "new constructions" without stringers and black "carbon" everywhere - they aren't appreciably better than the old stringered EPS in my experience.

Marketing would tell you otherwise though...
 

Havoc

Phil Edwards status
May 23, 2016
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Hopeless said:
I've had plenty of stringered EPS/epoxy boards. I think they work fine for small waves. They feel more alive or sensitive than PU in these sized waves. Also, I've ridden a few of the so-called "new constructions" without stringers and black "carbon" everywhere - they aren't appreciably better than the old stringered EPS in my experience.

Marketing would tell you otherwise though...
agreed. xtr is another where stringered feels great. all that stringerless cabron jumbo jumbo is bs imho
 

Aruka

Tom Curren status
Feb 23, 2010
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I like my stringered EPS boards from Tim. His "go to" build for team guys a year ago was 4+4/4, 1/16th bass stringer. Not sure of the blank weight but probably on the light side. I added a carbon strip on the deck side of my GX. Can't say for sure if it makes any difference but it's lasted a year with no dings and it surfs aaaaamazing. Super light and lively. I also own a EPS WTF and I've ridden his Banjo fish in EPS and they also went great. It's been a while since I've had a daily driver in EPS but I'm tempted to try it on the next order when I'm not so dang poor.

I've surfed some stringerless EPS boards but the only ones I've owned were Coil's which are kind of their own thing IMO.

I probably wouldn't go stringerless on a hpsb but for a chunky grovel board I might.
 
May 10, 2016
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If it's your first EPS go with a stringered one. Buy a Marko or US Blanks 2.0 lbs and 1/8 wood stringer. Easiest to shape (measurements, rocker...) and no "funky" feeling as you could experiment with a stringerless one. As said before i prefer the stringerless blanks for the small boards. Still experimenting with different constructions but my standard lamination is 6/4+6 with 2.0 lbs and wood stringer. No carbon tape. Still damn light but strong and reliable. 4/4+4 will be really light, from my experience too light is not the way to go on a standard HPSB. If you want something lighter : 4/4+6. I hated my first EPS blank (really not attractive to shape...) but 10 years later my production is 90 % EPS and 10 % PU. Personal quiver is 100 % EPS, i just love the lively feeling the boards have compare to PU. Don't even talking about epoxy vs PE... Hope it helps.
 

everysurfer

Phil Edwards status
Sep 9, 2013
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Stringerless needs something to stiffen critical area in front of fins. Either rail channels, carbon, or extra cloth.
Otherwise the rail area in front of the fins will over flex, and look like a soda can that got dented.
 

ghostshaper

Phil Edwards status
Jan 22, 2005
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my daily driver is a 5'6 stringerless, flat deck, 3x 2.5 oz s cloth deck and 2x 2.5 oz s cloth bottom. 2 lb eps blank, iirc. going strong on year 3, still feels as good as year 1. the deck has pretty good foot wells, but no structural problems. made myself a replacement a year ago, and haven't felt the need to finish glassing it and ride it b/c the current one is still so good.

not a fan of flexy boards, though. I've ridden softboards (just tried marko's ifoam board last month) and they feel like a wet noodle coming off the bottom.

growing up on pu/pe boards, they felt dead after a year. read something about wooden stringers having microfractures over time, but I think it's more to do w/ the foam: pu is brittle (as is pe resin), but eps retains its memory much longer (epoxy resin is more flexible, too).