Varial foam Article/Ride Reports?

h8scoldh20

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i haven't tried one but from what i gather no one really prefers it to the bread n butter PU. if it felt great you'd think there would be more chatter as it has been around for almost ~6 months?
 

ciscojaws

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Jul 28, 2008
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barnod said:
i haven't tried one but from what i gather no one really prefers it to the bread n butter PU. if it felt great you'd think there would be more chatter as it has been around for almost ~6 months?
Unfortunately surfers are by and large retarded. Why so many Firewires? Marketing. Why so many Surftechs? Marketing. If the big manufacturers started pushing this stuff it would be the second coming - I mean CI and Lost, maybe Rusty too. Just because Biolos is featured in this article doesn't mean he's pushing it.

How many people are riding Coils?
 

retodd

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Feb 23, 2009
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I think the added 125 cost justtfor the blank is just too much , then if its being cnc'd they will charge more for being stringerless.

Then u have rocker issues with varial blanks

Then u have the fact they have a nasty chemical smell


Ummmmm why did u wanna try one againg ?

 

alaskasurfer

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Mar 10, 2006
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retodd said:
I think the added 125 cost justtfor the blank is just too much , then if its being cnc'd they will charge more for being stringerless.

Then u have rocker issues with varial blanks

Then u have the fact they have a nasty chemical smell


Ummmmm why did u wanna try one againg ?
Well when you put it that way...
Thanks for the feedback, that def helps.
 

Aruka

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Feb 23, 2010
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So no one has actually ridden one though?

Might have to take one for the team since I've been itching for a new sled lately.

Also I like the thought of forcing some smelly, toxic dust on GWS.



 
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averagejoe

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Aruka said:
So no one has actually ridden one though?

Might have to take one for the team since I've been itching for a new sled lately.

Also I like the thought of forcing some smelly, toxic dust on GWS.
we're making one for one of our bro's
i will get a chance to ride it
should get the cut dropped off today
 

RTP

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Nov 10, 2010
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I have about 20 sessions in on this one. It's 4+4/4 s glass and apex epoxy. Slight heel dents are starting to show. Came in at 6 lbs, 2 oz without fins (6'1" x 19.5" x 2.63"). Got a small ding the other day and it seemed like it didn't take on any water.



There was an bit of a chemical smell to the dust. The foam finishes out way better than eps, but it seemed to tear on any grit lower than 120.
 

GWS

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averagejoe said:
Aruka said:
So no one has actually ridden one though?

Might have to take one for the team since I've been itching for a new sled lately.

Also I like the thought of forcing some smelly, toxic dust on GWS.
we're making one for one of our bro's
i will get a chance to ride it
should get the cut dropped off today

I've cut about 20 of them at this point. Maybe 30. I have one in the racks that is a demo for a personal. My son has one sitting there as well. Just haven't gotten around to it yet. There' a few other issues besides the smell/toxicity etc. Which, I did four of them with a dust mask on and I had to shut the shop and go home with a nasty, nasty headache. You need chem filters on a respirator. And long sleeves and/or a jumpsuit so it isn't on your skin. Everything opened up and fans on high. You take those steps and the headaches stopped.

There's been some issues with rockers. I have a hard time getting the same thing twice. Which means every blank has to be mapped. They were machining blocks of foam into blank configuration at first. The last ones I saw they had heated and bent the rocker in. There were some twist issues. Then as I cut them, as material was removed from the blank, you could watch the blank untwist as it cut. Not good. So hopefully they won't be doing that anymore. Twist and spring-back are the possible problems.

The payoff is super light surfboards. And they are amazingly strong. Guys are getting away with single four on stringer-less blanks. And you grab the board and thumb it, (please don't thumb surfboards unless you are a trained professional ;) ) and they are amazingly hard. You can put a stringer-less milled blank on the floor deck down and push on the center of it and it behaves like a blank with a stringer in it re the way it flexes. Super interesting stuff. But they have a few issues to work through before it goes big. They need to either figure out a way of hot wiring it, (I have no idea of whether that is possible) or blow the stuff in a mold. Machining blanks out of a block is too time intensive IMO. The heat/bend thing was a total failure IMO.

:shrug:
 
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barrysnyder

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I'm thinking hot wiring would produce an even more toxic fume.
Handshaped one for a customer. He brought it to me. Don't know where he got it. Tore a bit with the planer. Felt like it had a stringer during shaping process.
We glassed it all 4oz. came out pretty light.
Foam is stronger, but still dents from heels.
For more than double the blank cost, I don't know.
Rather spend less on better quality fiberglass.
Maybe should have glassed with Epoxy resin.
 

Northern_Shores

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Mar 30, 2009
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"The advantage of going stringerless is that it eliminates the inconsistent flex properties of wood - due to the knots and grain density in wood that vary slightly from stringer to stringer. The end result is flex consistency from blank to blank."

Off all the retarded crap in surfboard marketing that is probably the stupidest I`ve read. Atleast for a long time. Improbable claims are thrown around as facts.
 

h8scoldh20

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Dec 30, 2010
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great insight from gws and Barry!

PU has always felt the best to me for the exact reason Biolos shared in the article. I don't mind paying an extra $150 of it feels better and is more durable. hopefully the production side of things gets ironed out.

 

Aruka

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Feb 23, 2010
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Good stuff sharky.

GWS said:
averagejoe said:
Aruka said:
So no one has actually ridden one though?

Might have to take one for the team since I've been itching for a new sled lately.

Also I like the thought of forcing some smelly, toxic dust on GWS.
we're making one for one of our bro's
i will get a chance to ride it
should get the cut dropped off today

I've cut about 20 of them at this point. Maybe 30. I have one in the racks that is a demo for a personal. My son has one sitting there as well. Just haven't gotten around to it yet. There' a few other issues besides the smell/toxicity etc. Which, I did four of them with a dust mask on and I had to shut the shop and go home with a nasty, nasty headache. You need chem filters on a respirator. And long sleeves and/or a jumpsuit so it isn't on your skin. Everything opened up and fans on high. You take those steps and the headaches stopped.

There's been some issues with rockers. I have a hard time getting the same thing twice. Which means every blank has to be mapped. They were machining blocks of foam into blank configuration at first. The last ones I saw they had heated and bent the rocker in. There were some twist issues. Then as I cut them, as material was removed from the blank, you could watch the blank untwist as it cut. Not good. So hopefully they won't be doing that anymore. Twist and spring-back are the possible problems.

The payoff is super light surfboards. And they are amazingly strong. Guys are getting away with single four on stringer-less blanks. And you grab the board and thumb it, (please don't thumb surfboards unless you are a trained professional ;) ) and they are amazingly hard. You can put a stringer-less milled blank on the floor deck down and push on the center of it and it behaves like a blank with a stringer in it re the way it flexes. Super interesting stuff. But they have a few issues to work through before it goes big. They need to either figure out a way of hot wiring it, (I have no idea of whether that is possible) or blow the stuff in a mold. Machining blanks out of a block is too time intensive IMO. The heat/bend thing was a total failure IMO.

:shrug:
So is that a no on cutting me a new shorty?

I think the extra cost may be a little excessive but at the same time if you can get a magic board to last a bit longer it could totally be worth it.

I'm not overly concerned about weight so I wonder if I could get away with double 4oz. top and bottom without screwing with the flex too much...
 

barrysnyder

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Northern_Shores said:
"The advantage of going stringerless is that it eliminates the inconsistent flex properties of wood - due to the knots and grain density in wood that vary slightly from stringer to stringer. The end result is flex consistency from blank to blank."

Off all the retarded crap in surfboard marketing that is probably the stupidest I`ve read. Atleast for a long time. Improbable claims are thrown around as facts.
Wow. Such insight from a guy who has built a handful of boards.

 

JDJ

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The finished boards have felt pretty good under the arm -- I've only seen boards from Doc with Varial foam. Although the toxic smell, dust, etc., if accurate, is no bueno. PU is bad enough.

Barry, are you at the Boardroom next weekend?
 

Ifallalot

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Dec 17, 2008
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So we're spending a lot more money on something just so it feels like PU without any added strength? :shrug:
 

barrysnyder

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J_D_J said:
The finished boards have felt pretty good under the arm -- I've only seen boards from Doc with Varial foam. Although the toxic smell, dust, etc., if accurate, is no bueno. PU is bad enough.

Barry, are you at the Boardroom next weekend?
I'll be there Sat. Just hanging out, seeing old friends and a little business.
Not doing a booth this time. Been working on re-branding. Doing work.
Maybe next time.