Are epoxy short boards any good or better?

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bumfluff
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Are epoxy short boards any good or better?

Post by bumfluff » Mon Jun 02, 2008 1:28 pm

Just want to know your opinions on epoxy short boards. Ive heard some people claim they are too boyant, hard to fix and too lite.

Whats your opinion?

Beerfan

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Post by Beerfan » Tue Jun 03, 2008 6:31 am

Hey bumfluff, i tried a 6'6'' byrne mullet a few weeks back. I usually ride a 6'2'' x 22'' x 3'' thick twin keel that has a 6oz bottom and a double 6 deck. It is not a light board bt it floats and paddles great.

The byrne floated great and paddled great as well, but was too twitchy for me, i didn;t like it. If you like snappy surfing i think they are more suited to that because the slightest movement and they turn quite sharply. I felt that it didn't have a lot of drive either, but my board is a front foot board, and the byrne was a back foot board.


For me, they are too light, but im used to heavier boards so that may just be preference. I have tried my mates surftech 8'6'' lb, which is not a bad board, but still, i think it lacks drive, compared to a poly board.

All my opinion though.

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Post by ric_vidal » Tue Jun 03, 2008 9:58 am

Sorry Fluffy, but let’s get this straight, epoxy is a resin and can be used on pretty much ANY material. You generally use less epoxy resin than polyester because it is more liquid. It is more flexible than polyester but stronger.

The lightness associated with epoxy boards is due to other reasons, namely their core materials like EPS foam and XPS foam which are generally MUCH lighter but not necessarily as strong especially in the case of EPS (think coolite foam). That is why most are skinned with higher density foam as well. In the case of brands like Surftech I believe they use skins and just generally more glass to attain their strength.

FYI, you can glass a ‘normal’ polyurethane blank with epoxy, but you can’t do the reverse, polystyrene foam (EPS) will be dissolved by polyester resin.

Yes boards out of those materials can be more buoyant. Same can be said with lighter poly blanks (more air in them) but they will crush easier.

Too light is subjective, pick up a pro’s board one day and see how light they are, this is also why they snap so many.

On the mal front, yes the argument was they lack momentum, shortboard riding tends to be different but I guess you could get hung up in certain conditions.

Just have to think how you like to ride, Fluffy.

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Post by bumfluff » Tue Jun 03, 2008 10:13 am

Beerfan, yours is a familiar story. A lot of people say they are too light etc...and just dont like how they feel.

Ric, I know what you mean about the epoxy being just a resin, I guess im talking about the lighter foam and how this would effect the board in the water. Ive heard if you go for a thinner board with a light weight foam, it can counter the boyancy associated with them. Might give that a shot and just see what I think, maybe even hire one out first. Thanks for the tips fellas.

If anyone else has any good info, please jump in.

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Post by bumfluff » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:16 am

I found an epoxy shortboard today that looks pretty good. Its 6ft, pretty thin and really light. The thinness and shortness of the board should take some of the bouyancy out of it and hopefully will still paddle ok.

I didnt catch what foam the guy said it was made out of but it seems to have tiny air bubbles in it when you hold it up to light. I just wonder if its going to be strong enough. Does anyone know what kind of foam this is and is it likely to break easily?

Its got a good deal of flex in it also which is uncommon in epoxys.

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Post by ric_vidal » Thu Jun 05, 2008 9:43 am

bumfluff wrote:Does anyone know what kind of foam this is and is it likely to break easily?
What brand of board is it?

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Post by bumfluff » Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:31 am

Webber

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Post by bumfluff » Fri Jun 06, 2008 2:17 pm

What you reckon Ric, should I buy this puppy?

They go for about $700 which is pretty cheap for an epoxy....its got me wondering if its gonna be any good.

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Post by ric_vidal » Fri Jun 06, 2008 5:00 pm

bumfluff wrote:Webber
Not the BBQ :lol:

Nah I meant, like Surftech (Tuflite), which I assume it is?

Plenty of Webber fans out there. Certainly one of the more popular (Surftech) models in Australia from my observation. Saw a broken one (epoxy) in for repairs at Pure but looked like it had been to hell and back.

See if you can take it for a test drive, B-fluffy.

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Re: surftech

Post by daryl » Fri Jun 06, 2008 10:40 pm

Beerfan wrote:

For me, they are too light, but im used to heavier boards so that may just be preference. I have tried my mates surftech 8'6'' lb, which is not a bad board, but still, i think it lacks drive, compared to a poly board.

All my opinion though.
This might be what's happened when I've been out on soft days with my parabolic epoxy boards :shock: . Wonder why the parabolics are not poly?

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Post by drowningbitbybit » Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:24 am

My small wave board is a 6'6 hybrid fish surftech, and pretty much everything anyone says about them is true...

They are very light - but only like a lightly glassed board. Ive got lighter custom boards.

They dont flex like a traditional board.

They're very strong, but not indestuctible. You can put them down on rough ground, for instance, without worrying about the classic car park ding, but you can put a fin through them :oops:

When British Airways put a fist sized hole through it (thanks, guys) fixing it was no big issue.

The big issue with epoxies is how they 'feel' - some ill-defined quality that you cant really work out until you've had a test drive :?

Im no superstar in the water, but I can certainly feel the difference and on balance I prefer the traditional boards, but there's still a place for a hard-as-nails, almost indestructible board in the quiver (think Bondi on a sunny summer sunday afternoon....)

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Post by daryl » Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:48 am

drowningbitbybit wrote:
They are very light - but only like a lightly glassed board. Ive got lighter custom boards.

They dont flex like a traditional board.



The big issue with epoxies is how they 'feel' - some ill-defined quality that you cant really work out until you've had a test drive :?
Had one before and didn't notice a difference :oops: .

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Re: surftech

Post by ric_vidal » Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:11 am

daryl wrote:Wonder why the parabolics are not poly?
Weight and flex I would think, Daz. Keep in mind they have a fair bit of timber attached to them even if it is only balsa it all weighs something.

EPS is a whole lot less dense than poly and you have to use epoxy which in turn is also a more flexible medium. Now unless you want a rubbery noodle you have to stiffen it up with something and breath life into it, hence the skins used in most of these types of construction, and in Bert’s case, parabolic balsa rails.

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Re: surftech

Post by daryl » Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:00 pm

ric_vidal wrote:
daryl wrote:Wonder why the parabolics are not poly?
Weight and flex I would think, Daz. Keep in mind they have a fair bit of timber attached to them even if it is only balsa it all weighs something.

EPS is a whole lot less dense than poly and you have to use epoxy which in turn is also a more flexible medium. Now unless you want a rubbery noodle you have to stiffen it up with something and breath life into it, hence the skins used in most of these types of construction, and in Bert’s case, parabolic balsa rails.
So Rick, if epoxy is stiff, that contributes to the flex :idea: . And, could the light weight be holding me back when the surf's not heavy :shock: ? Been bogging down :oops: there must be a couple of factors, not just light weight, which me and the board both are, like overall buoyancy :idea: , more surface area, which I don't want in better conditions.

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Re: surftech

Post by ric_vidal » Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:35 pm

daryl wrote:So Rick, if epoxy is stiff, that contributes to the flex :idea: .
No mate, other way, epoxy is more flexible that polyester resin, it is the other elements of the construction that give the stiffness. e.g. wood
daryl wrote:And, could the light weight be holding me back when the surf's not heavy :shock: ?

Not quite sure what you are trying to say Daz, you may lose some momentum, lighter boards can get hung up more in windy conditions etc, but in small surf they should feel more responsive for want of a better word.

Was having a discussion with RichQ just the other day about lightness and he summed it up pretty well after I said I quite liked them light as it gave my limited ability the opportunity to throw around a board what I thought was quicker, meaning I could respond in a shorter period of time. With that he suggested it was perhaps more important how the board reacted AFTER the manoeuvre, as in was it predictable and what you were after.

Think there is also considerable difference when length comes into the equation.
daryl wrote:Been bogging down :oops: there must be a couple of factors, not just light weight, which me and the board both are, like overall buoyancy :idea: , more surface area, which I don't want in better conditions.
Could be, just don’t think you should be getting bogged down. Buoyancy = higher in the water, kind of the opposite of getting bogged down.

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Re: surftech

Post by daryl » Sat Jun 07, 2008 3:56 pm

ric_vidal wrote:
daryl wrote:Been bogging down :oops: there must be a couple of factors, not just light weight, which me and the board both are, like overall buoyancy :idea: , more surface area, which I don't want in better conditions.
Could be, just don’t think you should be getting bogged down. Buoyancy = higher in the water, kind of the opposite of getting bogged down.
That's what I'm saying, even tho it's lighter, it may not be buoyant enough, if area contributes to buoyancy at all? Then buoyancy isn't the term :oops: . Drive :?: . Or, I is just too slow taking off, and getting up.

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Post by bumfluff » Sat Jun 07, 2008 6:35 pm

ric_vidal wrote:
bumfluff wrote:Webber
Not the BBQ :lol:

Nah I meant, like Surftech (Tuflite), which I assume it is?

Plenty of Webber fans out there. Certainly one of the more popular (Surftech) models in Australia from my observation. Saw a broken one (epoxy) in for repairs at Pure but looked like it had been to hell and back.

See if you can take it for a test drive, B-fluffy.
Its EPS foam, made by global surf industries. I dunno if thats the info your after. Its so lite its rediculous. I wonder what kind of conditions would best suite a board like this - 6ft, narrow nose, thin board, really lite, I weigh about 60kg.

The other thing that worries me about it is its had a gash up near the nose and although they are going to fix it before i buy it, I wonder if its a bit water logged. I doubt it, but how do you know with an epoxy thats been painted? Its otherwise in perfect nick. Taking it for a test drive tomorrow.

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Post by mustkillmulloway » Sat Jun 07, 2008 7:35 pm

"]
drowningbitbybit wrote:
They dont flex like a traditional board.

..)
i think that was my main issue with the ones i owned....they went ok...but not great

i had a feeling of surfing above the surface as oppose on it :?

if u like the shape...i'd say go for it :!:

just remeber there made in asia by people who don't surf and the $700 your paying means they cost less than a $100 landed by there millions in a container...there not really all that indiviual :roll: :wink:[/quote]
Last edited by mustkillmulloway on Sat Jun 07, 2008 7:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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