Traditional Polyester Foam and Fiberglass Resin versus Stryofoam and Epoxy Resin
Polyester Foam Fiberglass Resin Surfboards
Traditional fiberglass
construction also referred to as classic or PU or poly or glass is the
classic construction of the surf industry. It’s what boards have been made out
of for the last 60 plus years and still to this day.
PU construction starts with a
polyester foam blank and a wood stringer, typically balsa. These boards are
then traditionally shaped by hand then wrapped in fiberglass and polyurethane
resin.
Advantages
Cuts Through Chop
– A poly blank is a fairly dense foam. This gives you a board that sits
lower in the water and makes those rough and choppy days a little smoother
as your board will cut through the chop well. This is a benefit not only
when you’re paddling out because it will help you keep your momentum up
but it will also be smoother on the water when riding.
Responsive
– Another benefit to the poly blank is the spring it provides. A poly
board will feel more lively under foot more often than not. This can make
your board more responsive and more performance driven.
Better Graphics
– Because the foam is more dense and the resin of a poly board is
transparent your graphic choices on them will usually be greater. If you
think about it, a dense foam will create a smoother surface on which to
paint. And because the resin is transparent, you can do all sorts of
inlays and laments that can have all kinds of cool effects on the graphic
scheme.
Disadvantages
Weight
– A poly board will typically be heavier than other constructions. This is
mainly because of the dense properties of polyester foam. Other than
heavier just being annoying, it can also make your board tougher to handle
in the water.
Fragility
– Polyurethane resin, although it flexes well and can make your board more
responsive, it also makes your board a lot more prone to dings, dents, and
breakage. This can cause frustration in many ways… cost of repair, cost of
replacement because it can wear out faster, being without a board while
it’s getting repaired, and can look used and beat up earlier in it’s life
span.
Sun Damage
– We all know that sun can be hard on our skin if we’re exposed to it too
much. Well, your surfboard is the same. Too much heat and UV will cause
the materials in it to breakdown, making your board more fragile. It will
also cause your board to turn a not so lovely shade of yellow.
Environmentally Unfriendly – The materials that go into the foam and resin are
VERY toxic VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compound). This can cause not only harm
to the person doing the shaping and glassing, but is disastrous when the
boards end up in a landfill. The materials take a LONG time to decompose
and because they are more fragile, the chances of a poly board ending up
in a landfill are greater.
Stryofoam Epoxy Resin Surfboards
Epoxy boards, although they may
appear to be new to the surf industry, have been around for quite a while. It
has only become mainstream recently as the foam/glass/resin combo has been
perfected.
Epoxy boards will typically start
with an Expanded Poly Styrene EPS foam blank with a wood, or fiberglass, or PVC
foam stringer. These boards are usually shaped by either a CNC machine or by hand. The board is then wrapped in fiberglass and covered in epoxy resin.
Advantages
Lighter
– Your standard epoxy board can be much lighter than a poly board. This is
nice not only when you’re carrying it to the beach, but can make moving
the board around in the water more comfortable.
Stronger
– Epoxy boards will 10-15% stronger than poly boards. This is great when
you tend to be harder on your gear. Whether you’re in the water, walking
from the car, or putting it away at the house, there always seems to be
objects that jump out there and smack your board. If not for the strength,
you could be going to the repair shop a whole lot more.
More Buoyant
– EPS foam is a lot less dense. This makes the board sit higher in the
water and float better than a poly board. The benefit here is that your
paddling will be easier and in some cases (not all) you can surf a shorter
surfboard and it will still float you great.
Environmentally Friendly – The VOC’s of an epoxy surfboard are significantly
less toxic. This is not only a health benefit to the one shaping and
glassing, but also when they end up in a landfill. Another enviro-beny ( I
think I just made that up ) is that because the
foam is less dense, the decomposing process is faster.
Disadvantages
Stiffer
– Because the board is made of a much stronger resin it can make the board
stiff. This can be a positive or a negative depending on whether or not
you’re used to surfing on a poly board. For some, a stiffer board can be
less responsive, for others it will feel more lively. It just depends on
what your used to. If you’re new to surfing you probably wont be able to
tell the difference.
Sun Damage
– Epoxy has it’s own issues with the sun. The paint on an epoxy surfboard
won’t fade because it’s the last layer to go down, but the inside
materials of an epoxy board expand under extreme heat and UV. This can
cause a problem when the board is left in direct sunlight for too long.
Because most epoxy boards aren’t vented, the expansion caused will make
the board bubble and de-laminate. You’re fine if you’re just going back
and forth to the beach or if you’re in the water, but if you’re gonna hang
out on the beach for a while with the fam or friends you will need to keep
it covered up. A simple board bag will save you a lot of heart ache… get
one if you own an epoxy.
Bouncy
– Because the surfboard floats higher in the water, when the waves get
choppy, it can feel like your board is bouncing off the chop. This is more
annoying than anything else but it can also reduce momentum down the line.
