Surfing Explained: Ep11 Surfboard Material Innovation

[@samiulcampbell-barr1721]

I'm doing a project about surfing physics at my school and this series has been unbelievable useful. Great video.

[@samnorth1475]

Another fantastic video guys. Simple, well thought out, on point pacing, and easy to understand. Best channel for surfing information out there!

[@SurfSimply]

Thank you Sam!

[@cohma4791]

Great video! Very informative! Us surfers are so close from the environment, we need to shape the industry to be more sustainable!

[@kurtisgrainger79]

bro meanest video series youre doing here! and wee little known fact with the sandwhich boards, it wasn't firewire who started that it was a guy called biggie smithers at sirocco surf out of Taranaki in NZ, he started in the 80s and still makes em!

[@SurfSimply]

Thanks Kurtis, innovation always seems to start in someone’s backyard or garage!

[@jasonlajoie]

Wow, amazingly comprehensive. Thanks for such a great video.

[@jasontroy3911]

This simple answer why traditional construction still dominates boils down to cost. New construction and materials require an RnD budget which for the most part most surfboard manufacturers lack. Even FireWire took Bert Berger's construction and developed a way to mass produce which required large investments. Add to that guys that do surfboards aren't engineers and don't have the knowledge of the newer exotic materials and it's properties to make sense of it all. Like you said it's all trial and error...oh and copy what the other guy is doing

[@DmitriyGolovinov]

Such an awesome series, thank you!

[@philipbridgesdesign9647]

Nice video, better than most for sure. Don't forget the benefits of Biax or Triax over plain weave. And UD carbon over woven. Also the benefits of molding for accuracy, resin distribution (particularly in heated tooling) and waste. Check out pre-preg, vacuum is great but throughout the high end composite industry pre-preg is the go to now. Give Sunova a shout out if you're crediting the development of the balsa/paulownia skin/rail stringer. Keep up the good work

[@SurfSimply]

Great point Phillip, there are certainly lots of innovative options out there!

[@pierswoo76]

I find it hard to believe those firewire/slater/machado boards are more eco-friendly as advertised when they are mass produced in asia and flown all over the world, seems like a marketing angle in reality - the construction of their boards seems to have more to do with ease of mass production and distribution rather than performance and sustainability, nothing beats a traditional pu board to surf unfortunately just buy local and support the local shapers who produce in small amounts!

[@jasontroy3911]

Nevermind the eco friendly part.... FireWire manufactures and ships those boards for less than just the cost of materials that us small manufactures pay. Can't compete with that nope no way....there is a place for that and their boards are more durable than traditional construction however the boards tend to turn brown quickly. That being said those type of boards are here to stay

[@mozask6263]

Great video! Im currently writing on a case study about materials used in Surfboards and was wondering if you'd be able to list your references for the points made. That would be extremely helpful.

[@Surfmus]

There is a lot BS about the flexibility on the water. Check Roy Stuart, he breaks the theory down. I have shaped boards that flex a lot on hard surface but the water not that much. Only felt it when hang five. I shaped with all materials. After years, I am back with Poly boards, "PU on Polyester resin." They are the best. Although not as durable as EPS on Epoxy resin however, PU cells are way closer and Eps. Hence, if you ding them, you won't waterlogged immediately unlike EPS which is an open cell material. To be honest EPS does float a bit more than PU.

[@turbolad99]

So interesting. With vacuum bagging are you able to reuse the excess resin? I imagine that could be another benefit if you're using less harmful resin.

[@NotnaRed]

Usually you can't reuse the excess resin since it's already mixed with a hardener.

[@lucascornelisse7801]

What about the Libtech constructions? Any thoughts?

[@tonybeatbutcher]

Again !!Good one !!!

[@SurfSimply]

Thanks Tony!

[@outofofficetravels8374]

great info!

[@SurfSimply]

Thank you!

[@NateSkates]

If they cure all the resin in the core with no foam it will make the surfbord seem clear or “hollow”