Sunday 16 March 2008

Epoxy Surboards Vs Fiberglass Surfboards

Epoxy Surfboards Vs Fiberglass Surboards




















Many people are asking more and more these days, 'What type of board is better, Epoxy or Fiberglass?' There are many differences between the two and both are really good boards. You can get many different designs and shapes for both types of board. The Epoxy board is a more manufactured type board with fiberglass being more hand shaped and not mass produced.

The controversy surrounding epoxy vs. fiberglass designs can make the head spin more than a spill over the falls on an 8 foot closeout set. People want to know which is better.

Epoxy boards are lighter and have better flotation than fiberglass. Great right? But epoxy boards are massed produced. Companies like SurfTech employ a shaper, purchase a shape, and then mass produce that shape for, well, the masses.

Their durability and strength will far outlast the fiberglass models but it seems as if the art form of shaping and the ride of surfing is suffering at the expense of durability.

Fiberglass boards are shaped from a foam core- a process decried as foul by environmentalists and suffering from availability with the closing of Clark Foam (the world’s largest producer of surfing blanks)- and coated with fiberglass to give them strength, water resistance and protection. But fiberglass is much more fragile than epoxy, causing a greater amount of ding repairs and board breaks.

As the landscape of surfing and shaping changes, no matter what your preference or particular point of view, one thing is certain; epoxy boards aren’t going anywhere soon… except off the racks and into the water.


Fiberglass surfboards have been around a long time. Epoxy surfboards were introduced to try to compete with the fiberglass design. Unfortunately, boards made of epoxy have a few disadvantages when compared to fiberglass boards. Some of these disadvantages include customization, flex, cost, and responsiveness. This article will discuss some of the disadvantages of epoxy surfboards when compared to those made of fiberglass.

Customization

One of the first disadvantages of epoxy surfboards is customization. Many surfers like to customize their board specifically for themselves. Fiberglass boards can be customized easily. However, epoxy boards can't be customized except to change the flex and tune the rails. Many people also don't know how to work with epoxy correctly, a problem you won't experience with fiberglass boards as most shops know how to work with them.

Flex

One of the next disadvantages of epoxy surfboards is their flex. These boards are extremely stiff. This stiffness causes the board to have a tendency to behave unpredictably. This is a problem whenever you're surfing in anything other than perfect conditions. Fiberglass boards are much less stiff, so you don't have to worry about them behaving unpredictably in certain conditions.

Responsiveness

Epoxy surfboards work well on waves that are lower than the height of your head. However, you will likely experience problems if you ride a wave that is taller than you are. This is due to the fact that epoxy surfboards are light and very buoyant. Therefore, it may be harder to bury a rail when you need to turn. These boards will be harder to control whenever you're going fast.

Cost

One of the final disadvantages of epoxy surfboards is their cost. The materials used to make these boards cost a lot more. You can usually expect to pay at least $50 more for epoxy surfboards than you would for those made from fiberglass. Some boards can cost as much as $150 more.

So even with all this information in mind only you can answer the question, What board is better an epoxy or a fiberglass? You are the one who is going to ride the board so you pick a board that suits you.

At the moment a have two fiberglass boards 7'0" and a 6'4" and I really love them, however a mate of mine has just got a epoxy, he says 'great board really floaty and easy to paddle' so next time I'm looking to buy another maybe I'll look into epoxy.

1 comment:

Dazed and Confused said...

thanks for the heads up man. you seem pretty knowledgeable,could you do something on longboards? im shaping one right now and am having trouble with the dimensions i want.