Filed in: Surfing Trends | On: March 13th, 2007 | Comments: (35)
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After the fallout of Clark Foam last December, epoxy surfboards were thrust into the spotlight once again. With an extremely limited supply of Clark’s PU foam, the abundance of polystyrene foam (foam used in epoxy boards) looked quite attractive. However, the previously bleak future of traditional foam is looking better than ever with more foam companies producing a larger variety of foam types, densities, plugs, etc. which has brought their popularity back up to the pre-Clark shutdown era. There are many pros and cons to both epoxy and traditional PU surfboards which we’ll examine below.
Traditional Foam (PU) Pros: – Easier for shapers to work with and customize Cons: – Delamination: Foam in older boards eventually absorb water turning them an unattractive yellow color and eventually causing death (delamination) – Dings & Dents: Ding quite easily, pressure dents are to be expected which means you’ll really need to care for your board and keep it from hitting other objects including doors and other surfboards. – Save Planet Earth: The process of foam manufacturing releases many harmful chemicals into the surround environment (one of the reported reasons why Clark foam shutdown). On the flip side, working with fiberglass is not as harmful as working with epoxy resins. Epoxy Surfboards Pros: – Strength: Much more durable than traditional fiberglass boards. While most hand shaped epoxy boards will ding and pressure though to a lesser degree than PU boards, molded epoxy boards like Surftech are ultra durable. You can be somewhat careless with your Surftech and not suffer the consequences of major dings and bruises. Some even claim to be nearly indestructible like my Dave Parmenter twinnie. The fellow who glassed it with epoxy resin, Charlie Price, claimed that you could turn the board upside down and jump on it with no damage (I didn’t attempt it). I did drop that particular surfboard onto concrete while showering at the beach and the only visible damage was a small scuff mark. Had that been a traditional fiberglass board, it would have shattered and broken off a piece of my tail. – Paddling Power: Epoxy boards have a significantly higher buoyancy than traditional PU boards. Often times a shorter, narrower, & thinner epoxy board will paddle as well if not better than your fiberglass board. Thus, you can surf a smaller board with better turning ability and one that fits in the pocket. – Durability: These boards have less tendency to ding and after a couple years you won’t find yourself surfing with a board resembling swiss cheese. Polystyrene foam’s characteristics keep epoxy resin from delaminating, a common problem with traditional fiberglass boards. Cons: – Problems with windy/choppy surf: Epoxy boards work extremely well in smooth glassy surf but from my experience have proven to be quite horrible in choppy and windy conditions. I’ve taken this board out numerous times in slightly windy conditions (common in Hawaii) and due to the ‘floatyness’ of the board it seemed to catch every bump on the wave. Because these boards float very well, I never felt like the rail was engaged in the wave which forced me to back off on most of my cutbacks and turns. There have been times when my epoxy board left me feeling like a total kook and complete noob. – $$$ It’s all about the Benjamins: Epoxy boards are considerably more expensive than traditional PU boards. Hand shaped epoxy boards are slightly more expensive than their traditional counterpart due to the fact that epoxy is a pain to work with. Epoxy mold boards from companies like Surftech will cost you an arm and leg. Most Surftech shortboard models start between $600-700 US with longboard prices going for $800-900+. – Bad for Shapers: The process of making polystyrene foam used in Epoxy boards releases less harmful chemicals into the environment but is way more toxic for shapers working with epoxy resin. Conclusion While many surfers enjoy riding epoxy surfboards, I’d have to say that through my own personal experiences with them, I’d much rather surf a traditional PU board. While these boards do eventually lose their flex patterns and are more prone to dings, you can’t beat the feel of a fresh PU board carving and snapping on the face of the wave. Pumping down the line and banking floaters off the oncoming section feel alive with a traditional fiberglass surfboard under you feet. PU board also handle a wide variety of conditions from extreme winds, slight onshore surf, oil slick glass, to perfect offshore winds. I always regret taking my epoxy fish out when there’s even a slight bit of chop in the water. While I’m not against epoxy boards, I won’t another one until I find one that works like a traditional fiberglass board. Firewire claims that their parabolic railed epoxy boards work even in windy conditions, perhaps we’ll give it a go and let you know our conclusion but until then, PU is in and epoxy out. 35 Comments »By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to the TERMS OF SERVICE. Any violations of these terms may result in account suspension or deactivation. Please keep your comments civil and in good taste. To report a comment, email info@surfboardshack.comAndrew, on March 21, 2007 @ 3:12 am |If it was all about soul, than I’d be lugging my 50+ pound wooden plank (with no fins) with me to the beach. That’s where it all supposedly started right?? I wonder if those guys bitched and complained about the new foam and fiberglass boards. There are always going to be those who are haters and those who are reluctant to change. For all we know, they probably have yet to have even surfed the on the innovative epoxies that are out there. I will still continue to surf, and love, the boards I currently own, but ten years from now while some people are still out in the lineup on their old PU yellow dinged up boards, I’ll be out on the on my ten year old epoxy, still looking and riding like it was fresh out of the shaping room. I believe that will show the fix for what was broken. Who knows, by then the epoxy boards may be a thing of the past. Pete, on April 30, 2007 @ 2:43 am |I am starting out and have both boards. I just bought an epoxy at half the price of the fiberglass. This is a great option for me because not I am not so afraid of messing the board up. I think this is a good thing for kooks most. Jeff, on September 9, 2007 @ 2:45 pm |Epoxy will allow you to age with grace. I’m 40 years old with a nagging back injury. Rather than push the length of the board I began riding wider and thicker boards. I have found that “vee” is essential in being able to go rail to rail and I am surfing better than I ever have. In fact I will take down pretty much anbody 40 years old in SD and 90% of the kid rippers. My favorite board of choice is 5’11” x 22 x 2.7. I have tested regular foam and epoxy. As you can imagine regular foam is “much” heavier and requires more effort. On the otherhand, epoxy is “so” light it’s just like having a regular shortboard. From that perspective epoxy dominates and I will never change. What totally sucks about epoxy, specifically Austin Foam Core, is that whenever you get a ding it sucks water in like a sponge. You basically have to cut open a hole, put it in the sun, make the ding face down, and wait 5 days for it to dry – just like I am doing right now. As a solution I made a backup board but then the glass job was so poorly done that my first session my tail basically caved in. I waited 6 days for it to dry, took it back out, and then had an air bubble that somehow was taking on water. I don’t know if the glasser did a crappy job but Austin Foam Core sucks in a ton of water. It’s the worst for that. At least with a regular board you can take a blow dryer, dry it overnight, and then fix a ding the next day. it don’t work like that with epoxy. No freaking way. Anyhow, despite the extreme water intake with epoxy boards, even on the slightest dings, I still prefer the lightness over the heavy regular foam. Neal, on September 9, 2007 @ 3:20 pm |Jeff, I read that some of the newer EPS foams are completely water proof. If I’m not mistaken, the new Surftech TL2 cores don’t take any water in. jed bush, on September 30, 2007 @ 9:01 pm |I hate to be the bearer of bad news boys but POLYESTER RESINS ARE FAR MORE TOXIC THAN EPOXY. THEY ARE 2300 TIMES MORE TOXIC THAN EPOXY BOARDS . AND YOU CAN’T RECYCLE PU FOAM AND YOU CAN RECYCLE EPS FOAM AND IT’S BIO-DEGRADEABLE. jed bush, on September 30, 2007 @ 9:08 pm |BUY MARKO FOAM AND YOUR BOARD WON”T LEAK WATER LIKE THE OLD EPS OPEN CELL FOAM AND IF YOU LIVE IN HAWAII AND YOUR BOARD IS TOO FLOATY THEN GET A THINNER BOARD AND IF YOUR BOARD IS TOO LIGHT FOR CHOPPY CONDITIONS GET A HEAVIER Bob, on October 27, 2007 @ 7:00 pm |Even though you may be forking over an extra couple hundred dollars more, epoxys such as surftech, last way longer and hold up better than conventional p/u boards. Just don’t leave your epoxy in a hot car on a sunny day and they should last awhile. For the average guy, you get your pick of established proven designs instead of experimenting and tweaking board adjustments with a shaper which ends up costing more in the long run as you filter out the dogs trying to find that good all around board. P/U boards also seem to lose their livelyness after a few months. It seems for every few custom boards I get,only one may be user-friendly enough to be that special. This ends up getting expensive in the long run when you figure out the original cost of an epoxy. Plus epoxy tends to have a better resale value than a dinged up, delaminated, yellowed board which can occur in quite a short time. John, on February 23, 2008 @ 4:49 pm |experienced the problem you describe of epoxy with wind conditions. I regularly ride a 6′ fiberglass thruster, but today tried a 6’6″ epoxy single fin egg, obviously a much thicker and wider board. I felt like I couldn’t get “into” waves like my smaller fiberglass board. I’ve also tried an epoxy shortboard in small surf and felt this way. I don’t like epoxy, but I will give my new big board another try when the waves are weak. 5′8 Surftech Soul Fish - Randy French, on March 28, 2008 @ 4:02 pm |[…] The local surf tech rep here in Hawaii has been cool enough to give SurfboardShack.com a full run of all their Surftech demos. While I’ve always favored traditional PU boards, I am quite intrigued with epoxy boards and Surftech’s long list of boards shaped by the world’s top shapers. After writing an article debating which surfboard material works better, epoxy or polyurethane, I’ve had a number of people inquire about how well epoxy, most notably Surftech boards work in a variety of conditions. Up to this point I had only ridden one Surftech board and a few other epoxys so I guess you can say I haven’t given epoxy a fair chance. Anyway, thanks to Surftech, I now have access to write about every Surftech board available and let you all know how they ride. […] Patrick, on April 15, 2008 @ 11:28 am |How about instead of paying 800 bucks for an epoxy board, buy a traditional for 500 and put the 300 you save into a bank account. By the time you need a new board because you got a traditional youll have enough money to buy another one. Patrick, on April 15, 2008 @ 11:29 am |And once you buy a new one you’ll save another 300 bucks so you can repeat the process and never have to pay for another surfboard again BOBBY, on August 20, 2008 @ 9:00 am |i am getting a surf board for my son but i dont know what type to get him. he is a begginer so what should i get him. epoxy or foam/fiberglass Quan, on September 1, 2008 @ 5:22 pm |Surftech Tl2 is the only epoxy board worth getting. Go visit their website wwww.surftech.com and read about the tech spechs. Maybe the Santa Cruz epoxy boards are decent but probably not equal. Archie and Fletcher ride those so it can’t be that bad. Basically, any actual board that is ridden by a real pro surfer is good. Sav, on January 19, 2009 @ 8:07 am |I have an epoxy fish and a foam/trad quad, i think, as you said both have good and bad points. zack shipp, on February 22, 2009 @ 6:58 pm |I have been surfing for 6 monthes I startyed out on my dads 9 6 Robert August it was a fantastic board to start on and still is my favorite. Once i saved up the money i bought a brand new Danai epoxy 9 2 that board its ultra light and is super durable but doesnt have the same feel as the traditional fiberglass. And epoxy is horrible in anything that isnt a perfect glassy day. So traditional fiberglass will always stay my favorite Chris, on February 27, 2009 @ 9:52 am |So a local shaper is going to make me a custom 6’4 fish however, I’m debating on pu vs epoxy. The shaper recomends pu, however he’ll only charge 60 bucks more for epoxy. I’ve pretty much heard all the pros and cons for both, and I’ve used epoxy in the past on a 9’6 long board so the stiffness was way noticable. But, if I’m a bigger guy (6’1, 200lb)on a smaller board thats maybe only 6′,4″x2,5/8″x22′.4″ will I have less problem digging into a wave and feelign the effects of the stiffness due to my weight acting as compensation? I’m leaning towards epoxy also for longevity reasons, but I want to find out how much more of a mediocre ride I will be getting, if any. Max, on March 13, 2009 @ 10:16 pm |I have an Epoxy board and a PU board. I don’t care about durability, it’s all about the quality with me.. Riding an epoxy board is like catching a wave with a styrofoam cooler top. Mollie, on May 18, 2009 @ 6:29 am |I’ve been a bodysurfer since I was little. I’ve always wanted a surfboard, but could never afford it. Now I’m 16 and I own two old dinged up boards that I have never used (I just bought the second board yesterday though..) My first board is a 6′ fish, Quiet Flight, the board is yellower than the fins; it also says Rudolph at the bottom, but I’m not sure what that is. Anyway, a friend of mine gave it to me, and it would probably cost over $200 to fix all of it’s damage. So then, I was looking around for a used board in better shape, and yesterday I found one. It’s a little dinged, but you can fix it yourself. The board is another 6′ fish (much wider than my Quiet Flight), and it says Water Works central florida (I looked them up, but they must not be around anymore). The board also says CLARK FOAM. So I looked them up, and found that they don’t make blanks anymore! So then I found this site, because I was wondering what the difference was between PU and epoxy. I’m a little afraid of the delamination factor, ’cause the guy that I just bought the board from had another I liked, but the fiberglass was separated from the foam in spots. I do like how everyone says that you feel more ‘in the wave’ on the pu board, which sounds fun. Anyway, I hope this board will last me a good while! Shawn Dourrieu, on June 22, 2009 @ 9:25 am |I was a surf rat growing up here in FL. And always used a Local Motion fish from the early eighties. It was a great board to learn on and over the years I tried many types of boards but always came back to that local motion fish. 15 years have passed and I started surfing alot again and bought a 6’4′ quiet flight epoxy. I took it out several times and on these short choppy Fl. waves I just cant control it. I bought another Quiet flight this time I went larger 6’8″ thinking this would help because its larger. Nope didnt help. So I had a local maker in central Fl. make me a board. A traditional fish twin fin P.U. Made by oi fish boards. Its awsome. Maybe im just older and thats what I learned on but I can have a blast on a two foot day and this board handles the 6′ day just as well. Traditional boards have a better feel. keith, on September 9, 2009 @ 11:28 am |i just have to point out being the critical jerk that i am “Ronnie, on March 20, 2007 @ 7:43 pm | Totally agree with the facts on both ends. Epoxy vs Foam…I will stick with what I have been putting under my feet for nearly 15 years…FOAM. Epoxy is high tech and all and really great if you are one to get your board thrashed on a regular basis. Foam is more responsive and much better in all conditions. What it boils down to is this. Foam is the real deal. Surfing came from the soul, don’t fix what’s not broken. Our “Fathers†of surfing who spent hours and hours shaping that board of your dreams would roll over in their graves if he knew the young “Groms†that grew up through in the towel to go “High Techâ€. Keep it real braddahs.” So do you ride a woodie?…gots to keep it real man Facon, on September 22, 2009 @ 1:51 pm |I’ve had a couple PU boards, and loved ’em. I’ve gone with a custom epoxy fish as of late and can’t wait to try it. What got me into the epoxy was trying out friends’ boards, way lighter, easier to paddle, way more durable. Just seemed to make crappy days way more enjoyable with the extra buoyancy and ease-of-paddle. Super fast. Loved it – so now I have a new one to look forward to. chris ,coasty NSW AUS, on October 8, 2009 @ 1:16 am |wow ,those comments that are poles apart and there are some valid points for both arguments. Jim Fisher, on November 16, 2009 @ 8:47 pm |I’ve been surfing epoxy composite boards for over 15 yr. now, ever since my last pu board disintegrated under my feet. Surftech and Boardworks make the best in my opinion. I’ve never been opposed to a buoyant board. If I feel I am riding too high in the water I can go shorter/thinner/narrower to get submerged adequately. I currently surf both types equally well, but for sure my favorite boards are epoxy, simply due to the durability factor. You really notice this if you travel. I only travel with epoxy. PU boards are too delicate. On my last pu board I had made I had it double-glassed just to make it more durable. Nevertheless, every little bump causes a glass crack. Epoxy boards just don’t do that. justin, on December 10, 2009 @ 12:12 pm |hi,central florida surfer for 3 years I have owned many epoxys starting with the NSP’s and have moved up to the tuflites and boardworks, the reason I chose them is for the durability factor and the pressure ding resistance factor. I weigh 260lbs. and am 6’5″ tall, and the pu. board I owned really pressure dinged, and keeped getting “fantom” ding cracks, on the tail etc. Rushy, on February 10, 2010 @ 1:21 pm |I have a 8’4″ mini mal in PU and a 6’0″ fish in epoxy. I was thinking old style technology for the older style board, and new for new. The lighter epoxy means I can get a smaller board that will still be easy enough for me to catch waves. I’m in my 50’s just getting into surfing (but havin’ a go!) Forrest Ladkin, on February 12, 2010 @ 6:03 pm |Hey gents, nice discussion but i’m 16 and i can tell you that a lot of your “facts” are defently wrong. I have grown up with a my family having a surf shop with hundreds of PU and Epoxy boards and have shaped both PU polyster and EPS Epoxy boards. The thing people have to understand with the ‘Floaty Stiffness thing’ is that it is not the epoxy that does it!! in actual fact epoxy has far more flex and memory then Polyester glassed boards. The stiffness comes from the PVC sandwhich between the layers of glass. It is like a very high density foam and is strong but stiff! this exists in the majority of Epoxy manufactures have this sandwhich construction, tuf lite for example!! The boards I have made for my self with EPS foam (Polystyrne) and just glassed just like a conventional board but with Epoxy fibre glass (it looks no difference then a regular board when finished) have far better flex, aswel as having a blank that is 1/4 of the weight of PU and twice the impact strength makes it so much more responsive and in my opinion higher performance all around. Ask any top shaper the life of a PU board is 6 months! EPS Epoxy’s life span is that much longer. Its is true in the shaping bay and sanding its a bit more of a hassle but the finished product is amazing. Aiddo Wheeler who shapes for 1000’s PU boards for rusty just said that he loves doing EPS Epoxy it just takes a bit more time to get them right and when your pushing to make a 100 boards a week it is a bit tricky for sure. Just watch the Future is EPS foam with Epoxy fibre Glass. Thats just my oppinion Rifle, on December 22, 2010 @ 6:55 am |This kid got it right! Marcel, on March 29, 2011 @ 6:30 am |I just found on the internet a santa cruz Archy Eagle II Pro Model Double Wing Swallow Tail Surfboard in $330 which i think that is pretty cheap for an epoxy surfboard. I currently have a 6’1 JC rocket gem 4 PU surfboard which i think that is the most amazing board in the whole world just because it feels perfect. I live in costa rica where we have year round perfect conditions. I’ll give it a try to this new epoxy board that i’m getting, I just hope that it feels as good as my PU board. After i read your comments and realized that epoxy is way more buoyant so i have decided to order it 5’11 being smaller than my regular boards. I give it a try and ill let you guys know how it went!! I guess that it should be a nice board because it is a matt archbold pro model. I wonder what kelly and other pros think about epoxy, if somebody know a link or a video where pros talk and give their opinions on epoxy boards, please let me know!!! jsin, on June 18, 2011 @ 12:23 pm |I’ve owned 3 epoxy boards: 2 tuflites and one hand shaped EPS (it even had a stringer). All my epoxies were suspiciously light and noticeably slower than standard PU…lower weight doesn’t glide as well. Unfortunately, “light” sells, but what I really need is balanced weight. I’d rather have a slightly larger, short lived board that I have to slow down, than a slightly shorter, long lasting board that has me pumping like crazy for speed I’m never gonna get. Afaik, Kelly doesn’t ride epoxy. JR, on September 2, 2011 @ 8:16 pm |I had a magic p/u that lasted a long time. Surfed some 15 footers in el Salvador and paddle like a champ. (5’7″ x 20.5 x 2.5) my board use to kill it on 2-4 ft slop. Now it’s dead. (sucks!!) asked my shaper to replicate my magic but with epoxy. The board is super identical & everything… Until I surfed it. It’s harder to catch waves, when there’s a slight bump the board feels slower, I have to hold back when doing a carve because it’ll slide out. The board does great when it’s super glassy & throwing or just nice & steep but I still have to hold back when carving. So it’s a love hate my board relationship. I’m definitely going back to p/u!!!!!! JR, on September 2, 2011 @ 8:40 pm |Oh!!! I wanted epoxy for longevity of the board. Knowing that the board sucks on slop surf… This board sucks!!! I mean c’mon!!! How often do we get fair – good surf? Not that often!!! It’ll be a different story if I lived in Bali, Indonesia, Fiji, or Tahiti but I don’t. Like so, i live where the surf is 2-3 & mostly mushy if not slop. I rather enjoy my surfing on a p/u on any condition than being frustrated with an epoxy on mushy bumpy surf. If you don’t believe this article… Read the other articles on this topic. They’ll say the same thing. Beginners, get epoxy. Long time surfer, get p/u. Chenny, on December 24, 2011 @ 11:32 pm |JR, I don’t think you can compare a PU board and epoxy board with same dimensions…. Just because the PU board’s dimension fit you doesn’t mean the epoxy one will. epoxy boards do float more and are more sensitive to bumps, so thats why you need to find an epoxy board that fix you. ( I mean you can’t expect different guitars with same strings to sound the same, right? ) I’m from santa barbara so the surf is always inconsistent here, and when i go down south to surf i’m usually forced to bring a few PU boards because they do get dinged up easily. (and ding repairs aren’t cheap) And ever since i got an epoxy board, I could just put an board in my back sit and surf where ever. And it’s not like if you have an epoxy board then you can’t have a PU, go ahead and take out your PU board on big days. but you have to think about the future, I would rather sacrifice alittle bit of performance to save mother earth! Austin, on April 25, 2012 @ 11:01 am |Hey, I am shaping my first board and I am trying to decide whether to make an epoxy board or a PU board. I know the epoxy is more durable, but I am not a great surfer and I need all the paddling help I can get. Being in Central Florida, conditions are never perfect, so do I get a board that lasts a while, or a board that is an easier ride. jsin, on May 4, 2013 @ 10:59 am |The good news is that the new PU blanks (US blanks) are more buoyant than Clark foam ever was…the new PU blanks aren’t as buoyant as EPS, but, trust me, you don’t want it that light (balance and glide are significantly compromised). The new PU glass is also stronger/more durable than before…once again, not as strong as epoxy (or as stiff), but better than PU glass was 10 years ago. Leave a comment |
Ronnie, on March 20, 2007 @ 7:43 pm |
Totally agree with the facts on both ends. Epoxy vs Foam…I will stick with what I have been putting under my feet for nearly 15 years…FOAM. Epoxy is high tech and all and really great if you are one to get your board thrashed on a regular basis. Foam is more responsive and much better in all conditions. What it boils down to is this. Foam is the real deal. Surfing came from the soul, don’t fix what’s not broken. Our “Fathers” of surfing who spent hours and hours shaping that board of your dreams would roll over in their graves if he knew the young “Groms” that grew up through in the towel to go “High Tech”. Keep it real braddahs.