Hey all.....got a chance to go for a spin on a surfboard yesterday while the wind was a bit light. After discovering I could go upwind like a train, I've decided I need to have one for lighter days. I've read that you should look for an epoxy board if you're gonna kite it, but HTF do I tell if it's epoxy or something else?? I went into Crime Converters today and they had a few boards, but I have NFI how to tell what I'm looking at.

user said...

You won't find an epoxy board in Crime Converters !
They mostly have crap poly boards,full of heel dents !

Check the Forum "for sales". Go for a brand name (Surftech,Underground,slingy,North,etc) etc.)

Yes, but how does one tell what it is? Is there something specific to look for that will tell me one way or another if it's a epoxy board? Having never seen polyester resin, I don't know what it looks like compared to epoxy!

Of the boards they had, there's only one that doesn't have a bunch of heel dents in it. It's pretty flat compared to the others there (loads of rocker in the others) and has had some sort of rubberised foam stuck to the area where your back foot would go (not sure if this is standard on a surfboard). If it's epoxy, it will be ok for what I want to use it for.

They are usually finished in a solid colour.

Epoxy and the hard foam shell they use is not pretty !

Epoxy boards are VERY hard and VERY light.

Oh yes,and VERY expensive !

Epoxy boards are made from hard epoxy ( like a plastic ) normal surfboards are made from fibreglass resin and foam and have a wood stringer for strength.

If you place the two side by side you will easily tell the difference, also if you squeeze the board rails between your thumb and forefinger the epoxy will be tuff as nuts and the pure surfboard will have a little bit of give ( or a lot if it is waterlogged and stuffed ).

I am not suggesting you go around to shops squeezing new boards ( people wil get pretty pissed if you are leaving your thumb indents on brand spankers) but if you are at "crime converters " squeeze away.

Surfboards have evolved unbelievably in the last 5years, you can generalise slightly and say epoxy v fibreglass, but there's loads more to it.

Some manu's tried and then went back while others are progressing and producing some unreal results, firewire as an example.

firewiresurfboards.com/

Do a search at www.surfmachine.com.au/outlets.html for you nearest shop.

I usually speak to my local shaper when i have questions like this and he explains away. Like most sports nuts they are happy to talk for hours on end, handy really as i am a good listener.