Ordered new shortboard (yes, again!)

[jaffa1949]

Maths teacher OR Batman? I think your cover is blown

Gonna be hard waxing over that black beauty. I wonder if you can buy black wax?

Slip down to your local black magic group they have black candles.
Make sure you talk to them in Latin but backwards.

[IB_Surfer]

Correct, the carbon allows less and thinner layers of cloth and, of course, the carbon takes the place of the stringer. I swear the board feels hollow.

[benjl]

Awesome, I can't wait to hear how it goes and flexes etc!

I'm thinking more and more that I will have to try and shape a board msyelf in the summer!

[IB_Surfer]

Less layers, less resin.

I just got a tattoo so can't try the board until next week, the waves have been tiny around here anyway so I'm not missing much.

[IB_Surfer]

Correct Benji, carbon means less layers of cloth, thus lighter weight.

Report #1: After some injuries sidelined me then a drought of wave we finally had some head high walls come through. The board performed great, though it was weird learning it.

The board performed the same as the PU version. I caught waves way easier because of the slightly extra float due to the epoxy core, so no missed waves. The board also seemed to duckdive easier, expected the opposite due to the additional buoyancy, though this one si 1/16th narrower, maybe slightly less volume made a difference.

I was riding the board as a quad with slightly smaller fins than size M up front and GX sides in back. It tracked a little more than my PU set up as a quad, not sure if the setup or the new board, need to try other fin combination. However, unlike the PU board the quad was actually supper slotted in the pocket, did not expect it from the quad set up. Not sure if it's the stiffness of the board or the slightly different shape, but I it surfed like I was riding a thruster set up. Weird, now I have to try it as a thruster so wee what's that like.

So, as a quad,I dig it, can't wait for some bigger mush tro try it. And because of the extra float will also have to try it in smaller surf.

Will post up the truster set up trial

[benjl]

nice update! Was everything else on the board identical to your other PU one ie. rails, rocker, bottom contours?
Interesting about how it feels being a quad too, do you reckon that it doesn't have enough release?

[IB_Surfer]

Today I took the PU out just to compare, similar condition. The PU seemed to get hung up a little more, it was harder to paddle into fast walls. They both surfed about the same, but noticed that the epoxy board seems to be a little better in the way it releases from the lip.

Size wise and shape, the epoxy seems to have slightly sharper rails, and they remain sharper, the PU has 50/50 rails, the sharpness goes to the middle then tapers to soft.

Hmmm

[Surf Hound]

What is your initial impression with the carbon fiber? Do you think you will be staying with carbon? If the waves were firing would you grab the PU, carbon or epoxy? My experience with carbon was hmmmmm.... Not bad but I would still grab a PU first. I have had a few epoxys that would be my first choice over a standard PU but mostly my 1st choice is PU. My current quiver is 3 PU and 3 epoxys and split use pretty evenly. The carbon I had was ok but not great. I think the hollow description is right on - I didn't like so much. In general I like PU the most but epoxys are great and have/use often. I was hoping the carbon would be a step up from epoxys and surely indestructable but the feel on the water was not what I wanted or expected. Will you be going carbon moving forward?

[IB_Surfer]

What is your initial impression with the carbon fiber? Do you think you will be staying with carbon? If the waves were firing would you grab the PU, carbon or epoxy? My experience with carbon was hmmmmm.... Not bad but I would still grab a PU first. I have had a few epoxys that would be my first choice over a standard PU but mostly my 1st choice is PU. My current quiver is 3 PU and 3 epoxys and split use pretty evenly. The carbon I had was ok but not great. I think the hollow description is right on - I didn't like so much. In general I like PU the most but epoxys are great and have/use often. I was hoping the carbon would be a step up from epoxys and surely indestructable but the feel on the water was not what I wanted or expected. Will you be going carbon moving forward?

Not sure if we are talking the same epoxy board. The hand shaped epoxies come out great, they have a little flex to them but mostly stiff. The mass produced epoxies come out heavy and super stiff, so I don't like them, though my bud loves them and only buys them. I don't have anything against boardworkds, tufflight or any other brand, it's just a personal preference. Though I must say, the factory epoxies are virtually indestructible, I bought one for my kids and I swear the dropped it on the floor every single time we went surfing, and all that happened was it got scratches. My PU would have gotten a huge ding for sure.

I;ve tried hollow boards before but haven't found one I liked. Tried the solomon when they where popular and an Aviso board, forgot which one though,and some firewires but just did not like how they felt.

My first choice for shortboarding is epoxy. i can go about 2 inches shorter and not give up any waves. Of the two board I catch more waves with the epoxy. As far as performance, they are both about the same, the epoxy is easier for snaps, might be because it's lighter. The PU seemed better in choppy conditions, again maybe because it's heavier and cuts better.

For sure I prefer PU for my gun and my longboard, tried epoxy but just did not feel right. Hower, I got used to the stiffness of the epoxies, it feels like the board just flies up the wave when I turn,

[Surf Hound]

Yes, I was talking about custom epoxy. I like them, I own them but prefer PU for most conditions. I just hate dealing with the dings and overall care sometimes. Will you be ordering any more carbon fiber boards like the black one above? I had one but did not like it. The board performed fine, super light, I just did not like the "feel". That is what I was talking about when you said the board felt hollow. Something would have to change drastically for me to try a carbon fiber board again. The carbon board I had made was probably 4-5 years ago so the tech. might be better now but mine was "sole-less" if there is such a thing. lol

[IB_Surfer]

Yes, I was talking about custom epoxy. I like them, I own them but prefer PU for most conditions. I just hate dealing with the dings and overall care sometimes. Will you be ordering any more carbon fiber boards like the black one above? I had one but did not like it. The board performed fine, super light, I just did not like the "feel". That is what I was talking about when you said the board felt hollow. Something would have to change drastically for me to try a carbon fiber board again. The carbon board I had made was probably 4-5 years ago so the tech. might be better now but mine was "sole-less" if there is such a thing. lol

Ok, so comparing apples to apples. As a bigger surfer I like the stiffness of the epoxy Hard to explain, with an epoxy when I turn it is sharp and swift, up and down and very snappy, with a PU I tend to flex them, the turn is slower and smoother but less snappy. I took my carbon step up to Pascuales, also took my gun, I ended up using the gun once and the carbon all other days on 10 -12 foot faces. On the down side they are not as forgiving in chop so I ride my PU in crappy conditions and don't like epoxy for any of my bigger boards, but for smooth silky big waves give me epoxy any day. Lastly, the extra float does into more waves, I catch as many waves on my 6'2 epoxy as I do my 6;6 PU, and of course the 6'2 performs better.

[IB_Surfer]

Update 2: Tried it as a quad in head high barreling waves. Fun still but the quad seemed to track WAY too much, not sure if the board of the set up though. On two really fast steep waves I turned left to get into the barrel, the board kept going straight lol. Anyway, I think I need to switch to thruster next big swell. Still, I did catch some awesome waves.

In case you are wondering, had G5x carbon fins in back (medium) with GX sides in back.

[IB_Surfer]

Final post:

As a thruster I love it, I've had it out a few times in really hollow steep waves and it holds perfect, doesn't pearl (unless I make it pearl LOL) and turns on a dime. I had it on a point break with 7ft faces and beach break with 6ft barrels, no problems. So, good board, and I like the extra stiffness, it just seems more responsive.

However, as a quad I am not digging it, partially because I only use a quad in smaller or mushier conditions, but I tried it on a good day and the board was not as responsive, not sure if the set up or my own personal taste, but this is now officially a thurster board, which is good since I have it's twin in PU as a quad and I like it better that way.

So, signning off on this board, I will post a new board shortly