Surfing Waves

anyone read in the latest Sufring magazine about the "alternative" surfboard materials? with all the new types of boards out there in the market today has anyone been switching over? how do they compare to the traditional polyurethane boards and should I look into them too?

Well FireWire boards are about as bleeding edge as mass produced boards go (or custom if you have the money and ASP rating).

Taj and Nick Carroll are hooked and publically support them.

Reliable sources say that numerous other ASP pros are also using them - but "stickering over" so they don't break their sponsor contracts. According to these rumours that includes Kelly, Andy, Bruce and a number of others.

-doug

I have both a Salomon S-Core as well as an XTR epoxy in my quiver. Epoxy is less lethal to the environment than poly, but I would imagine marginally. But every bit helps.

They seem to be a bit tougher, but not indestrucible. The SCore is very light. Great for average waves pushing a bit over head. After that, you'd better switch to a poly or something heavier.

I have both. My Epoxy board is extremly light and thin, you would think it wouldn't be able to float me it is soo thin, but it does. And I have 3 poly boards, and another on the way. I had an Island Epoxy board and hated it. It was sooo stiff, and the rails where realy fat. On Epoxies the rails need to be thinner than polly because of the extra bouyancy (at least that what one of my shapers told me). I like my Epoxy BAT I have right now, but it was made for realy high performance waves, wich we almost never get here in the Gulf, so I hardly ever ride it. I did get to Surf it in 2-4 ft overhead Huricane juice on the East Coast last year. That is what that board was made for, it worked flawlessly. I think with the advancements in technology that Epoxy will fit right in.

I was looking at the epoxy boards last year and one of the shapers told me they hold up well in the water, but HE had a problem with the dings they can get. He said one of his boards slipped and hit his wall and he got a HUGE gash in it that took a lot of time to fix..are they more prone to the little things compared to poly?

they say the epoxy boards are stronger, but seems to me that when they do get damaged its quite a bad bit of damage, but when i see the traditional surfboard get damaged (unless snapped) isnt as bad, but i dont know if this is just what i've seen of the boards?