Surfing Waves

Currently riding a PU longboard the shaper/designer made for me about 8 years ago after surfing with me. In the meantime I broke my back (compression fracture actually) snowboarding. Still love that board (a 9'2") and it and a 9'6" are my go to boards. But. I now have spinal stenosis which causes me serious backpain particularly when carrying weight. Sitting I'm fine. Surfing I'm 90% fine. Carrying the board .. somedays better than others.

A fellow surfer has been after me to get a lighter epoxy board. If we surf together this guy carries my board while I carry his lighter epoxy board (a fish ... I've ridden it and hate it). He claims the second generation epoxy boards ride much better. Looking at what is available local I found a Surftech Revelation HD-E and a Torq Tec 'The Don' that seemed to be ok. Getting out a straight edge I liked the bottom shape of the Torq better.

I was all set to get a 9 .. but when the guys at the shop heard I was 70 .. they were like .. you need a 9'6" .. and maybe I do. I ride my 9'2" 80% of the time but when the surf is small .. or the wave competition high .. my 9'6" ups the wave count. (I was thinking the lighter weight of the epoxy would offset the slightly smaller board ... )

The Don looks like a good board. A similar board (pretty large volume) is the Walden mega magic (also comes in epoxy). GSI double wide is another one

Epoxy boards arent really that much 'floatier'. A board needs to offset its weight and the rider's weight, If a PU board is (say) 9lb and epoxy is 5lb, its definitely much lighter on its own. But add a 180lb surfer and the difference is 4/189 ie 2%. So much easier to carry and perhaps to swing around in the water, not much difference in terms of the effect of volume (putting it another way, volume 'effect' of an epoxy is basically the same as for a PU). But if you can surf a 9'2 then you can surf a 9ft

Of all the molded-epoxy boards I've ridden the Cocomat line made by New Surf Project ( NSP ) is ridiculously ultralight. I was thinking of getting the Hooligan 9'0" model. I've haven't ridden their Endless 9'6", but that also comes in the Cocomat technology.

There's a write up here:
https://paddlexaminer.com/2018/06/revie ... 2kA-NIzZD8

6.29 lbs. +/- 5% isn't too bad at 3 1/4" thick.

My 9'2" PU weighs 19.4 lbs. (fins and leash attached). My 9'6" over 20. I'm guessing the Torq would weigh mebbe 7 or 8 fully setup. I weigh 165. So we are talking 7% decrease in weight. I was 178 lbs when that 9'2" was shaped for me. So if my shaper was dead on right about weight/size (a nice thought but doubtful .. but he was probably close) then with the total weight reduction of 25 lbs it seems reasonable a smaller board would now be right.

My 9'2" is 9'2"x 22 3/4" x 2 7/8". The Torq shrinks in every dimension .. 9’0 x 22 1/2” x 2 3/4” . I realize I am overthinking this .. but while I have 3 "go to" boards at home (9'6", 9'2", 8'6" .. and I do notice a difference when the longboard lineup gets crowded between the 9'6" and the 9'2" in how early I catch a wave) I am also looking for a single travel longboard for trips (CR in Nov. ) that is more baggage handler tolerant and easier to carry.

When Clark Foam stopped making planks, Epoxy boards made their big debut. Or should I say, people started looking at the Epoxy boards. One of the first ones I decided to buy was a Pin Tail Longboard by Santa Cruz surfboards in California. Extremely light, but built solid. I was in a surf shop in Downtown Huntington Beach and the sales person showed me a sample cross section of the board and its detailed network of insides and construction. One of the most important things he pointed out was it was made with a stringer on the inside. As in a foam board, the stringer is an important ingredient/factor for a surfboard. That is, it give the board 'flex'. If a foam surfboard didn't have a stringer, the chances of snapping the board increase.
The thicker the stringer the less likely of the board snapping half for both a single stringer or 3 stringers of 1/4 inch stringer. But a thicker stringer also means less flex in the board. A 1/8 stringer gives you more flex and snap and allows you to make nice sharp turns.
So, now after all that long winded talk about stringers... I would like to point out that this Epoxy longboard was built with a stringer on the inside and has flex in it. Also the board is printed 'Epoxy Skin' with the dimensions of 9.0 x 22 x 2.75. I'm glad this subject has come up because after reading the weight of 19 lbs... well I had to go put mine on the scale.. Just as I read it, I went and made sure the board had an 8 foot leash and on 9 inch skag.
Ok, weighed in as a light 13.5 lbs.

SoCalNative wrote: I was in a surf shop in Downtown Huntington Beach and the sales person showed me a sample cross section of the board and its detailed network of insides and construction. One of the most important things he pointed out was it was made with a stringer on the inside. ... I would like to point out that this Epoxy longboard was built with a stringer on the inside and has flex in it.

I have work for two shops that sold Santa Cruz surfboards and personally know the NHS distributor. To my knowledge and what I recall, Santa Cruz surfboards have the same type of sandwich construction like most Molded-Epoxy boards. A wood stringer is not utilized or needed.

So just what are you saying anyways... lmao. Hey I only know what the guy said to me and showed me and pointed to the stringer. I can tell you this much, I don't think you can buy this board in a shop anymore.. maybe I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure you can't buy them brand new anywhere... What the hell do I know anyways.

I take that back... you can buy these in a Santa Cruz shop. This was 11-12 years ago when I bought this model. Sorry for any dis-information.

SoCalNative wrote:So just what are you saying anyways...

I am saying in my past experience selling Santa Cruz surfboards, that there WAS NOT a wood stringer inside the molded-epoxy construction.

You are saying a salesperson showed you a sample cross section of the Santa Cruz surfboard he wanted to sell to you, that showed there WAS a wood stringer inside.

And that's that, no harm no foul. Maybe there is a wood stringer in your Santa Cruz 9'0". We won't know unless it breaks in half, of which it most likely never will since they're built so tough. You are correct that board is 12+ years old. But I think that particular shape had more blade-ie rails than the newer 9'0" models.

Just talked to the Santa Cruz distributor. He said, "Yes the board has no stringer and is standard sandwich construction."

But he also commented that "It's my favorite board and works well in all sizes of surf..small and large."

waikikikichan wrote:Just talked to the Santa Cruz distributor. He said, "Yes the board has no stringer and is standard sandwich construction."

But he also commented that "It's my favorite board and works well in all sizes of surf..small and large."

Hi Waikiki,

Bumping an old thread here, I had a question about the Santa Cruz Epoxy Skin sandwich construction- is it similar in strength/composition to Tuflite? Right now I am on a Tuflite board and I appreciate the strength of it- I went through a period where I was dinging PU and regular epoxy boards semi-regularly, and the Tuflite board has been pretty bullet-proof.

I am considering a used Santa Cruz 'Epoxy Skin' board nearby for a pretty good price.

Thanks!

So after a little more googling, I found out that Santa Cruz 'Epxy Skin' is literally the same as Tuflite, just different branding.