Surfing Waves

Hello, I'm new to the forum. I live in Half Moon Bay, California and just started surfing. I recently acquired a 9 foot soft-top. It is similar to a Wavestorm or other all foam board. It is definitely waterlogged, so really heavy. I can surf on it , the volume holds me up and I am not a skinny guy. However, I know it is water logged. Is it possible to dry out the board? Is this something that is even worth trying? BPF1PPLE

A long stretch of clean beach with waves breaking over a sandbar, and none too rocky, Long Sands Beach in York attracts both beginners and vets. You may have to line up, as this is a popular spot, but you can kill time between rides at Liquid Dreams Surf Shop, which overlooks the water. Waves at Gooch’s come in fast and break steep, and it’s easy to get to, located at the southern edge of the town of Kennebunk. You can check here It’s a popular swimming beach, so you won’t be alone in the summertime.

Once a foamie is waterlogged there's nothing you can do really. You might be able to dry it out by leaving it in the sun or somewhere warm and dry for a long time (weeks/months probably), but as soon as you take it back in the water it'll start getting waterlogged again.

NickolasFinley wrote:A long stretch of clean beach with waves breaking over a sandbar, and none too rocky, Long Sands Beach in York attracts both beginners and vets. You may have to line up, as this is a popular spot, but you can kill time between rides at Liquid Dreams Surf Shop, which overlooks the water. Waves at Gooch’s come in fast and break steep, and it’s easy to get to, located at the southern edge of the town of Kennebunk. It’s a popular swimming beach, so you won’t be alone in the summertime.

Please if you are going to spam us with advertising urls please attach them with relevant Information not cut and pastes from travel brochures, this Paste is about the east coast of the USA not the west coast where half moon bay is.
The question too was about drying a soft board. BTW your advertising URL has be removed!

BPF1PPLE wrote:Hello, I'm new to the forum. I live in Half Moon Bay, California and just started surfing. I recently acquired a 9 foot soft-top. It is similar to a Wavestorm or other all foam board. It is definitely waterlogged, so really heavy. I can surf on it , the volume holds me up and I am not a skinny guy. However, I know it is water logged. Is it possible to dry out the board? Is this something that is even worth trying? BPF1PPLE

Seriously , get rid of your waterlogged soft top, it will always refill and a Costco, Wavestorm will,set you up to learn more easily and cheap to avoid a submarine experience!

I had a body board that got waterlogged. Stick it in the shed for a year. Pulled it out and ... it was still waterlogged.

No idea if your board is using the same foam but it it’s similar then even an extended period won’t dry it out

Spring for a new wavestorm or whatever. You will soon forget the cost - probably 3 seconds into your first wave

Based on my experience with three foam boards, 1 Blootide performance fish from Wavestorm, 1 Blootide bodyboard from Wavestorm, and 1 Wavestorm Hypergon Bodyboard, yes you need to dry out your foamie every time you finish surfing. The sea water does saturate the foam. Normally people don't realize it and I didn't until I took out the leash plug on the Blootide bodyboard and found the foam wet and rotten smelling after using it twice two months ago. So As I was trying to dry it to no avail for a month I got a new Wavestorm Hypergon which is amazing for a person who has used 2 bodyboards in total, took it out and came back yesterday and laid it flat on my wireframe shelf with the bottom slick up. As I noticed water beads forming on the board facing down over night and it was a significant amount of water, I wiped them off and kept observing the board, within half an hour dozens of new water beads formed on the foam surface and I took a taste it was sea water. So now my brand new bodyboard is going through its first post surf water draining process.

My foamie performance fish was in Princeton Jetty once half a year ago and it still hasn't dried but it doesn't smell rotten yet also it doesn't smell great either. I'm gonna see if I can dry that one too with the same method.

Bottom line, dry your foamie everytime you come back from the surf, the foam is always waterlogged. Put it on an even surface with the foam side facing down, because the slick bottom traps water and can't let it out, and watch the water beads come out until they stop forming. There will still be moisture in your foam but it won't be trapped too badly and hopefully to the point of rotting the board.

Hope this helps as I desperately want my foamies to actually be usable for a while instead of a couple times too. I love these board and how different they are and how different they surf. Also if you spend hours in the ocean the board you come back with is a different weight and float ratio than the board you went in with.

Hi people, please indulge my ignorance, what sort of foam gets wet and doesn't dry out?

When I was young we had polystyrene boards that didn't get waterlogged, I read that the soft tops have a layer of EVA like gym mats, which I use to kneel on to fix my bikes, they don't seem to hold much water. or they dry out afterwards.

so what sort of foam is getting waterlogged?

EPS expanded polystyrene foam has balls the water can get into space between the balls , a substantial amount, the soft foam on top can be de laminated by the water evaporating with the shell bubble of water can form between to outer casing .
Waiting months for the water to dribble out between your balls doesn’t work !
No outer shell there is some chance of evaporative drying

Here's an example of a 2-3 year old softop (Wave Bandit) and how much unexpected water gets trapped in those things. Starts around the 2:30 mark. Nasty..