Surfing Waves

Before my shaping career hits off, adrenaline was talking to me about the use of more enviromentally friendly materials in shaping instead of your standard chemical filled materials. But, as with all things this comes at an extra cost...

The materials adrenaline suggested are Homeblown Foam Blanks, heres a paragraph about them quoted from the homeblown website:

In the UK Homeblown are making blanks out of 'less' harmful chemicals. They use MDI (methylene di-phenyl di-isocyanate) rather than TDI (toluene di-isocyanate). It's still nasty, but not as nasty as the normal blank. They claim that their cell size is the same as the best of their competitors (meaning it will not soak up extra resin that makes them heavy), they are 10% lighter and 10-25% stronger than any blank they have had the opportunity to test. MDI is more expensive than TDI, but Homeblown blanks are about the same price as their competitors, making less profit for Homeblown.

Along with that, Adrenaline is chasing up the costs of Hemp Cloth instead of your standard fibreglass cloth.

One company who makes enviromentally friendly surfboards is called motherocean but they start at around £380+ whereas your standard surfboards made of polyurethane foam, polyester resins and fibreglass cloth start around £240+ so I thought I would start a quick poll to get the rest of your viewpoints on it...would you fork out that much extra to make a difference to the enviroment? or would you stick with the standard materials?

I would say give them the choice. Is there much of a difference in how it is made? Like differnet tools and the such? Or is it the same? If it is the same, then give them the option. I have also read that the more envior friendly blanks and stuff is better for you the shaper....less harmful things on you....

Give them a choice.

How less environmental damaging is "less"? I mean if there is not really much difference I rather save the money and use it to buy some organic beer and save the planet that way.

^*^BATMAN^*^ wrote:I would say give them the choice. Is there much of a difference in how it is made? Like differnet tools and the such? Or is it the same? If it is the same, then give them the option. I have also read that the more envior friendly blanks and stuff is better for you the shaper....less harmful things on you....

As far as im aware its the same process for making them, although I havent looked into it. Left the researching skills of adrenaline to that one.

Choice is good, whether it be foam, epoxy or carbon fibre, choice is good.

heard alot of bad things about homeblown blanks though, like going yellow and snaping

Phil wrote:heard alot of bad things about homeblown blanks though, like going yellow and snaping

Yeah, i've heard the same from one or two shapers who have used them before, they've had probs with seabase blanks as well.

stick to fiberglass imo