epoxy surfboards

[baja fresk]

hey guys

im getting a new board and everyones talking about this new epoxy material. i know everyone is saying how it is insulting to tradition and all that, but what im most concerned about is the actual performance. I own a 6'10 tri-fin and ive had it for a long time, theres so many dings you can hardly keep it afloat. These new epoxies are indestructable supposedly and i like that. im seriously considering buying this board by santa cruz: http://www.scskate.com/surf/04_05/surfboards.php?id=4
it looks pretty sick, am i right? and some pros are using them.

anyway i was talkin to a santa cruz rep and he was telling me all about them, they are a lot more faster than normal boards because they're slicker and dont dig as much into the water because theyre more bouyant. theyre also really light so u can do a lot of tricks. also, the bouyancy thing got me troubled because what about duck diving? the guy assured me u can still do that if you have the right board for your weight. anyway, to sum it all up, the santa cruz rep told me that these boards are way better than normal boards in every aspect practically.

but i dunno, for some reason, i feel like these boards are fake. whenever i see one in my local surf shop i feel like theyre toys for beginners or soemthing. they just dont look and feel like a REAL board. you know? from teh way the rep was telling me about it, it seemed totally worth it it. i just feel sketched out by this new material. it's like plastic or somthing, and i feel it'd just be weird riding one, like its some toy. id feel embarressed walking on teh beach with it, kinda, like all the other surfers think im some beginner with a speical material board for new surfers...

i dont know, maybe im the only one thinking this. please reply back with any feedback if you've ever ridden an epoxy board or if you share the same feelings.

[Weebl]

It doesnt matter what you look like with it, as long as you can perform with it, no one has the right to criticise you. I have picked them up though, and they dont feel like surfboards to me, but if they work well (I havent tried one yet) then that's good enough for me to purchase one.

[Driftingalong]

I'll start off with, I havn't used one...

Of course the rep is saying they're the best thing around...
If they were the best, wouldn't everybody be using one by now?
They are just different. I've heard good and bad things about them. They are not indestructable, just more durable. They don't flex like a foam/glassed board, so it rides and preforms diffrently.
See if you can try one out first (which may be hard to do). And, like they say, if it works for you and you like, then it is good.

[drowningbitbybit]

In the old days, all boards were made out of wood...

It's the way the world is going - there's heaps of new stuff out there, and some of its gonna great, and some of its gonna be cr@p

Its all going to come down to personal preference. ive got a tuflite surftech fish and, yes, it does ride differently to my 'traditional' boards, but I love it

They do feel a bit weird at first, so try one out. But they are a lot tougher than a traditional construction, and very very light.

And dont worry about pop-out comparisons - a real board from a real shaper will always outperform that BIC popout

And who cares what anyone else in the water thinks? Its how you surf that counts! (Not sure that helps everyone else opinion of me however...)

[baja fresk]

yea those are really good points. maybe they are the best but not a lot of people are riding them because they're new and theres this whole controversy. im going to go try get an epoxy for rental and try it out to see if i like it.

and yea you guys made a lot of good points, if i like it, then its ok, its the board for me. if i dont, then whatever ill go back to my other board. and when it all comes down, someone could be riding a wooden door for a board but still be ripping the sickest moves you've seen. it's all about personal preference and donest matter what it looks like, just as long as you get the best experience and performance out of it. thanks guys

[Driftingalong]

and when it all comes down, someone could be riding a wooden door for a board but still be ripping the sickest moves you've seen.

Have you seen Taj Burrow's "Fair Bits"...
There's a section in there where Taj, Slater and Machado are riding a door, suitcase, table, toboggan...it's frickin' hysterical.

[gulfsurfer]

I like my epoxy boards alot. VERY light, and they float really good.

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

dude epoxy is the shits. i live i hawaii (obviously) and there are no (yes, absolutely not a single one) sandy breaks here except shorebreaks if you want to break your neck. all the rest have reef that sticks out of the water much of the time.
i went through one glass board about every 4 months because of these dings. then i bought an epoxy ratboy shortboard and ive had it for almost a year and theres no sign of it giving up soon. epoxy isnt indestructible, i still ding it. it also costs more to fix but they have a putty that works fine.

but it is atleast twice as strong. its also supposed to float 20% more. im not sure but i do know i went from a 6'3'' glass to a 6'0'' epoxy without it feeling any less bouyant.

in fact i just completely messed mine up, the ding reached all the way across the width of the board. i took it in and its going to cost 70 dollars to fix it but it will be "good as new, except a few ounces heavier"

and they said if it were a glass board there would be nothing to fix!

[drowningbitbybit]

dude epoxy is the shits.

Oh, that means its good! Couldnt understand why you were saying all good things about the board..