Traditional Fiberglass VS Epoxy VS NexGen… So Which is Better?
March 2nd, 2010 by Luc Stokes by 33 Degree Surfboards
One of the biggest questions I get is what’s the difference between epoxy and fiberglass, In this post I’m going to go through what the pros and cons to all them are so you can hopefully make a better educated decision.
Traditional Glass – 60+ Years old and still kicking
Your traditional fiberglass construction (also referred to as classic or PU or poly or glass) is the classic construction of the surf industry. It’s what boards have been made out of for the last 60+ years.
PU construction starts with a polyester foam blank and a wood (typically balsa) stringer. These boards are then traditionally shaped by hand then wrapped in fiberglass and polyurethane resin. Pros-
Cuts Through Chop – A poly blank is a fairly dense foam. This gives you a board that sits lower in the water and makes those rough and choppy days a little smoother as your board will cut through the chop well. This is a benefit not only when you’re paddling out because it will help you keep your momentum up but it will also be smoother on the water when riding.
Responsive – Another benefit to the poly blank is the spring it provides. A poly board will feel more lively under foot more often than not. This can make your board more responsive and more performance driven.
Better Graphics – Because the foam is more dense and the resin of a poly board is transparent your graphic choices on them will usually be greater. If you think about it, a dense foam will create a smoother surface on which to paint. And because the resin is transparent, you can do all sorts of inlays and laments that can have all kinds of cool effects on the graphic scheme.
Cons-
Weight – A poly board will typically be heavier than other constructions. This is mainly because of the dense properties of polyester foam. Other than heavier just being annoying, it can also make your board tougher to handle in the water.
Fragility – Polyurethane resin, although it flexes well and can make your board more responsive, it also makes your board a lot more prone to dings, dents, and breakage. This can cause frustration in many ways… cost of repair, cost of replacement because it can wear out faster, being without a board while it’s getting repaired, and can look used and beat up earlier in it’s life span.
Sun Damage – We all know that sun can be hard on our skin if we’re exposed to it too much. Well, your surfboard is the same. Too much heat and UV will cause the materials in it to breakdown, making your board more fragile. It will also cause your board to turn a not so lovely shade of yellow. Environmentally Unfriendly – The materials that go into the foam and resin are VERY toxic VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compound). This can cause not only harm to the person doing the shaping and glassing, but is disastrous when the boards end up in a landfill. The materials take a LONG time to decompose and because they are more fragile, the chances of a poly board ending up in a landfill are greater.
Epoxy – Finally a good alternative to classic glass
Epoxy boards, although they may appear to be new to the surf industry, have been around for quite a while. It has only become mainstream recently as the foam/glass/resin combo has been perfected.
Epoxy boards will typically start with an Expanded Poly Styrene (EPS) foam blank with a PVC foam stringer. These boards are usually shaped by either a machine or by hand. (We choose to have all ours shaped by hand. It keeps people employed, and the art of surfboard shaping alive. Nothing quite like hand built if you know what I mean. ) The board is then wrapped in fiberglass and covered in epoxy resin.
Pros-
Lighter – Your standard epoxy board can be much lighter than a poly board. This is nice not only when you’re carrying it to the beach, but can make moving the board around in the water more comfortable.
Stronger – Epoxy boards will 10-15% stronger than poly boards. This is great when you tend to be harder on your gear. Whether you’re in the water, walking from the car, or putting it away at the house, there always seems to be objects that jump out there and smack your board. If not for the strength, you could be going to the repair shop a whole lot more.
More Buoyant – EPS foam is a lot less dense. This makes the board sit higher in the water and float better than a poly board. The benefit here is that your paddling will be easier and in some cases (not all) you can surf a shorter surfboard and it will still float you great.
Environmentally Friendly – The VOC’s of an epoxy surfboard are significantly less toxic. This is not only a health benefit to the one shaping and glassing, but also when they end up in a landfill. Another enviro-beny (I think I just made that up ) is that because the foam is less dense, the decomposing process is faster.
Cons-
Stiffer – Because the board is made of a much stronger resin it can make the board stiff. This can be a positive or a negative depending on whether or not you’re used to surfing on a poly board. For some, a stiffer board can be less responsive, for others it will feel more lively. It just depends on what your used to. If you’re new to surfing you probably wont be able to tell the difference.
Sun Damage – Epoxy has it’s own issues with the sun. The paint on an epoxy surfboard won’t fade because it’s the last layer to go down, but the inside materials of an epoxy board expand under extreme heat and UV. This can cause a problem when the board is left in direct sunlight for too long. Because most epoxy boards aren’t vented, the expansion caused will make the board bubble and de- laminate. You’re fine if you’re just going back and forth to the beach or if you’re in the water, but if you’re gonna hang out on the beach for a while with the fam or friends you will need to keep it covered up. A simple board bag will save you a lot of heart ache… get one if you own an epoxy.
Bouncy – Because the surfboard floats higher in the water, when the waves get choppy, it can feel like your board is bouncing off the chop. This is more annoying than anything else but it can also reduce momentum down the line.
You will find that there are different types of cores and different manufacturers. You will need to do some fact finding to decide which core might best suit your needs and pocketbook.
How surf boards are constructed from my book Surf Instructions Beginner to Advanced on Amazon
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