Epoxy vs. fiberglass

[ptsurf7]

All of my surfboards in my quiver are fiberglass. Likewise, all of my boards have noticable and devasting dings that have been repaired overtime. It definitiely sucks everytime i buy a new board and within a year someone crashes into me, or i drop in in 2 feet of water and snap a nose...So im thinkin about going epoxy. Ive heard they are much stronger and some boards you can actually turn upside down and stand on them and they wont break. However, ive never rode one and would like some feedback as what you guys think about epoxy and how they ride compared to fiberglass.

[surfhead]

epoxy is much more boyant and the boards don't have any flex or give. Personaly I don't like the way they ride but some yonger guys I talk to swear by them. I guess Its all your own pref. See if you can rent one from a local shop, lots of rentals are now epoxy because the're virtualy indistructable.

[wavehunter]

I never thought I would say this but my quiver is in the process of becoming all epoxy. I did the math and if all of my boards had have been epoxy and not poly I would have a couple thousand more dollars right now between repairs and buying new boards. If you have money to burn, poly is the way to go, the feel is just unbeatable. But, if you need something that's going to last a while, epoxy has more bang for the buck.

[mtnsurf]

I wouldn't put all your money into epoxy...they're good, but I wouldn't say they're the be-all end-all. I bought an epoxy board and had the nose snap right off after the board hit my arm on a bail. Plus, epoxy boards are a pain in the ass to fix and if you don't mix it exactly right and have the right temperatures for curing, you're left with a huge mess.

[mtd]

This is a familiar thread but I'll say again that I don't care for overseas-made epoxies. I do however love my handshaped epoxy Ricky Carrolls. They seem to me to be the best of both worlds plus you're supporting a genuine EC shaper.

[Kneeboarder4Life]

the ONLY board I have ever broken was a surf-tech. I will NEVER buy an epoxy (knee)board again.

[ptsurf7]

pretty interesting. So is there a definitive difference in the way the epoxy board surfs? Because i would imagine that bc it is so light it is faster then fiberglass but for some reason i think it may be harder to catch waves and pull in? In your opinion, am i correct in my theory...

[swede2100]

GO XTR epoxy....Its the best, period....Twice the strength of a polyester board, half the weight, and cant absorb water if you ding it....Pros ride XTR's.

[willeyboards]

Let me correct this thread a little bit. Epoxy boards are fiberglass boards, most epoxy boards use the same fiberglass as polyurethane boards. Its the amount of fiberglass that epoxy boards use that effects the flex. The foam core of epoxy boards (eps, 90% air!) or (xtr) foam is much lighter, flexible but weaker than poly foam, so more fiberglass is needed. In fact epoxy resin is much more flexible than polyurethane resin. There is a lot of new technology coming out with epoxy boards, like the xtr that allows epoxy boards to be more flexible, stronger and faster than any poly board. I attached a board i made 2 years ago incorporating epoxy resin, fiberglass cloth, eps foam and balsa wood. It flexes just as good and weighs the same as a polyurethane board and i have yet to put a pressure ding in it.

[scotty]

Let me correct this thread a little bit. Epoxy boards are fiberglass boards, most epoxy boards use the same fiberglass as polyurethane boards.

yeah, your right but i've long since given up on trying to explain that epoxy is just a reson type. Anymore when someone says "epoxy board" they probably just mean a surf tech or other composite pop out.