LB Crew - If I recall correctly you said that after 30 plus years of riding conventional PU/PE construction boards, you transitioned to only riding EPS/Epoxy boards. I have tried riding some EPS boards and I don't feel like I get the drive I get out of PU/PE. These are hand built EPS not tuflite or overseas popouts. I figured I would try EPS again and picked up an EPS board by Rusty - Is there a method to get more drive out of these boards, bigger fins etc? or is it just the lack of inertia from the lighter (lower mass) board? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks Jim
I'm not LB crew- but, like you said, I think it has to do with weight and buoyancy. I personally like the feel of eps but it is different and you have to adjust your surfing a bit. My eps board has plenty of drive- but I do have different fins- which will make a difference. But if your think of the way the board feels/cuts through the water on a turn- that is different. The only way I can explain it is a regular pu board feels like it's more of a knife through the water. I would be interesting in hearing from LB crew
If your build is lighter with EPS, yes... you'll feel a difference in terms of momentum/inertia. My big wave boards and logs are PU/PE for that reason... smoother ride, more glide, more stability, more control. Chances are if you bought an off the shelf EPS/Epoxy board it's significantly lighter than it's PU/PE counterpart. There are ways to get some drive back through design modifications, but it's not likely big name board builders make those modifications. Longer double concaves add drive. Pushing the fins back or apart adds drive. Less tail kick adds drive... But yea, fins with longer bases, more rake, and more tip area all increase drive. However, when I build custom EPS/Epoxy boards for myself, I come very close to the weight of a standard PU/PE. I use 2lb foam and 6oz cloth all around, in most cases. The added weight in glass improves durability and keeps the board lively for years. The compromise is you get a stiffer board. You have to ether go with a different stringer design/material, or go thinner to get some flex back. If you go thinner you have to add volume somewhere to make up for what you lose going thinner. I like to go longer... it improves paddleability and wave catching. But guys these days seem to have a thing about length, and feel the need to keep their boards under 6'.
Thanks for the response LB, you have provided some good information. I agree about bigger wave boards and logs needing the stability and glide of PU/PE- Reading your response and thinking it over, I actually think it is the difference in inertia due to being lighter than a comparable PU/PE build that I am feeling. I got this board as a small (under head high ) wave board, I will use some bigger fins to maximize the drive. Thanks and I hope y'all got some of the clean swell and unbelievably warm water we had down here. Pretty rare to surf without boots or gloves at Christmas. Jim
Cool... just don't overfin the board. I don't know what fin system you're using, but going with a bigger template might make the board feel stiff. I'd try to find a fin set with either more base, more rake, or more tip area.
OK - Board is set up with futures - 5 boxes. I measured and as close as I can tell the boxes are set a bit further toward the tail than say a McKee set up (11 1/8 " to fronts, 5" to rears) Board came with T1 fronts ? But I wasn't sure if that was the right set or just what the guy said "came with the board- tried it with those and some 4" symmetrical trailers but waves kinda sucked and I didn't get a good feel for how that set up worked. I have plenty of bigger fin sets since I weigh 200 - some LG Roberts and also a set of Controllers that I was going to try next I prefer a bit more drive and hold over looseness I wil let you know how it goes Thanks for your help Jim
are you riding the same board just shaped in eps? if not you really cant judge. you could maybe try making the rails a little thinner or something like taper down if you think you arent engaging it enough/fighting with it. you can try something w/ parabolic carbon rails or like the firewire fst maybe. the torsion w carbon fiber is nice and responsive and lasts forever. the last board i had shaped was by matt raynor in hawaii and it was eps with carbon fiber inlaid in the deck. i dont know if it actually does more than help with durability but the board itself is really fast. it feels like it has a motor underneath the tail the way it channels water. it actually rides better with weight further back than im used to. a different shape might be the answer and depends on person preference and skill level. its similar idea to the mini driver by lost to get an idea on shape, rails, rocker, channels. i also like kinetik racing fins. the carbon fiber in the bases is nice for smaller waves you have to pump a lot with and make your own speed. im like 150 and the bruce irons fins are the best ive ever used on a dumpster diver in the summer for quick crisp responsive speed and never feeling soggy. size to your needs and youll find something. the dumpster diver is totally diff board to the mini driver in rocker and such. the dumpster diver is pretty rockered throughout so punchier beach break its good for even in a 1ft wave, but if there are a lot of flat sections its dead in the water. so if youre surfing more on the shoulder or in flatter waves you need something thatll match that. eps or poly wont change that.
also with quads ive found ive been able to drive easier the smaller the back fins i have in there. on my firewire quad i use in summer when its 0-2ft flatter on face i only use the front 2 fins and it drives so much better than w any back fin. that looseness allows it to go rail to rail much easier and get speed up almost instantly. so smaller trailers might be the answer. i used back fins in one quad that are really really small. not knubster small but like smallest side bite small i think and that felt way less stiff and much easier to pump with. so you could always try sizing down and see what happens?
