EPS Epoxy vs. PU Poly

+1 on the great info

That little bump this morning was fun!

 

I found a happy medium between the two: shortboards are epoxy, funshapes and longboards are poly.

Can somebody school me on technicals between stringered and stringerless epoxy? Just on aesthetics, I never really liked the look of the stringerless ones, cus it looks like a popout

 

All epoxies are pop outs, imho.
Look at surf tech--no original designs of their own. Cookie cutter approach?

 

New to eps...but as of now, from my very limited experience with eps... I will take eps over poly in the small grovler to hybrid range...got my first eps and love it...like the lightness of the board when it's small..poly for shortboards and step ups.

 

LBcrew, thanks for the quality info.

I've definitely ridden epoxies that I felt were 'chattery' and sat too high in the water. But thinking back, I've also ridden an epoxy fish that I liked a lot; it was mostly in chest high stuff in Argentina. So I know it can be done right, or at least in a way that I find responsive (with my meager skills and 'experience').

Either way, I am getting tired of fixing dings (I only have PU/PE boards). I treat my boards pretty well but there's just always a ding to fix. I'd really like to grab something more durable. This Lost-Libtech collaboration is interesting, and so is hydroflex, but I'd prefer to keep my money local (if and when I get some, that is)... will definitely be hitting up you sage mofos when I marshal some fundage.

 

I don't like fixing dings either, but epoxy boards get dings as well, don't they?? I never owned one, but have rented many on surf trips.

 

I beat the $hit out of an epoxy torq I bought 2 years ago and no dings... so far! yeah it is floaty but its an easy paddle fo sho. Its pretty good for strength as well meaning it has sustained some serious shore poundage.

 

Marko EPS foam doesn't take in water or very little. A lot less than PU foam. Stretch uses marko and uses great EPS tech for great binding. the boards are almost bulletproof. All shaped by hand in the USA with continuous rocker and volume in the right places. Stretch riders/shapers have actually ridden the boards with open dings and the foam didn't take in any water. Just great boards in my opinion. Just ride one. If you don't like it post it on this site and I will buy it.

 

"All epoxies are pop outs, imho." Barry, many of them are, but epoxy is just a resin and anyone (backyard shaper) can use it. It's also super easy to use for repairs.

 

Yup, I get it. Nevertheless, I will stay with PU boards. I do not like overly light boards, or the chatterly characteristics of EPS on the water. Just opinion.
And, as for being light, I can lighten up just as much as a surfer on an epoxy board by taking a pee. If I want to go even lighter, I go take a dump. Totally adjustable. So the board weight issue is moot.

 

So, after that dump you might be down to 6lbs 8 ounces... you know... your original birth weight?

 

hahaha!! Good one, but maybe so, antoine, maybe so.......

 

For a while there I was painting stringers onto my stringerless boards, or boards with just fiberglass or HD foam stringers, just because I was so used to how they looked. Now I'm over that, and don't mind not having that sort of subliminal point of reference in front of me.

I really hate fixing dings with epoxy... just because of the long cure times. But the giveback is... you get fewer dings, and when you get them, they tend to be not as bad as if it were poly.

It's all personal preference, though. Some people don't give to craps what their board looks like... for others they have to be a work of art. Some people can't feel the difference between a twin fin and a thruster... some people shave millimeters off their fin edges.