AT SBS Boards we ensure that every Surfboard and SUP is designed and manufactured to the highest possible standards using only the best materials available. We continually strive to better ourselves with every board we make, repeatedly improving board design, performance and construction materials, all in our endeavour to create great performance boards that are light, strong and durable for any wave rider.
All SBS Boards start out as an idea, then our research and development team take this Idea and sketch it out and categories what problems it can solve in surfing. How can it make surfing easier or allow the surfer to perform better. Once the design and concept have been finalized the prototype board is ready for construction by hand.
Starting out using a polyurethane blank the prototype design is shaped and then laminated using hexel fiberglass with epoxy resin. This prototype is then tested for any weaknesses or strength issues. It is inspected rigorously for any faults that might arise. Once cleared from inspection the board is given over to our team riders and selected local surfers who will put the board through its paces in a variety of conditions testing it to its limits, giving us instant feedback about how the board performs. All the information is then collated and any improvements or design aspects required can be incorporated into a second prototype. This process of shaping and testing will continue until the board has been perfected.
Only then is it ready be scanned 3 dimensionally, and created in to a 3d CAD version that can be replicated to the same high standard every time without any irregularities.
SBS Boards strive to produce the highest standard & quality
the following paragraph will explain the reason for our build process and the differences between other construction techniques.
Why We Make Epoxy Surfboards?
The Reason SBS Boards only use epoxy in the construction throughout our entire range of boards is that epoxy surfboards are stronger, lighter & tougher than traditional construction techniques like polyester/polyurethane fiberglass boards. It is widely known that epoxy boards are around 30% lighter and 20% Stronger than traditional polyester/polyurethane fibreglass boards “ who doesn’t want a lighter stronger surfboard”
We use epoxy resin because it’s much stronger and less toxic than polyester resin and the EPS foam core is much lighter than a polyurethane core found in a traditional POLY/PU board. This makes for a less toxic and more environmentally friendly board, that is stronger and lighter than a typically POLY/PU Board.
The foam used in the construction of the cores in the majority of SBS Boards is expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene (XPS) this combination of light weight foam makes for a strong lightweight surfboard, with a lower impact on the environment and less hazardous to Human health.
If you compare an SBS Surfboard to a typical standard polyurethane surfboard you will immediately feel the difference in weight instantly. POLY/PU construction typically uses a three-pound foam (1.3kg) which means if you had a one-foot cube of foam it would weigh three pounds, expanded polystyrene (EPS), is typically a one-pound foam (453g). Therefore on average, you can lose a third of the weight just from the foam making a huge difference between the 2 types of construction. Using EPS and epoxy allows us to make stronger lighter more buoyant boards, in turn improving paddling speed, planning speed as well as reaction time on the board by decreasing swing weight and making the board feel very responsive.
Throughout our range, we use Epoxy, EPS or XPS as this construction technique allows us to make lighter, faster, stiffer, buoyant, more responsive, and stronger surfboards. Our boards will also keep their pop over time whereas a more traditional poly-board might become more flexible with use.
We are so confident in our construction techniques at SBS Boards that we regularly demonstrate its strength and toughness compared to other poly/pu. This high strength and durability gives us the confidence that if you drop or knock an SBS board it is less likely to break or ding compared to a standard poly/pu board, therefore helping your SBS Board to stay stronger for longer giving you great value for money as you won’t have to replace your board as often.
There has been increasing movement over the last decade towards alternative sustainable materials such as ECO foams, carbon fiber or a natural combination of epoxy resins, something as a surfboard manufacturer we are continually exploring and developing to try and use sustainable new age materials that are less harmful to the environment and human health whilst being stronger and lighter than the older styles of surfboard construction. This is the main reason why you might see some of the best surfers in the world competing on the world tour using epoxy boards, 11 times world champion Kelly Slater seems to ride them pretty regularly pushing and developing boards that have a lower carbon foot print and last longer and still perform, this can only be great for the sport of surfing.
- Key EPOXY – This is a hard type of resin used in the construction of epoxy surfboards with an EPS foam core EPS– Acronym for Expanded Polystyrene, This is a light weight beaded foam used in the production of all epoxy surfboards
- Extruded Polystyrene Core – This is a closed cell core and since it is “closed” it repels water and is more resistant to compression and damage
- POLY– Acronym for the Polyester resin used in the production of the (traditional) polyurethane foam core surfboard PU – Acronym for Polyurethane blank used as the core of a board glassed with polyester resin FIBERGLASS CLOTH – Weighted cloth used in the construction of epoxy-glassed and poly-glassed surfboards.