SurfBoards

Surfboards are long, buoyant decks used in the activity of surfing. They are relatively light, but strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding a breaking wave. Like the sport itself, they were invented in Hawaii, where they were known as Papa he‘e nalu in the Hawaiian language, and usually made of wood from local trees, such as koa, and were often over 15 feet in length and extremely heavy[1] [2]. The major advances over the years were the addition of one or more fins on the bottom rear of the board to improve directional stability and a change of materials and shapes.

Modern surfboards are made of...polyurethane or polystyrene foam covered with layers of fiberglass cloth and polyester or epoxy resin.The end result is a light and strong surfboard that is buoyant and maneuverable. Since 1995 a new breed of shapers including Paul Jensen, Tom Wegener, Roy Stewart (Power Surfboards), and Peter McMahon (Empress Surfboards) have re-invented hollow wooden surfboards. A few speciality surfboards are made out of hollow carbon fiber or aluminum for added lightness. Most modern surfboards can be divided into two main categories longboards and shortboards. Longboards as the name suggests are longer (often eight or more feet), and are also thicker and wider with a more rounded nose than a shortboard. Shortboards are shorter (5–7ft), thinner, and have a more pointed nose. They are not as wide as longboards and are typically more maneuverable. Other variants include guns, fun-boards, fish, eggs, tow-boards, and hydrofoils. In order to discuss board design, it is helpful to have basic knowledge of the vocabulary used to reference each part of the board.

Surfboards are usually constructed using polyurethane foam. They are made stronger with one or more small pieces of wood going down the middle of the board called a stringer. The foam is molded into the rough shape of a surfboard called a blank. (Note Recently, the largest producer of these blanks, Clark Foam announced its closure [3]. This move drastically affected surfboard production and has become known to surfers as Blank Monday.) Once the blanks have been made they are given to shapers. Shapers then cut, plane, and sand the board to its specifications. Finally, the board is covered in one or more layers of fiberglass cloth and resin. It is during this stage that the fins, or boxes for removable fins are put on and the leash plug is installed. Another method of making boards is using epoxy resin and polystyrene foam, instead of polyester resin and polyurethane foam. In recent years, surfboards made out of balsa and a polystyrene core are becoming more popular. Even solid balsa surfboards are available. Although boards are usually shaped by hand, the use of machines to shape them has become more and more popular over the years. Hollow wooden surfboards are constructed using any type of wood and epoxy resin and are glassed with cloth such as glass, silk, cotton, polyester, dynol or kevlar. Most surfboards weigh between 5–15?lb (2–7?kg).