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What Can Make The Deck Stronger: Carbon Fiber Makes Its Steps Forward
Nowadays, lighter and more robust materials are used in the production of surfboard decks which makes their service life longer.
These materials also make it possible for the surfer to use a lighter board offering better flex performance.
You don’t need to throw away your PU surfboard anymore as its deck won’t get broken in nine months.
The following information will interest those of you who usually surf in hard conditions and those who are strong enough to try something new.
Kevlar
Some surfboard manufacturers started to use kevlar material to reinforce the deck.
They say that such a material has a particular structure and is 6 times more robust than the “classic” fiberglass.
Actually, it takes one layer of just 2 ounces (59.15 cm³) of kevlar to be as robust as one layer of 6 ounces (ca. 177 cm³) of S-glass which is considered to be the most robust fiberglass.
Thanks to this material, it is possible to have a surfboard that weighs less but has a considerably more robust deck.
Moreover, it features greater compression power with no need for extra stiffness for the deck.
You get a flexing board with the deck that will serve you longer providing breakage prevention at the same time.
Ultimately, you have a surfboard whose lifetime amounts to 3 or 4 times as much compared to a normal board which is made of fiberglass and polyester materials.
The reason for this is that kevlar wears out not so fast.
The average price of a kevlar surfboard is $850.
Bamboo
Another material that is gaining in popularity in making decks is bamboo.
More and more manufacturers tend to use natural materials that are eco-friendly. Bamboo ranks top in the list here.
An interesting fact is that it is the most robust material presented with regard to its weight. Another fact that should be mentioned is that bamboo is a renewable material after a period of 3-5 years.
In addition, from the practical point of view, manufacturers like bamboo as this material lets them shape it without difficulties while the surfers appreciate its robustness.
The average price of a bamboo surfboard is $600.
Carbon Fiber
Surfboard manufacturers who use carbon fiber say that this material adds protection against bending to a deck.
Aviso manufacturers confirm it by their pilot models produced of carbon fiber three years ago.
The decks have been tested in more than 1,500 waves and show no bending in the deck as well as no surface defects like cracking or layer separation.
As their website says, Aviso surfboard decks are characterized by 6-7 times greater strength as opposed to normal PU surfboards, have deck compression bend-resistance and rail strength which are 2.5 times and 12 times better correspondingly.
In addition, they are 1.5 times more robust compared to a normal surfboard made of foam polystyrene.
One layer of carbon fiber material is placed above a special highly-dense cellular foam combined with ethoxylate resin which provides incredible flex memory.
A good thing here is that this composition is water-resistant.
The average price of carbon fiber surfboards is $1,300.
With a more robust deck, your surfboard lifetime will be longer. Technological progress made it possible for us not only to create a higher-level surfboard with new deck materials but also to minimize negative effects on our environment.
It is very easy to “calculate”: fewer surfboards and eco-friendly materials add to ecologically sound production.
You can now understand how the surf society develops itself and expands the boundaries to make surfing more successful as well as who is engaged in this process.
