Coastalsurvey

Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997
Subject: Re: Patagonia Epoxy Boards

> Has anyone heard anything for better or for worse about the new Patagonia > Epoxy Surfboards? Supposed to be 70% stronger than normal boards and 15% > lighter. Patagonia even will replace one if they break. I’m looking at > their 9′ Traditional longboard. dimensions are something like 2 7/8 thick, > 21″ wide, Shaped by Michael Junod. Anyone ever hear of Michael Junod? his > shapes? Also wondering if anyone sees the positives and negatives of epoxy > VS poly resin. > > Thanks, >

Epoxy – stiff Poly – flexible Epoxy is about 3-4 times the cost of polyester resin. Epoxy is only as good as the material that goes with it. It should be used with S-glass, Carbon or Kevlar to get the full mechanical strength value. Epoxy and E-glass, No.

Majority of boards are made out of poly and E-glass because it is cheap. Most bottom of  boards are one layer of 6 oz E-glass. If you add a 4 oz layer to the 6 oz that would get you the approximately 70% extra strength cheaply with a little extra weight. Be sure the core is not styro, one crack or hole and it sucks up pounds of water. Good Luck

Subject: Re: Unbreakable surfboard

Buck wrote in article: Patagonia is trying to make an unbreakable surfboard …. I don’t buy the Patagonia line about environmental friendliness. As I understand it they claim that because the boards are more durable they’ll occupy less volume in our landfills. I don’t think that used surfboards are (in terms of quantity) a large problem in landfills. > 3 Finally if they make an unbreakable surfboard then the demand for > surfboards will go down, the production of surfboards will go down, and > shapers won’t be able to advance their shapes, and the art of surfboard > shaping won’t progress. Surfboard design is probably (unfortunately) driven mostly by a very small segment of the surfing population.  Overall I think Patagonia is trying something interesting and (to me) obvious. They’re probably not in it for the money since most of the money in the surf industry is in the clothing and accessory market (which they’re already in) rather than in the production and sale of surfboards.

Hmmm, I’m not an expert on the art of making surfboards but … Patagonia seems to be trying to make less breakable surfboards rather than unbreakable ones. Most of what they’re doing seems pretty smart. They’re using polystyrene cores. I don’t understand why people continue to use polyurethane blanks. Polyurethane blanks are expensive and the fact that their strength varies with the distance from the skin means they aren’t amenable to automated shaping.

They are using epoxy rather than polyester or vinylester resin. Epoxy is lighter and stronger. Given that I keep boards forever I’d rather spend some extra money up front. They are putting triple stringers on some of the boards. It’s a small weight gain and obviously a large durability gain. Foam is not that strong under compression or strain. They’re using S glass rather than E glass.

I haven’t read anything other than Patagonia’s propaganda about the difference between the two types of fabric but it’s my impression that surfboard producers may have experimented with a lot of different fabrics but haven’t really incorporated their experience into their production boards. If you look at wakesurfing boards you can see a lot more experimentation and progress in recent history than you’ll see in surfboards.

What I don’t like about Patagonia’s boards is their price and the fact that they sell you an off-the-shelf shape and will not custom make boards for you. I suppose that the boards have higher prices because they cost more to make and if I really wanted a custom board I could just as easily go to a local shaper.

Subject: Re: Patagonia Longboards
Date: 11 Jan 1998

Nope, but they are probobly as expensive as their clothing and not worth it. Oh, I don’t know. The only Patagonia product I have is a sailing jacket I bought about 5 years ago at the company’s seconds store in Ventura for half-price. I don’t sail, but this waterproof yet comfortable unit continues to serve me well as a raincoat and for heavy-spray powerboating. The hood fits perfectly, like a wetsuit hood, and the cuffs/waistband are neoprene. Wearing this jacket is like wearing a wetsuit, but warmer and drier. I’m sure there are exceptions, but most everything I’ve seen Patagonia and its helmsman, Yvon Chouinard, turn its/his hand to has been top quality. There are a million cliche’s to cover that … you get what you pay for, etc.

Since the last $500+ standard-materials longboard I bought was heavily stresscracked on a mushy 3′ day when it was brand new, I’m glad people like Chouinard and Bob McTavish are pushing surfboards into new realms of technology. I’d very much like to see the Patagonia and McTavish boards up against standard foam/glass/resin and epoxy boards in a “road test” in one of the surf mags, with simulated dinging and cracking situations as well as surfability tests.  Are you there, Mr. Hawk?