Due to the complex manufacturing process of surfboards, different materials greatly affect the difficulty of production. The price range of surfboards of different materials is very obvious. Handmade surfboards are even regarded as art to a certain extent. The product exists. The core is the core part of a surfboard, which directly determines the shape, performance and even price of the surfboard. The board core is generally made of low-density foam materials, which allows high-performance surfboards to achieve a lighter weight while ensuring a certain strength
Structure of Surfboard
The general surfboard structure can be simply divided into three layers: keel, board core and outer wrapping layer.
- Keel: Traditional surfboards are generally equipped with keels, which not only enhance the strength of the surfboard but also keep it from deforming. With the development of material technology, many surfboards have canceled the keel structure or replaced it with carbon fiber patches.
- Board core: It is the core part of the surfboard. It directly determines the shape, performance and even price of the surfboard. The board core is generally made of low-density foam materials, which allows high-performance surfboards to achieve a lighter weight while ensuring a certain strength.
- Outer wrapping layer: It is the protective layer wrapped around the core of the board. The board core mainly provides buoyancy and a certain overall strength for the surfboard, but it has no resistance to external impacts, small area pressure, and seawater erosion. Therefore, the surfboard must be protected by an outer wrapping layer.
Common surfboard core materials
The original surfboard was a long wooden board, completely made of pure wood and very thick. Today we are familiar with almost no wooden surfboards. The mainstream surfboard cores on the market generally include expanded polystyrene (EPS), polyurethane (PU), polystyrene polystyrene (PS), and extruded polystyrene (XPS).
- Polystyrene(PS)
PS is light in weight and has high buoyancy, but its strength is very poor. Therefore, PS is generally not used to make professional surfboards, but is only used to make recreational children’s surfboards, half-length surfboards, or novice surfboards. Surfboards made of PS material are highly buoyant, but their strength and durability are greatly reduced.
- Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
EPS is an advanced material of PS, also known as high-density polystyrene. EPS is a high-density foam material that is light in weight and high in strength. EPS scraps can be recycled and reused and are relatively environmentally friendly.
Foam material. However, since it is very difficult to artificially shape EPS, most EPS surfboards are produced through machine molding. Therefore, the shape of EPS surfboards depends on the manufacturer’s mold, making it difficult to customize in small batches. The shape and function of the surfboards will be limited. At the same time, because it can be mass-produced, EPS surfboards are also a relatively cheap one among various board core materials.
- Ployurethane(PU)
PU is a synthetic polymer foam material with good flexibility and durability. At the same time, it gives the surfboard greater torsion resistance. PU material is extremely unfriendly to the environment. In addition to the scraps after molding cannot be recycled, the decomposition rate of PU in nature is also extremely slow. PU board core has extremely high plasticity during the production process. It is generally hand-formed and can be customized to any suitable length and special shape and function. Although under normal circumstances, PU materials are very durable. However, if the outer wrapping layer is damaged due to scratches or cracks, the PU board core will still absorb water and age quickly. This can cause the foam to burst, turn yellow, or become brittle. The compression performance of PU is relatively lacking. When impacted by a small area, the PU board core will easily be dented or crushed.
- Extruded polystyrene (XPS)
XPS board core does not absorb water, is easy to form, and has a consistent deflection curve, while being more environmentally friendly than PU. The density of XPS board core is similar to that of PU material, slightly higher than that of EPS. Because of the good hydrophobicity of XPS, even if the damaged core of the surfboard is exposed to sea water, the XPS material will not gain weight or age due to water absorption. However, it also makes it more difficult to fit the outer wrapping layer. XPS core material surfboards will often experience delamination before the end of their service life.
Advantages and Disadvantages
| Material | Advantages and disadvantages |
| PS | • Low density • Low strength and easy to damag • Low price • Easy to absorb water • Environmentally friendly |
| EPS | • Low density • High strength, low deflection • Fair price • Easy to absorb water • Environmentally friendly |
| PU | • Moderate density • Higher intensity • Not water resistant • Difficult to break down naturally |
| XPS | • Moderate density • High strength • High price • Does not absorb water • Environmentally friendly |
Is there a more perfect foam core material that combines all aspects of performance? Yes, of course, the PMI foam core material developed by TOPOLO for surfboards is an excellent material in this regard.
New Surfboard Core Material – PMI Foam
PMI structural foam is a closed-cell, rigid foam foamed from a copolymer of methacrylic acid (MAA) and methacrylonitrile (MAN). It is a new type of polymer structural foam material with the best comprehensive performance at present. It has the characteristics of lightweight, high strength, and high/low temperature resistance. The only thing you need to consider is its price.
