Stu Sharpe sups?.....Corevac composites?

[Ake G]

I'm seriously thinking about another surf custom to go along with my small L41 Simsup and have been doing the research.

Compared to a few years ago, I have a much better idea idea of what I'm looking for as far as shape and construction to best suit the day to day conditions I regularly surf and how I'd like to surf them.

Looks like some great "short n'wide" shapes coming out of Florida east coast. Fellow zoner mdsurf spoke highly of his Stu Sharpe Honey Badger.

Has anyone out there surfed a Stu Sharpe short/wide surf shape? 

I have seen a few Cannibal Corevacs in my local shops...they look and feel great! from a build standpoint.

 Maybe a Stu Sharpe shape and a corevac tint/glassing? How are these guys to work with?

[mdsurf]

AkeG. I still love my Stu Sharpe board and a couple friends who have L41 SimSups have tried and really like the Sharpe.  His hand laminated board is  light and tough.  I would love this board in a core vac , it would be a great surfing sup, super light, bullet proof board that is also very pretty. 

Stu is very easy to work with in getting a custom board.

Maybe Paul or Jim would like to chime in on the board.

[supthecreek]

Is Core-Vac a laminating shop, or is it specifically Cannibal?

[jdmotes]

May be wrong but pretty sure AJ just does Cannibal at his factory...

[pguidry]

Core-Vac is a laminating shop. Someone mentioned a similar sounding process on the west coast with Kings.  Stu can send his boards there, think it's $400 extra. 

The Core-Vac boards are super tough.  I've been in 2 shops where they flip them upside down and stand on them. It just seems wrong to watch someone do it.

I've ridden mdsurf's Stu and like it a lot. It glides great and is very stable.  That Honey Badger just takes what it wants.

Cannibal's sizes and volumes are tricky but the 2 shops I've been to let you demo any board. The lack of waves have kept me from sorting them out better. 

I'm hoping to add a Stu to my L41 soon. It will give me a dilemma on which to take out.

[supdiscobay]

Is Core-Vac a laminating shop, or is it specifically Cannibal?

When I was at the Kings factory, Dave Daum described the material as Core-Lan and the it had to be vacuum bagged, as the specific gravity of the material, would allow it to float in the middle of any resin saturation.  Vacuum bagging keeps the material as close to the foam core as possible.  Dave also pulled a newly built core-lan board off the rack and bounced on it.

I suspect the "Core-Vac" name is just a combination of the material name and the process. To get a Kings board with Core-Lan, it is about $400 more, which really reflects the vacuum bagging process.  I was surprised at how many steps there were to vacuum bagging a board the right way.

[Dwight (DW)]

Core-Vac is a simple vacuum bagged board. No exotic material. The material Dave Daum is talking about, I'm sure has nothing to do with the Core-Vac name.

I talked to Stu about the Core-Vac boards. He said they keep what happens in the factory pretty secret, so even he doesn't know what's in his boards when he sends one there for glassing.

The tricks and skills of vacuum bagging clear lam surfboards, is not common knowledge. It's why I stopped posted info on it too.

[mdsurf]

In my opinion Stu Sharpe shapes a great surf sup.  His hand lamination process yields a light weight durable board with the right flex for surf and durable and again light weight but not fragile.  When I ordered my board, Stu Sharpe gave me the option to have the board CoreVac laminated or hand laminated, I chose his hand laminated process based on his statement that it will be strong and light weight.  The option to have it laminated by Stu Sharpe or by AJs CoreVac shop is a a huge plus in my opinion. From what I am told by Stu Sharpe is that you can have the same CoreVac lamination process for about $400 more and it is the same process as used on AJs  Cannibal CoreVac boards.  I have seen 3 Tom Neilson boards with the CoreVac lamination and they look like a Neilson with a CoreVac tint and lamination. 

AkeG you talked me into another board.  Looks like I will have a Stu Sharpe performance board with CoreVac lamination in about 5 weeks.

[mdsurf]

BTW I was told by CoreVac shop rep the material used is special material similar to what is used in space/flight suits.  Sounds reasonable since they are located close to the Aerospace industry in Cocoa Beach Florida. But since it is a guarded secret, who knows-just AJ and his crew.  What I know- it is a durable and light weight lamination and I want it on my Stu Sharpe performance board.

[Dwight (DW)]

It sounds like they've upped their game since my buddies got their Core-Vacs. Cool stuff. There are lots of cool fabrics out there we can play with when vacuum bagging. Materials that don't work with free lams. I'm experimenting with one of those materials in the rail.

You do have to watch out for smoke and mirrors though. The salesman at the Longboard House swore to my buddies that vacuum bagging squished all the air from the EPS blank and therefore they didn't need vents. Complete B.S.

The reason manufacturers go vent less, is simply weighing the pros and cons of keeping "more" customers happy. Lets says 1 of 500 boards delaminates from not using a vent, while 5 out of 500 customers ruin boards with vents, because they damage the vent and take in water. What's the better method? Not easy choices. Both ways work. But saying the air is squished from the EPS is complete fabrication. I'd have preferred the salesman just say the possibly of delamination was extremely low, and no vent reduces failure points.

[Ake G]

Here's a Stu Sharpe corevac Honey Badger straight off his website. I'd like the deck to be a Mark Rothko "ochre and red on red" inspired resin tint.....

md- Glad I could help ;-) I'm in the "tire kicking" stages right now, am thinking about my next big short n'wide for this fall/winter.

Got some photos of your Honey Badger?

DW- Are you taking orders yet?

[mdsurf]

AkeG-  Here is my Stu Sharpe Honey Badger 8'8" x 31.5.  yes I like green.  Rides great and turns fantastic.  No signs of wear after 1 year of use.

[Dwight (DW)]

DW- Are you taking orders yet?

No, still have to wait until I retire. 2 years from now. 

I saw Jon E.B. surfing the Cocoa pier last time I was there, but didn't have time to go meet him. Maybe next trip.

[gjbstandup]

Just received a new Stu Sharpe Modified wave Hog. 8-8 x 31.. Pulled in nose and swallow tail with lower rocker thanks the std wave hog model ..Core Vac layup with 3 layers on bottom and top with patch on deck. quad plus 1 fin set up  Seems strong and just at 13 lbs. Durability will be tested one I get in the waves..

[mdsurf]

Got my new Stu Sharpe boards and the  Corevac is great but they surf better than they look and they look fantastic