Half carbon vs tuflite board...what's the difference?

[hatteras]

9 months for a new design?  Hogwash!   The Chinese can copy the latest design and have it here in the US before you can say" mikhalohanpaloma".  And the durability will have you buying the next latest design in no time after your 1st good pounding.
   For real, don't put all your marbles into the latest,  greatest, techno weenie gram freak board.   At your weight, a wider board will only allow you to pull harder while maintaining stability in rougher conditions when you are getting tired.   
     It's all good to want to race and do well, but enjoy the sport for what it is.   Whether you put all available money into your 1st race board, or buy a used, last years model, odds are that you will find charcteristics in either that you would like to change as your skills progress, and have a better Idea of what you want or need.
    One thing I see amongst up-and-comers in any sport is that they try to buy their way to the top too soon with expensive gear that manufacturers and sponsored competitors make us think that we need, when training is what will benefit us most.  Until you go expert class, and are competing against the best around for money, paddling is 90% paddler and 10% board.
    Don't break the bank for the latest greatest board around, get one with good resale value.    Surftech is a great choice.
   

[Shaper1]

Even though I am not a fan of any popout construction, Carbon Fiber is going to be stiffer than fiberglass but does not last as long nor has the abraision resistance.

malarky! single-layer Carbon over EPS is nowhere near as stiff as the PVC sandwich construction used in the Surftech Tuflites
Eva

I was talking about the materials in general not the specific board. I don't follow surftech stuff. Sorry if that was written poorly.

[Aiyah]

wow, great advice hatteras. that's kind of the way i'm leaning, too. it'd be really fun to have the extra speed of a slimmer board but meh, id do just fine on a 29er. i think i'll go the surftech route.
which leads me to a very random and totally minute-detail sort of question. Totally just for kicks kinda thing. It looks like dad and I are getting the same board, and i've been thinking of a way to sort of "tag" mine somehow. Does a decal work pretty well? like the kind of thing you'd put on your car window? i thought about putting something really small on it that still looks kinda cool just to tell them apart. anyway, i thought a decal might be waterproof enough to stay. thoughts?

[Shaper1]

The difference between custom and surftech is more about design generation. It takes months, maybe 9 months, before a design reaches our shores. You have to ask how much the design has changed in 9 months and is it worth paying more to be more current.
[/quote]

THe difference should be not supporting the china machine that is ruining the surf industry and creating a relationship with your shaper. I am making a SUP for surfing for a guy that is really hard on boards. 9'8 1.5 lb eps, deck layup is bamboo with 2oz under it vac bagged and double 6 on top of that with a double six bottom. 1600  and if you can't help ding something like this you should take better car of your toys.

I am not doing alot of SUPs but they are fun and something different but I can't get over how few people buy form shapers.

[Aiyah]

totally off subject, but i always thought it would be fun to shape boards. not that i know anything about them, but i like working with my hands. how does one get into that sort of thing?

[Shaper1]

There  is tons of info on swaylocks.com just don't say you are doing a sup. There are some haters but alot of knowledge. King David has put a video on here and has written some great stuff. Where are you located. There are a few supply shops around the states that have blanks and videos. I will be happy to answer any questions you have. I love to share about shaping its a dying art. I used to be in the indusstry down in cali for a living but since I have moved to Canada I have had to get a real job bc the market for hand crafted is slim. I still have a shop and shape alot but its bc I am addicted LOL.

Be carful making something with your hands that will give you this much enjoyment will take over your mind, LOL

[Firenaut]

wow, great advice hatteras. that's kind of the way i'm leaning, too. it'd be really fun to have the extra speed of a slimmer board but meh, id do just fine on a 29er. i think i'll go the surftech route.
which leads me to a very random and totally minute-detail sort of question. Totally just for kicks kinda thing. It looks like dad and I are getting the same board, and i've been thinking of a way to sort of "tag" mine somehow. Does a decal work pretty well? like the kind of thing you'd put on your car window? i thought about putting something really small on it that still looks kinda cool just to tell them apart. anyway, i thought a decal might be waterproof enough to stay. thoughts?

My friend and I got our boards at the same time..while the colors are the same..there is a clear diference in the flame patterns on top.

[Aiyah]

Firenaut: oh really? Cool, I didn't know that.
Shaper1: ok, I'll take a look there. I live in the pacific northwest, 20 minutes south of Blaine, WA. There isn't mcy in the way of paddleboarding in the area at all. Sad! But I would love to someday get involved in shaping even though I know nothing. Maybe when I move to Cali to go to college? Haha

[Shaper1]

Well I am shaping on vancouver island so anytime you are near Tofino hit me up and I can show you some stuff.

[Aiyah]

ok, cool! how far from the border is tofino?

[Shaper1]

2 hours ferry ride plus 3 hours of driving

[Aiyah]

oh, that's quite a ways.

[Jesper B]

I have the Bark 14' custom with carbon bottom. Nice looking board and very nice shape. But I would say it is very low tech. The clear resign on top of the carbon is very beautiful, but a light filler would of course be lighter. I would guess it is not vacuum bagged: heavy and not that strong. Very nice looking laminated - great hand craft - but still low tech. Very sensitive for any kind of abuse. I would totally go for tuff light. Strong and light! As coming from wave sailing I might be a little spoiled with higher tech. Surfing is a lot of tradition, beautiful hand made, but also very undeveloped in terms of tech.

Still love my sensitive 14' custom Bark!

/Jesper

[Aiyah]

Thannks! I feel like that's the direction I'll be heading.