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Materials and construction

Understanding surfboard materials and construction helps you make well-informed decisions when choosing a surfboard. Different cores, laminates and construction methods directly influence performance, durability and feel in the water.

1

Materials overview

Surfboard materials determine how a board performs, feels and holds up over time in the water.

  • Everything starts with the core material. The two main options are PU (polyurethane) and EPS (expanded polystyrene), which still form the foundation of most surfboard constructions. There have been experiments with XPS (extruded polystyrene), but it is not widely used, partly due to challenges with lamination and long-term bonding.
  • Next, on top of the core, comes the fiberglass layers. Fiberglass comes in different weights, most commonly 4 oz and 6 oz (ounces per square foot). You will often see laminations described like 4+4/6, which is a shorthand for the glassing schedule: two layers of 4 oz fiberglass on the deck of the surfboard and one layer of 6 oz on the bottom. The deck is usually more heavily glassed because it needs to handle the higher pressure from the surfer’s feet.
  • Next, resin. The two main types are polyester and epoxy resin. Polyester resin is only used with PU cores. Epoxy resin is mainly used with EPS cores.
  • Heavily simplified, the main function of the core is flotation, fiberglass adds strength and resin bonds everything together and makes it watertight.
  • On top of this, a soft layer can be added. This is for safety reasons, as it helps soften impact when you hit the board. Boards that have this soft layer are called soft tops.

2

Construction

Surfboard construction is a step-by-step process of turning a molded foam blank into a finished surfboard by shaping it, adding structural inserts and sealing it with fiberglass and resin.

  • The process starts with a foam core (blank) that is produced by specialized companies using a mold to create the rough board shape. This blank is the base that everything else is built on.
  • The blank is then shaped into its final form either by hand in a shaping bay or using CNC machines that cut the outline from a digital design. After that, a shaper often refines details like rails and rocker by hand.
  • Fin boxes and leash plug are installed into the shaped blank before the outer layers are added. These are routed and fitted so they sit securely inside the board structure.
  • Fiberglass cloth is laid over the shaped board and coated with resin in one or more lamination layers. This process hardens the board and locks in the shape.
  • After curing, the board is sanded down to smooth the surface and remove excess resin. A final polish can be applied to finish the surface cleanly.