Frequently Asked Questions
There are a number of things people immediately as when they hear about the CompSand group.
The growing list of commonly asked questions (and their answers) is...
Do You Use Epoxy? Why?
Yes we do!
Due to the nature of our EPS core, it's absolutely essential that we use a 100% solids, 0 VOC laminating resin and currently epoxy is one of the few that fit the bill. Standard polyester resin is not only full of styrene, making production processes difficult and stinky, it also eats EPS faster than you eat your Saturday morning pre-surf eggs.
Epoxies are available with different final amounts of flex, allowing us to select our adhesives to properly match the elongation properties of the glass used in our laminates.
All internal laminations are done with epoxy, and most of our external laminates are as well, though there may be some magic coatings applied to enhance appearance.
In the past, many epoxies got a bad rap as early incarnations were not UV stable, yellowed badly,had extraordinarily high tensile properties making them brittle, and the hardeners were hazardous and allergenic to handle.
We've chosen to use modern, well developed epoxy systems in a careful manner insuring a product that will last for years with no delaminations, no yellowing and no brittleness with age under normal use.
Can a surfboard be too light?
I have on occasion walked down to the surf and turned around because I had forgot my board. Then half way back to the car I realized it was under my arm the whole time.
With the possible exception of mavericks style guns, tow boards and noseriders. Performance style shortboard and longboard can not be too light if designed properly.
The common belief that as the waves get bigger more weight is needed to create drive and handle the offshore winds and bumps. While the weight may help some of these perceived problems, The most beneficial part of the weight is the added fiberglass that is used to strengthen the board and keep it from being too floppy under high load situations.
Our construction can be light, strong, and responsive in those same high load situations.
Because of our long love affair of the polyester center stringered surfboard we have developed many ideas of how a surfboard should look and feel.
By removing the center stringer and taking the strength out of the core are placing it in the skin we are no longer confined to the shapes and designs of the past construction.
Are all your models the same, or are customs available?
The best thing about boards built by the compsand co-op, is the custom board factor. We remain as one of the few composite board builders that are not in the popout production model.
That means we can build something the same or as close as possible to what your currently riding.
Not only that, this construction allows a whole new set of design parameters.
A lot of riders are tending to go a bit smaller than they normally ride, due to the added bouyancy of eps foam(without the extra weight).The high strength of a compsand surfboard also allows for thin boards previously unheard of in modern surfboard construction.
I want to buy the lowest-price board I can find!
In general, surfboard production has changed dramatically since Dec. 2005. It is no longer as simple as picking your favorite close tolerance blank from the venerable Clark Foam catalog; there's foam quality and density, blank shape, and availability to consider... and that's just for making a traditional board!
While EPS may be cheap and readily available, the high density sandwich skins that provide the durability and high performance ride are not; many of these materials are in high demand from the aerospace industry and obtaining them from suppliers comes at a cost. In the case of Balsa; again, the raw material is not expensive, but to take it to suitable dimensions for board construction requires a full complement of woodshop tools and a significant time investment.
A full composite surfboard requires another level of planning altogether; figuring out how to fit all of the thin layers together perfectly to have a water tight, void free, high performance finished product. Each board requires an extensive set of jigs and templates, all which must be prepared to facilitate a consistent construction. Individual steps must be employed to properly reinforce high stress areas of the board, adding another step to the production chain. The only way to combat these economics is volume of sales...generally requiring molds or extensive CNC and automation (Surftech and Firewire respectively). Remember that what you're getting from the CSSB is a custom "one-off" that required hours of planning, preparation and execution to reach the product that you ended up with for years to come.
These boards are not as easy to make as picking your blank, grabbing your planer and a sanding screen, glassing it up with your favorite 4oz and UV resin and popping it out in the sun. The members of CSSB are true craftsmen who make beautiful curves from flat sheets of wood and square blocks of foam. Depending on board size and cosmetic options, anywhere from seven to twenty-five hours of may be invested in each one by the time it's ready for the water. Additionally, hours and hours of material preparation and construction planning go in to each and every board we lovingly make for you; the customer.
How do I care for my compsand?
How do you care for your golf clubs? How do you care for your stereo? How do you currently care for your surfboard?
Chances are if you care for your compsand in a manner similar to how you currently care for you regular, traditional surfboard, you'll be fine. Don't leave it lying out on the beach while you hit on the bikini-clad hottie for a couple of hours. Don't leave it in your locked car in the middle of the summer hot sun; you wouldn't do this to your dog, would you? Some boards are equipped with vents; these vents should be left open when the board is out of the water to allow for atmospheric equilibration. Always remember to close your vent before taking your board in to the water.
Get a bag with a reflective coating; white and silver bags are good; black and dark camo bags, while vogue, actually facilitate the interior of the bag becoming very hot; essentially creating an oven for your board; these conditions will reduce the lifespan of any board, regardless of construction method.
Minor dings (star cracking in the outside glass without penetration through the sandwich to the inner eps foam) can be intermittently handled by a mylar or vinyl sticker over top of the damage if absolutely necessary. Some high quality 5 minute epoxies can also be used to patch exterior dings, though most varieties available at hardware shops are not marine rated and will discolour and decompose upon prolonged exposure to water.
Any major damage to a compsand board should be dealt with by the manufacturer, or one of the repair centres listed on our website. As these are multi-layered and multi-component boards, major repairs should be left to people who undertand how these parts work together and are properly equipped to get the repair done right.
While there have been examples of people jumping on these boards from heights, bouncing on the upside down, smacking them against concrete and otherwise abusing boards of similar construction, we can assure you that these behaviors will certainly not "increase" the performance or appearance of your board and we, the Composite Surfboard Construction Cooperative, do not condone these practices nor make any warranties against damage that your board might incur should you attempt them.
I don't like the woody look, but I do like high performance. Could you do me a board that at least looks like all my mates boards?
Sure! Bear in mind; these boards will never look exactly like a polyurethane/polyester board. If properly executed, there will be substantial changes in dimension and contour...shapes that would never work well in a traditional build are exactly what maximizes the potential of a composite construction.
That said, from an appearance perspective, there are ways to achieve a very plain "white board, wood stringer" look. There are materials that can be used in place of wood "skins" that will achieve similar performance characteristics. These specific, high density foams, designed for composite use, will sand and take paint spray in a very similar manner to good old polyurethane.