Darren Handley explains EpoxiCORE - video
People have been tinkering with modular surfboard blanks for a while now. Cory Surfboards down in Torquay ran a few experiments, as did Nick Miles at Scuplt with his X-Core Reactor blanks, while Guy Walker ran hard with the idea and invented Geoblanks.
So Darren Handley is by no means first to market, but with his EpoxiCORE he's created a sound idea that meets a high performance criteria and can be mass produced.
The theory underpinning it is simple: the floatation and flex of polystyrene runs through the core of the board, and the weight and (relative) stiffness of PU runs around the rails.
DH explains the rest...
Comments
1:10 is that board creased on the PU side of the join?
I reckon the glue between the two foams would have to be given due consideration given the differing flex characteristics?
At the end of the day though it's hard not to look past it as much more than a new sales pitch.
Who is the cutie surfing? Very pleasant, could watch her all day.
Seems like a lot of trouble, but no doubt somewhere down the track I'll be picking one up or something based around the same idea. Always looking for that edge, especially as the years condemn!
Old technology - someone please come up with something new - what ?? but enough tinkering around the edges. I'm sure the technology is out there somewhere.
It still doesn't make sense that its called epoxi core after his explanation.
The resin is what is Epoxy not the foam, it should then be called EPS core.
Good to see bigger brands trying new things though, even if the vid seems like a sales spin thing.
so it paddles a teeny bit easier. thats about all I took from it.
Havent noticed any of the pros riding them in comps,sure Mick wasnt riding one at JBay,could be wrong though.
Yeah I don't know, I'm kinda into it myself. Whenever I've ridden an epoxy board the immediate positives - buoyancy and pop - have always been outweighed by the negatives - too light, too chattery. So it makes sense, at least to me, to exploit those positives while eliminating the negatives.
DH is a big name manufacturere so he's gonna cop flak - it's the Aussie way - but regardless of whose involved I'm pretty interested in seeing where this tech could go.
Like others I would've liked to have heard some more tech talk, but fact is it was a vid for general consumption while readers and commenters on this site usually crave something a bit more in depth.
Also, like ID said, it's great to see a bigger brand pushing some R&D.
interesting you guys notice this...ive had many epoxy boards and never noticed this. Most shapers use blanks that are no as dense as poly and do not put enough glass on them.
Have you tried a stretch? you will not notice any of these issues with his construction.
Also the quality of darrens PU's are great and the quality of the epoxicore is total crap. Sand throughs, filled chunks of foam, glue that is bleeding from the glue line etc...
I thought the Epoxicore was a "gamechanger" , was released in January at Surf Expo,Florida.
there was even footage with Mick ,Steph and Jack ,all claiming the new technology , fast forward 6 mths , are tem DHD riding them in comps yet?
The Technology was rubbished in an article/video of Surfline , as there is no such thing as Epoxy foam , and without supporting stringers , was bound to break as there are only glue lines.
So a lot more expensive , breaks easy , and is for real they are made in Bali??
there is expanded or extruded, Poly styrene cores .
I've posted on this previously so apologies for repetition and poor paraphrasing (see previous post for actual analysis), but the 'lightness' and 'float' and whatever that is often claimed for EPS just isn't there. And I say that as someone over a 100kgs who has ridden EPS exclusively for the last 5 years. The total weight difference on a standard HPS blank between EPS and PU is around 400-600g. If you're after more float through reduced weight (which is what EPS typically delivers, i.e. it's corky), eat less breakfast or offboard the breakfast you had. The actual difference in float between the two blank materials is completely negligible when you add your weight to the equation.
All of that aside, good to see someone big trying something new