What are surfboards made of – who made the first surfboard

If you are looking for surfing and deal with the waves in the sea, then you must need a surfboard. There are different types of surfboards, like longboards, shortboards, funboards, and fish boards. These surfboards are mostly made of using polyurethane and polystyrene foam. Then it is covered with layers of fiberglass or typically polyester.

Surfing is an excellent recreational sport. As a surfer, you just need to know the basics of surfing and need to have a surfboard to start dealing with the waves in the sea. This is a kind of board that helps the surfer to ride waves. So what materials are used to make this surfboards, such question might have arisen in your mind now or then. In this article, I’m going to discuss this in details and tell the name of the person who made the first surfboard. Carry your surfboard one place to another place you must needs Surfboard Travel Bag.

What are surfboards made of

What materials are used in surfboards

What materials are used: Well, depending on the materials used to make surfboards, there are different types of surfboards. Fiberglass foam, epoxy, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and polyurethane (PU) are materials used to make different types of surfboards. Now let’s discuss these materials in detail.

1. Polystyrene

Polystyrene or PU foam comes with a lower weight construction. Because of the lower weight this surfboards are not considered as the strongest surfboard or as the material that can provide a surfing experience with much strength. But to increase the strength Polystyrene foam core is covered with a layer of epoxy.

That’s why this PU foam comes with epoxy resin. Nowadays, PU foam is largely used as a material to make surfboards. This foam offers durability due to the epoxy resin. Although it is a lightweight material, it takes a lot of time to mold because of the resistance. Expanded polystyrene and Extruded polystyrene are two new versions of polystyrene.

2. Expanded polystyrene

 Expanded polystyrene or EPS is becoming a popular material in making surfboards. It is an upgraded version of polystyrene. EPS is mostly used for epoxy surfboards that are made industrially. Like the polystyrene material, EPS also makes lightweight surfboards.

The lighter weight is the main reason why EPS surfboards are more popular than other surfboards in the market. EPS boards are made using machines as it is difficult to shape by just using hands. These surfboards typically don’t delaminate easily.

3. Extruded polystyrene

 It’s another new version of polystyrene surfboards. Well, this new version is not as popular as the EPS version. Extruded polystyrene or XPS foam boards are a bit heavier than EPS boards, which is a big disadvantage of these boards.

XPS boards are constructed with a homogenous structure, and it has several layers of numerously extruded closed cells. Due to the closed structure, these boards might be more prone to delamination. But the closed structure prevents the epoxy resin to get a good grip on the foam.

4. Polyurethane

 This is the most trusted material and also the most used material used to make surfboards. They have been used for the last 60 or more years to serve you guys with great surfing. Although the popularity of materials like PS or EPS is rising day by day you can’t ignore how good PU was once. That’s why this is considered as the oldest material of the modern construction method. 

PU surfboards are shaped easily with hands that time and no machinery help was needed then. PU foams are more affordable than the other foams used to make boards. It can absorb water and yellow over time. Still now, polyurethane is the most used material to make a surfboard.

4. Fiberglass

 This expensive material is used by a lot of surfboards making companies give their surfboards more demanding. To provide the board with more strength and rigidity makers use the mix of resin and fiberglass. EPS, PU foam materials also use this fiberglass clothing system in their boards to make the construction more demanding.

5. Wood surfboards

Wooden boards are introduced in the early part of surfing. These boards can be very handy to use if the construction of the boards is completed successfully. Mainly these surfboards are made using balsa, paulownia, red cedar, and agave. Wooden boards are slightly lighter, and that’s why these are highly appreciable. Using thicker rails on the boards will provide good strength to the board.

6. Bic surfboards

 Bic surfboards are a kind of soft surfboards, which are considered as the world’s most sold surfboards till now. It is built with a Dura tech construction. It is made with molded polythene outer, which is filled with high-density polyurethane foam. These boards are lightweight and also tough. 

7. Soft top surfboards

 Soft top surfboards should be made of using such material, which will make it lightweight. That’s why these boards are made with on EPS foam core wrapped with fiberglass typically. This construction makes these surfboards very much durable and also lightweight.

Who made the first surfboard

 It was back in 1926 when an American surfer named Tom Blake made the first surfboard, which was a hollow surfboard. With the invention of this surfboard the old solid surfboard was replaced. This surfboard was a lot lighter than the old solid ones and also easier to handle. But just because of the shape, which was similar to old solid surfboards, it damaged the quality of the hollow board’s performance.

So surfboard is made of using EPS, PU, XPS, PS, etc. materials, and among them, PU is the most used material, but EPS is gaining more popularity day by day.