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Epoxy Surfboard Technology | Premium Standard construction methods

The best Epoxy Surfboard Technology and Premium Polyester Surfboards in the UK

We are proud to say we have done extensive research in offering different Epoxy Surfboards technology and Polyester Surfboards construction methods. Whether it’s feels, flexes or strength options when it comes to surfboard construction we have an answer to everything.

Experience is Everything

It’s taken some time and we are fortunate to have some of the best team riders for r and d and some of the best waves in the UK and Ireland for testing. Below explains a bit about our epoxy surfboard technologies and our polyester construction methods. You can choose if you want to customise your own board to suit your needs . You can also do that online directly via our board builder. Your order goes straight through to our shapers who are easily contactable should you have  any queries about what construction best suits you and your new surfboard.

Would you like a custom surfboard ? We can do epoxy surfboard versions with our varied range of technologies.  Resin tints or  surfboard air brush sprays to add some colour too.  All UK shaped and made by our resident head surfboard shaper Luke Hart and team at CoLab Surf Studios. UK Surfboards made with the highest quality surfboard materials. Design your own surfboard with our custom board builder and get in touch. To see our review on our surfboards range visit our YouTube channel.

Base Construction

Base Construction (a polyurethane blank with polyester resin) is still considered the most versatile and all-round performance specific construction used the world over by touring surf professionals. At Fourth Surfboards only premium materials are used to produce top-quality boards; US Blanks at the core. Hexcel Glass for the laminate bonded with Silmar resin for best balance between weight, performance and durability.

All construction methods see the surfboards finished in 24/7 heat controlled environments to ensure curing times are at optimum levels to reach a finish unrivalled in Europe. The board is then sanded to a 240 dry sand finish ensuring that there is zero plastic lacquer on the board that can often look and feel horrible after a couple of months in the ocean.

When you buy a Base construction surfboard from Colab Surf Studios you can be sure it is put together with only the best ingredients on the market.

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Base Construction
Base Construction
epoxy surfboard - internal
1
Resin Research Epoxy
2
Superfused EPS Foam
3
Hexel S-Glass
4
Sand Finished

SUPERFUSED EPS FOAM

We are using ‘Super fused EPS Foam’ from US Blanks. It has a tighter fusion and cell structure due to the moulding process of the blank, this means the blank takes less epoxy resin and offers a tighter flex pattern than the standard EPS blanks available on the market. If you weren’t already aware, standard EPS foam has a tighter flex than standard construction boards, so Super fused EPS blanks are a massive step up in that respect. These blanks are around 25% lighter than standard blanks, so with the added flex properties you can see where the added performance comes from when riding the board.

4th surfboards

EPOXY Surfboard lamination

When the board is laminated it happens in a heat controlled environment using Resin Research Epoxy resin.

Resin research Epoxy is ground breaking stuff, not only is it over 40% bio content it is also the strongest, lightest and brightest Epoxy resin on the market. It isn’t just safer to use and better for the environment, it is also the best performing resin we could get our hands on. Given the characteristics of the foam and the resin, this surfboard as a product uses less resin per foot than standard construction surfboards, meaning the weight is further reduced. It all plays a part in why this construction method is such an awesome product. Epoxy surfboards are getting more widely used every day. We are at the forefront of that drive for more surfers to utilise the benefits of Epoxy Surfboards.

4th surfboards

HEXEL S-GLASS

Hexel S-glass fibre glass is used to laminate the board along with the epoxy resin. S-glass is pound for pound the strongest woven 4oz cloth available on the market. Offering up to 4x more tensile strength than other available cloths on the market. As standard we apply two layers of s-glass to each side of the board. The strength to weight ratio really is amazing – All the while gaining flex recoil instead of having a stiff, non flexing, pop out feel like some EPS epoxy sandwich construction surfboards on the market possess.

Finally the board is heated in a hot box over night at 39 degrees, this ensures curing times are sped up during the first 72 hours of the board’s life. Heat is a really important factor when using epoxy resins, the right temperatures must be maintained in order to exploit the epoxies characteristics.

Colab Surf studios

THE FINISH

Once the board has been in the hot box, we apply a 100% sand finish to the epoxy surfboard which we believe is the strongest and lightest method to finish a surfboard. This finishing process is standard on all of our surfboards and is a testament to our factory staff that they can use this finish on our epoxy boards as well. Flatter sanding, sharper edges and resin gloss give these boards the Ferrari finish they deserve.

Colab Surf studios

THE RESULT

When you bring everything together to form the Super fused E.S.E construction method you are left with a stronger, lighter more durable epoxy surfboard that has better flex recoil compared to standard construction surfboards… Is it a wheel re-invention? No – it’s just another way of making a better surfboard that characteristically can improve the life span of the board and the enjoyment you get from surfing. Better for longer.  We are always looking to offer more options whether that be shapes, materials, construction methods or simply aesthetics…. We want everyone to ride the best surfboard for them.

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Colab Surf studios

FX1 Construction

FX1 Construction is lightweight, strong, dent proof, and has a natural flex pattern to ensure performance in a wide range of conditions. When you have epoxy surfboard technologies that have very strong impact resistance, usually it will have stiff flex patterns that feel chattery on the face of a wave and be hard to control, especially at higher speeds. The FX1 construction method rivals the compression strength of sandwich construction epoxy surfboard alternatives but adds a better natural flex pattern to allow for ease of use in a wider range of conditions.

Colab Surf studios

Main Core

The main core of the epoxy surfboard  technology is super fused EPS foam, then it’s cut in half and inserted with a PU foam central flex dampener which gives you a core that has liveliness to it and loads of flexy spring. This is then wrapped in two layers of glass on the bottom of the board using a unique tiered lap which gives you unreal flex recoil and a tensile strength 20% stronger than a standard 4oz cloth. A sandwich laminate of 4oz and innegra cloths are used to form a layer over the deck of the epoxy surfboard to give you a compression strength completely unrivalled from any other hand glassed surf board on the market.

Colab Surf studios

Epoxy surfboard Lamination

The surfboard is laminated with an epoxy resin that contains a bio content of 48% and is finished with a 240 grit dry sand finish to ensure it has optimum strength to weight ratios. The FX1 offers you an epoxy construction that will perform in a large range of conditions, remain strong, light and feel new forever, while being an eco-friendlier option compared to a standard construction surfboard.

Colab Surf studios

THE RESULT

FX1 epoxy surfboard technologies are 10% lighter than standard construction surfboards, 20% stronger in tensile strength, 50% stronger in compression strength and have a flex pattern that doesn’t feel like you are riding a rigid epoxy surfboard pop out.

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Custom order any of our models in FX1 construction

Colab Surf studios

SUPERFUSED EPS FOAM

The core of the blank is super-fused EPS, which has two high density polyester flex controllers running through it. These act as integral dampeners when powering through turns, adding control, and taking away some of the natural float of an out-and-out EPS core board.The flex controllers are angled from tail to nose, at the same tow as the side fins. This loads the torque directly towards your fins through turns, meaning at lower speeds, your projection will carry you with effortless glide, and at higher speeds, you can load up and accelerate out.

fourth weekend rockstar fish surfboard

RESIN RESEARCH EPOXY

When the epoxy surfboard is laminated it happens in a heat controlled environment using Resin research epoxy surfboard specific resin.

Resin research epoxy is ground breaking stuff, not only is it over 40% bio content it is also the strongest, lightest and brightest epoxy on the market. It isn’t just safer to use and better for the environment, it is also the best performing resin we could get our hands on. Given the characteristics of the foam and the resin, this epoxy surfboard as a product uses less resin per foot than standard construction surfboards, meaning the weight is further reduced. It all plays a part in why this construction method is so special.

Colab Surf studios

HEXEL S-GLASS

Hexel S-glass fibre glass is used to laminate the board along with the epoxy resin. S-glass is pound for pound the strongest woven 4oz cloth available on the market. Offering up to 4x more tensile strength than other available cloths on the market. As standard we apply two layers of s-glass to each side of the board. The strength to weight ratio really is amazing – All the while gaining flex recoil instead of having a stiff, non flexing, pop out feel like some EPS epoxy sandwich construction surfboards have.

Finally the board is heated in a hot box over night at 35 degrees, this ensures curing times are sped up during the first 72 hours of the board’s life. Heat is a really important factor when using epoxy resins, the right temperatures must be maintained in order to exploit the epoxies characteristics.

Colab Surf studios

THE FINISH

Once the board has been in the hot box, we apply a 100% sand finish to the board which we believe is the strongest and lightest method to finish an epoxy surfboard. This finishing process is standard on all of our surfboards and is a testament to our factory staff that they can use this finish on our epoxy boards as well. Flatter sanding, sharper edges and resin gloss give these boards the Ferrari finish they deserve.

Colab Surf studios

THE Result

The Flex-Lite construction ticks all the boxes from strength, flex, control, feel, weight and most importantly, versatility. When it comes to understanding flow, drive, control and speed, Fourth looked at flex patterns and torque levels at different speeds. The aim was to ensure that you can load up and release energy through turns using the curves of your surfboard that will keep your rails engaged with the face of the wave. The versatility of the Flexlite construction is unrivalled in performance when it comes to epoxy surfboard technologies

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Custom order any of our models in Flex-lite construction

Colab Surf studios