I put my vent at eye level when I paddle. Its very unlikely that you wouldn’t notice it as you paddle out. Its not more of a pain to use that it would be to wax your board.
I just finished shaping and sealing my 10’11" longboard. I used 1 1/2 lb. EPS. Stringer is 2 lb.blue XPS with door skin on either to make a T band. I’m using 1/16" balsa on the deck. I’ve really been thinking of venting this board. I’ve heard talk of a one way vent. Hot air out no water in. Does anyone know if their being made. Or just talk. Gordon
One way vent, that sounds like it would slowly and surely crumple or implode like a coke can in a vacuum.
I have seen a Sunova (vent plug probably missing) with a hole midway on the board covered in wax. Wax melts air escapes, wax gets cold, seals it up…
That might work, it was only about a 1/4" hole…
venting is good… only problem is in your case you would need a vent on each side of the stringer…
the oneway vent has been discussed in the past… try searching gortex vent plug, gor tex vent… there was apparently a paddle board maker who makes and installs them on his boards…
the wax trick sounds sketchy…
i am a true believer in the vent after i ruined a new to me windsurfer that i bought used for $900 (didn’t feel like fetching the screwdriver and went stait to afternoon beers) , and again after my home depot fish (non vented) grew boobs after an afternoon in the sun… they seme like a hassle at first but just like anything you have to get into the habit… i went to Home Depot and bought about six screwdrivers and put a few in each car and scattered a few around where my boards hang out…
oh yah since this is the 11’11" thread i wanted to ad that i couldn’t imagine the time it took you when my 6’5’s are pushing 30hrs… impresive job…
hi .
i made up a little brass key/waxcome… that fits on my keyring
cause i always put my key in my leggy its no hassle…
a normal car key does undo my little vent
Hey Bert this imperial measurement stuff is a bit confusing for me The board I saw 9’0’’ was made using 1.6mm balsa which I thought was pretty close to 1/16" and his EPS was 15kg/m3 not sure what that is in pounds 4oz on the inside 3x4oz vac bagged on the deck it felt quite light. I was really impressed how he got the balsa to wrap half way around the rail.
The XPS boards are indestructable but they are 12cm thick with 5mm div top and bottom lots of carbon = no flex at all. I just rely on the right vee and the extra drive from the sail power.
As I can’t get any light XPS anymore I’m experimenting with some of the Burfords ultra light stringerless urethane blanks at about 28kg/m3, sandwhiched top and bottom.
Bert how deep a concave could I get using that moulded bottom shape bit you put under the board when vacuuuming the bottom on an EPS board, Id like to be able to do a bottom concave about 6mm deep at it’s deepest point?
Benny1 Venting is a must Eps is used for insulation as it has air in it but the air is not trapped EPS is tiny little balls of foam stuck together surrounded by intricate tunnels of air and all these tunnels seem to join up. So one vent will vent the whole board. If the board has a stringer then a small hole in the stringer will allow the air to pass from one side to the other. Yes gortex vent plugs are used I just don’t know where to get them from I have seen them used in 2 brands of sailboards see http://www.carbonart.co.nz/construction.html
Mike.
you would pull that contour easy bluejuice …
yes , bluejuice also explained clearly why a vent is needed …
if you cant remember to close your vent , then the only obvious thing to do is go back to riding poopee …
1.6mm is 1.6mm, 1/16th of an inch is about 1.5mm , now i just realised i might have to recheck what i said above , coz i may have made a mathmatical error …
regards
BERT
after my home depot fish (non vented) grew boobs after an afternoon in the sun…
That cracked me up! Though I can’t say whether it is a plus or minus 
. Benny, here’s a link to the way Bert makes his vents. They are very small and hardly get noticed (however, I can only find the hex vent screws) http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=160801;search_string=vent%20plug;#160801
Venting is a must Eps is used for insulation as it has air in it but the air is not trapped EPS is tiny little balls of foam stuck together surrounded by intricate tunnels of air and all these tunnels seem to join up.
in molecular science the little voids of air between spheres are called “interstitial sites”…
i believe the conversion is roughly 17kg/m3 = 1lb/ft3
venting…a necessary little evil
“interstitial sites”…I like that.
I’m in the recycling business and when we talk to customers about why their dumpster full of cardboard was so light (and the freight charge was so heavy, relatively 
), we use terms like pore space and void capacity… I might have to throw in an “interstitial space” or two if I get a chance. hee hee hee
HA!
i got a even better one for ya…
“packing factor”
true term used in MS
flatten those boxes will ya…your hurting your packing factor…see it works