Cut a surfboard in half and add foam to make it into an SUP?

[Huck]

Yeah I know, typical Swaylocks question, but for that reason maybe someone here has done it?

Like, cut it down the stringer, add about 8" in the middle, put it back together, glass it, and paddle it into the waves.

Sounds reasonable right???

As a side note: I’m getting the hang of riding my flatwater SUPs on the lake or marina, but paddled out in the surf the other day just to get a feel for it, and wow its a lot harder than I imagined. There was a bit of a bump on the water (a little windy) and I was fighting just to keep standing. On a legit aircraft carrier sized board. Then I actually fell once, total kook move.

Looking into surf mats or paipos as a plan B!!

[lemat]

Way not ? I see it done to convert old windsurf long straight pointy to new style short round wide.
I would glue center par with pu foaming glue, then route to do a savdwich center build 1 inch wider on “old” board each side.

[jspr]

I’m pretty sure a bigger board wont really help, so unless youre looking for an excuse to do a build - and your def one of the usual suspects to do so- just practice a bit and see if the conditions are appropriate.

I dont surf waves with Sups but have been using them in the Mediterranean for paddle trips for years. When the wind picks up and your dealing with chop and day trip boats busy to get home its just a pain in the ass no matter the size of the board. I actually feel more comfortable on the smaller sized ones.

[OSS1]

Yes it can be done. Guys add width to blanks at center from time to time. They like you, usually have a purpose in mind. I would just keep at the learning curve either way. Wider boards are bigger targets in choppy conditions. If you ever want to do an EPS SUP from semi-scratch; Marko has a nice stock Ocean cut available. I did one with wings and a rounded pin. I would never shape one from scratch. Too much EPS through that Skil. Costs more, but in the end you’ve got something made with the ocean in mind that will be worth more $$ if you sell it at some time.

[Huck]

Yes good points, I’ve been mulling over the options. I have a couple big blocks of eps foam I could use, and a few surfboards that might work.

I have considered exactly what you stated, there is an obvious benefit to shaping or buying or riding an SUP that was designed and built as an SUP from the inception. Possibly a better board, better re-sale.

So I could sell off some of my boards, buy a big blank, and shape an SUP. Or just buy a used one (new ones out of the budget right now).

BUT - on the other hand, I have a few boards, 3 to be specific, that were designed and built with extra thickness and volume. So the thickness is more consistent with an SUP than an off the shelf surfboard. Those have worked great for me and my needs, but are a little harder to sell because they aren’t mainstream.

And the actual out of pocket cost would be far less than making an SUP from a blank, or buying a used one.

Really I am in unfamiliar territory with the whole SUP thing, still just considering the options. Not even sure if I really want to start paddling out to the point in Ventura on an SUP, or if I could ever feel comfortable and confident enough to do that. At 70 I’ve had a good run of many years surfing and lots of waves over the years, and learning new skills doesn’t come as easy as it once did.

I do think I might take one of my Joe Blair influenced fat surfboards and try splitting it down the stringer and adding some foam through the center.

I also have a balsa 10-6 that I started chambering and got sidetracked from, that might have a possibility as an SUP if I finished it up, but with an extra 7 to 8" in the middle so I could stand up and paddle it around.

All of this is just chewing the fat and thinking aloud at this point.

[Huck]

@lemat

Way not ? I see it done to convert old windsurf long straight pointy to new style short round wide.
I would glue center par with pu foaming glue, then route to do a savdwich center build 1 inch wider on “old” board each side.

Yes, I get that. Overlapping the veneer an inch each side would really tie the whole thing together very strong.

[Huck]

@jspr

I’m pretty sure a bigger board wont really help, so unless youre looking for an excuse to do a build - and your def one of the usual suspects to do so- just practice a bit and see if the conditions are appropriate.

I dont surf waves with Sups but have been using them in the Mediterranean for paddle trips for years. When the wind picks up and your dealing with chop and day trip boats busy to get home its just a pain in the ass no matter the size of the board. I actually feel more comfortable on the smaller sized ones.

Not looking for an excuse to build, not sure why I would be a “usual suspect to do so”, all my builds have served a purpose, and I ride almost exclusively home built. Not sure why a bigger board won’t help, all SUPs tend to be bigger than surfboards for a reason, you can’t stand and paddle a surfboard around the lineup, the extra size is to support your body weight while paddling or resting. Once a smaller surfboard is planing at surfing speed is a different matter, of course the larger size is not needed then.

Good to know I’m not the only one that finds chop and swell a bit tricky to negotiate while paddling around!

[jspr]

Hi Huck, sorry if my comment had a negative connotation . Having read to all your contributions, build threads and so on I just figured you love to build boards.
Basically my personal experience is that there are surface conditions where a bigger board wont translate into more stability.
Cheers,
Jasper

[sharkcountry]

SUPs are also thicker than normal surfboards. The guys I see out in the surf are riding short boards these days, just over 7 feet. I also had a hard time out in the surf, but I think it may have been my hip was going bad and my balance was affected. I just stayed off to the side and rode waves sitting on the board.

[Huck]

sorry if my comment had a negative connotation

No problem I pondered over the different connotations possible and just tried to address the comment as it was written. When I start a thread I usually try to reply to every commenter. I appreciate anyone taking the time & interest to comment.

I am learning about the stability issues, and I agree with your observation. It seems like a big thick lightweight board, while very stable on calm flat water, will be very sensitive to surface chop. So I would be adding foam for enough stability to paddle it as an SUP, but not to exceed normal SUP size thinking that would make it more stable.

In the end, I really won’t know until I do it. Its a gamble.

[Huck]

The guys I see out in the surf are riding short boards these days, just over 7 feet. I also had a hard time out in the surf, but I think it may have been my hip was going bad and my balance was affected. I just stayed off to the side and rode waves sitting on the board.

7’ is crazy, but I see the videos. I also see older guys here riding boards as short as 8’ but wide like 32”. I don’t know if I have the strength & energy to learn to do that. The jury is still out on that.

And yes, the thickness. Could a smaller guy like me (5’7”) get away with a little less thickness?? These boards I am thinking of modifying are thicker than a garden variety midlength, but thinner than a garden variety SUP. Like over 3”, but under 4”. So at 31 or 32” wide, could they function as an SUP??

Just questions to consider.

How do you sit on an SUP?? I tried & couldn’t do it. I wanted to sit & take a break out there like I did on a surfboard but I couldn’t figure out how to do it!!

[Huck]

[lemat]

If you are light, thickness around 3 1/2 with lenght and width could work nice and be exactly what you search: stable. You could had volume by gluing a layer of foam on top and shape it at rails to do a step rail like on this windsurf by Thommen:

[Huck]

Hey lemat not planning to add any foam on top but that rail looks functional. Actually the board I am planning on using already has a channel rail very similar. Not sure why you specify light, most SUPs are not very light. At any rate, my board is not particularly heavy either. Its a 9 footer, I’ll have to weigh it to know for sure. The length and thickness should work good.

[stoneburner]

@lemat

If you are light

I think Lemat is referring to your body weight Huck, therefore, SB buoyancy.

[Huck]

Ok that makes sense. I’m pretty light at 170 lbs, so hopefully I don’t need all that much volume.

[arlosilva]

I have seen that done with a 15 cm wide agave stringer.

the blank was light with the agave on the middle and looking good.

cheers and good waves.

[Huck]

Ok sounds good. I will probably go a little wider. Had even thought of a hollow wood surfboard type construction, which wouldn’t be all that complicated with no rails to consider.

So it seems like nobody so far knows of an example of cutting a surfboard in half along the stringer to make an SUP, but plenty of similar ideas have been done to make a board wider.

So based on the comments at this point it seems do-able. I am getting closer to actually attempting this.

[Huck]

Here’s the board. Its 9’ x 22” x 3.75”, an ideal candidate for this project.

[jrandy]

@Huck I always liked that board with the board-as-sign themed artwork.

I have made three SUP’s, two touring types and a surf-style. EPS and epoxy, with extra glass and carbon fiber where one stands. The standing area gets glassed with light colored opaque resin and then covered with EVA traction.