Been looking at the materials I bought 8 weeks ago. Today I decided that I owed myself a simple, entertainment project. So today I begin cutting and drilling.
My daughter sent me a link to the RevBalance 2.0 balance board. Told her it looked interesting but that I still had my “Bongo Board” that I bought decades ago. I watched the RevBalance 2.0 video anyway. The Bongo Board only hones “pitch“ balance. The Rev2 hones both both “pitch” and “roll“ balance. I like the roll balance training aspect — beyond my Bongo Board. But the Rev2 is pricey.
So I bought the materials to build a DIY “roll-balance” trainer. Total cost from Lowe’s, HD and my local lumber supplier, approx. US $40.
My completed “Rock and Roll” DIY balance board.
I use it between the parallel bars I built for doing dips. Works well this way. Keeps me from busting my a$$ and allows me to stay upright on the board until my legs wear out. (I can grab the bars before I wipe out.)
Cost approx. US $40 to make.
I have several balance boards, kinda worked my way through different versions after balance became a real issue for me following my hip replacement surgery in 2018. The first one is similar to a model I have that lends itself well to a home made version. I like the balance left to right (rather than forward and back, as on the plastic pipe), but I haven’t tried the plastic pipe version.
The next two pics are the Cool Board, which I think is the best balance board for surfers. I have a patch of outdoor carpet I use it over, kinda softens the effect on concrete, but the advantage of the ball is that balance is 360 degrees. The board could be pretty easily made, but the key is the ball. I think the balls are a little bit of money, I know I paid more for mine that I wanted to, but the balls are perfect size and density for this, and mine has held up well over the few years I’ve had it.
They have different sizes and densities according to the website 100mm (4"), 125mm (5") and 150mm (6") with soft, standard and quick densities. They look cool but pricey.
I like yours, how’s it performing? On a side note we had the same linoleum in the house I grew up in but it was ORANGE and brown (yes it was the 70’s)!!!
Mine is 4", and the ball is the key. The bottom of the board has a rim that acts as a stopper. These balance ball boards can be kinda sketchy, especially at first, so I like that I’m only 4" up. You can use a rail system or padding or whatever you devise for saftety, but once you kinda get the hang of it, its a lot safer.
I shopped around for price, and eventually found a sale price that worked for me. I initially was attracted to the Si-Boards (pic below) balance boards, but the pricing was just not realistic IMO. So I was happy to find the CoolBoard balance board for a fraction of the price.
Like I say, shop for price, and maybe you can find just the ball alone, and making your own board would be do-able. But once you get to where you can balance on the ball, you won’t want to go back to anything else. And the ball is tough, I’m pretty sure it’ll last just about forever. The other balance boards I have are stored away somewhere, I never use them any more, but the CoolBoard is in the patio, I still use it regularly even after a few years.
It works well.
Yep, that’s the original kitchen and living area flooring. House was built in 1972 (bought it in 1996).
Had most of the flooring replaced a few years ago. Dread doing the kitchen/living area — bad experiences with contractors so far (roof, bathrooms, enclosed porch).
That ball balance board looks interesting.
Wouldn’t take to much too modify this one I built to accommodate a solid ball. I found a solid 5” diam. maple ball on the internet for $35. Paid $25 for 24” of 4” sched. 40 PVC at Lowe’s — saw HD had it for $10 after I had already used it ().
So far I like this board’s rock and roll options (very simple knock off of the RevBalance 2.0 — but their roller is 5” diam.)
When I master this one, I’ll try making a ball balance board.
BTW what is the length and width of the ball’s retaining area?
For historical reference, I thought I should post photos of my old “Bongo Board.”
I think I like my DIY board better. Just ordered the 4” maple ball below to add a new dimension to my DIY balance board.
That maple ball should work, but I would advise to add a layer of something like yoga mat to the bottom of your balance board. Something with a little cushion. And use it over carpet, like shown in your pics.
The balance ball produced by the CoolBoard people is hard, with just a bit of cushion. I really believe it is the ideal density/hardness for the purpose, and I would recommend getting one eventually. They say it will last the life of the board, so the cost can be figured as spread out over the years of use. The problem with the maple ball, if used as-is over a hard floor, with the wooden board on top, is that there is some danger of the ball slipping or the balance tipping too quickly. Standing on the board, balancing on the ball, is pretty precarious, especially at first, and there is a real danger of injury from falling.
The cushioned floor (carpet) and bottom of the board (yoga mat) should slow the movement just a bit, and prevent actual slippage between the hard surfaces (floor / ball / board). I would be very cautious until you know the properties of all the factors and how they play out in use. These ball type balance boards can be dangerous, without a doubt, so proceed with caution.
I use the balance board on that pictured carpet, between my parallel exercise bars — allowing me to remain upright until my legs wear out. Risk of a fall injury is minimal to non-existent.
The maple ball worked well with no apparent slippage. However, both the maple ball and my pine (or spruce?) board were both too soft to work together. Board got compression dents from the ball’s focused, point pressure. After only a few minutes, the ball got grooving and indentations from knots in the board.
My solution was to buy this used Duckpin Bowling Ball (5” diam.) below for US $32 on eBay (in excellent condition with no gouges in the surface). But I am going to hold off using it until I buy a 2’ piece of 1” x 12” red oak at Lowe’s for the balance board.
Like I say, a piece of yoga mat contact cemented to the bottom of the board might be a good idea. The cushion should prevent some of those problems. Also I stand by my recommendation of the CoolBoard ball as a good investment. Glad you are being safe - these things can get away from you real quick. That said, balancing on a ball is the most beneficial for surfing so the challenges are worth it.
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