just wondering how long a standard fiberglass job(6 and 4 deck, 4 bottom sanded gloss) will last (if not exposed to the elements very often, and kept in boardbag)before the board starts to become brittle? I found a board I stashed a while back that is a year old and only used about 10 times and well taken care of. Thanks for the help.
I surf at least three days a week and my boards usually last a year before I retire them. I am giving epoxy a try now, hopefully they will last longer.
I have a magic 7’10" that Tod at TDK made for me six years ago with 6x4x4 sanded finish . it was used on the average of 4 days week at Sunset Cliffs. it still looks good. I just retired it to surf my own boards [smile]
Boards fatigue depending on use and flex cycles and the severity of the flex cycles which goes beyond simply the glass job. It also involves the thickness of the board, the weight and skill of the rider, the waves it’s being ridden on, the density of the foam, etc. When I was surfing competitivly they would usually last about 2 to 3 months. Epoxy does have better resistance to fatigue and which I would estimate this at least 50% or better. There are also some fiberglass weaves that improve this dramatically that the surfboard industry doesn’t presently use.
If your boards only last a year from surfing 3 days a week id be chaning glassers if i were you.
My glasser is one of the best on the North Shore. I’m 210 lbs and I’m surfing in Hawaii. I’m lucky if a board makes it through the winter.