Editor’s Note: The following piece first appeared on SurfersVillage.
We tested the same Superbrand design and dimensions in polyurethane and EPS to see if there really was a difference.
Upon finding my magic board—one that works in a majority of conditions and responds to my average surfing abilities—I soon became depressed. It’s a board that works without having to think about where to put my feet, a board that’s fast, loose, and paddles great. However, after I found the one, it all went downhill from there.
Sure, you can surf it and be stoked, but I found that with each session a little piece of my magic board is lost. In six months, the magic polyurethane board creased in two places, had a fin box busted out, and two inches of the nose broken off. Why? Because I’m having a great, reckless, fast, dangerous time surfing it—the way surfing a magic board should be ridden.
With the help of SurfersVillage.com, we decided to replicate the magic board in a different, stronger construction to see how it compared. It should be understood that this is not a true scientific study. To do that we’d need a wave pool or at least a super consistent wave. However, we came as close as we could by comparing the boards in a variety of different California conditions.
Exhibit A and B. Polyurethane (top) and EPS (bottom).
We tried the exact same computer-shaped model in an EPS core with directional-glass-over-eps construction. The board, a Superbrand 5’10” Unit, is offered in what they call Superflex. There are a few versions of directional-glass-over-EPS construction out there with Futureflex by Haydenshapes being the most popular.
What We Discovered:
The directional-glass-over-EPS construction is much more durable. We dropped it on the sidewalk, paddled over a rock in the lineup and pulled into some thumping closeouts. The board received not a scratch.
Setting the two boards side-by-side then weighing them on a digital scale, we found their weights to be almost identical: 6 pounds 13 ounces for the PU and 6 pounds 10 ounces for the Superflex.
How did it surf?
I really liked the Superflex board. It surfed lively and well. Conversely, it did feel a tad stiffer flex-wise and didn’t quite knife through the water as well as its PU counterpart. It was more prone to skip out while turning hard off the tail, more so than the PU version (we tested both boards with the exact same Futures JC1 Blackstix fins).
Half of my sessions on the Superflex board went fine. The other sessions, however, did not have that magic zing—especially in choppy, bumpy surf.
Of the two constructions, the Superflex paddled better and felt as though it had more buoyancy than the PU board, which helped in gutless surf.
We liked the PU board better for performance, liveliness, and responsiveness. Although I jumped on the Superflex construction first, I would be totally satisfied with that construction. After all, we are comparing it to a magic board. One thing’s for certain, I did not like how fragile the PU construction feels compared to the Superflex.
For this reviewer’s performance needs, the Superflex board is a good board; the PU counterpart is a great board.
Durability:
Superflex wins
Float:
Superflex wins
Performance:
Polyurethane wins
Familiarity:
Polyurethane wins
Flex:
Polyurethane wins
