Trip Forman: Welcome to the REAL Board Loft. I'm Trip Forman. Today we have Brent Riley with us from JS. Brent, welcome.
Brent Riley: Thank you. Yeah, thanks for having us.
Trip Forman: We are here to talk about the best surfboard constructions for the wave pool. Prior to getting involved in surfing pools ourselves, we were hearing a lot of different conversations about surfboard constructions in the pool, from performance factors like float in fresh water all the way to maximum durability because these pools are all built out of concrete. There are a lot of surfaces that are stronger than your surfboard. This conversation today is really just based on dialing in your construction for performance surfing in the pool. What's going to last the longest to keep you at the highest level of performance for the longest amount of time, the most amount of waves, and the most amount of sessions? Brent, what's your experience with pools?
Brent Riley: The whole surf pool world is evolving on a yearly basis, popping up all over the US and all over the world. It is an important question to ask: what construction is best suited for the pools? I think that really depends on what pool you're surfing and what setting you have. Ultimately, I think what you're looking for in a surfboard is durability and reliability. Combining those two with something that's going to feel comfortable underneath your feet will give you the best opportunity to surf the best you can in a surf pool.
Brent Riley: With that being said, my go-to construction is the Carbotune. I think it hits a lot of those positives I mentioned earlier, mostly just having that springiness and that reliability that you look for. Having an EPS construction gives you that leg up where you might lose a little bit of that flotation that you have with a saltwater pool versus a chlorinated pool. Depending on what setting I have, that's where I might differentiate what model I have within that Carbotune construction.
Trip Forman: When you're saying "what setting you have," meaning like what wave you're choosing to surf?
Brent Riley: Exactly. For example, if we're surfing the Waco wave pool in the air setting, you want something with a little more rocker, generally speaking. That's where you might have the Xero Gravity. If you are surfing a lower setting at Waco, for example, you might want something that's a little bit fatter, wider, and more forgiving on the mushier parts of the wave. That's where you might gear towards the Xero Fusion or a Sub-Xero.
Brent Riley: On those intermediate or smaller waves, like the Malibu setting at Waco, the Big Baron is a perfect choice. It's just finding your niche setting that is best suited for you and then determining what limits you want to push yourself to.
Trip Forman: That's a generalized breakdown, and there are a lot of nuances there, but I was previously confused between Carbotune and HYFI 3. For wave pools specifically, I am drawn more to the Carbotune for the deck durability and the overall life of the board. If you say epoxy and durability in one sentence, everybody gets confused because there are so many different types of durability. There is "dropping the board in the parking lot" durability, "breaking the board in half" durability, deck durability, and then the retention of the performance flex durability.
Trip Forman: That performance flex is a longevity factor. What you don't forecast prior to ever surfing a wave pool is how many reps you're going to get on the same wave and how hard you end up pushing and compressing the decks on your board. If you have a poly board, you can literally see every single wave in the deck of the board, versus a Carbotune which is going to hold up a lot longer. The other real advantage is just that retention of the performance flex; it's not going to bend out and go flat like a noodle over time.
Brent Riley: 100%. I think just keeping that rigidity for a lot longer is going to lengthen the life of the board. The board's not going to go dead quite as quick as a traditional PU would. I think that's where you have a big advantage with a construction like the Carbotune without going too far off the spectrum where it's too stiff and you don't have the performance and the give back that you want a board to give you.
Brent Riley: I think there's a happy middle ground there somewhere, and JS really found it with the Carbotune. The construction is killer and finds itself being a really good choice for wave pools.
Trip Forman: You could make a board that will never break, but it will also suck forever because it would be a stiff brick. Or you can make a board that's stronger than the concrete bottom of the pool, but it won't surf well ever. It's about finding a balance, and the Carbotune is a really good balance of giving you great performance and added durability.
Trip Forman: Brent, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. Viewers, if you have any questions on any of the JS boards, Carbotune, HYFI 3, PU Poly, or taking your pool surfing to the next level, you can always reach us at the shop at 252-987-6000 or look us up online at realwatersports.com/surfing. Thanks for tuning in.
