Prices
All prices are ex factory. We do not arrange delivery.
Discounts
1 – Discounts are directly related to prompt payment.
2 – Discounts are based on the number of blanks purchased.
3 – Surfblanks does not give any type of delayed payment or credit account.
4 – The surfboard manufacturing industry has changed greatly over the decades. It is now so fragmented between numerous small local makers and a few larger national or international brand makers that competition has become highly intense.
With the introduction of glass shops catering to the needs of any and most small shapers it is impossible to discriminate in favour of any shaper/manufacturer large or small other than on a payment for goods basis.
Quality labelling
1 – A FIRST quality blank is one with few or very minor imperfections. Foam blank making is not a precise art and relies to a great extent on human skill and expertise. It is fair to say that there is no such thing as a perfect blank, but there are blanks with fewer imperfections. These blanks are judged to be Firsts by the staff at Surfblanks.
2 – SECONDS are blanks with imperfections that may or may not shape out. Example = any blank found to have a hole 7 mm (pencil diameter) or larger after shaping will be classed as a Second and a 20% – 30% discount will be applied to that blank. This discount will contribute to the cost of cosmetically improving the finished shape. The staff of Surfblanks will determine which blank is a Second.
NB. The situation may arise where a blank has been sold for first quality surfboard production and cannot be used due to major faults. That blank will be replaced at no charge.
Over many decades attempts have been made to mechanize blank making. Surfboard design changes so fast it is not possible to justify the huge expense of conventional moulding and processing equipment relative to the wholesale price of a foam blank. The finished surfboard is in a similar situation. The human manufacturing skill component is so great in a blank and a surfboard that it is difficult to view either as a commodity.
The Surfblanks foam formulation will alter with current requirements. This formulation should always provide the greatest compression strength relative to density, the finest cell for minimal resin absorption, and an ease of shaping that makes it desirable for most shapes.
Correct foam density choice is critical for the end user. Thin, lightly glassed shapes made from thick, light density foam blanks will have nowhere near the durability required for day to day use over a reasonable period. Good judgement is required by the manufacturer to choose the foam density that will satisfy the end user.
Shortboards
Dent free shortboards can be made using Red foam and a standard glass job. Blue foam is preferred by most performance surfers while Green foam is the favourite of team riders. Needless to say the Blue and Green foams have less compression strength than the Red.
Longboards
Red foam (4% lighter than Black) paddles and surfs better than Black, but is not suitable for deep cut concaves or overly shaped up tails.
Blue foam (8% lighter than Red) paddles and surfs very fast but has poorer compression strength and is only suitable for one cut shapes.
Where a blank is to be used on a shaping machine (computer or hand driven) it is desirable that a higher density foam should be chosen. There is an eight per cent progressive increase in foam weight from one density to the next higher. This higher density foam will be more dimensionally stable when it is cut more deeply. Some machiners cut more foam of the deck of the blank than the bottom effectively destroying all deck foam structural integrity.
Choosing the correct size of blank for minimal shaping is a critical factor in the finished board’s structural integrity. Surfblank’s policy is to provide foam blanks that are close to a popular finished shape. Surfblanks encourages shapers to submit designs that will facilitate less foam waste on the shaping room floor.
Correct stringer choice will increase the life of a surfboard. The blank buyer has the responsibility to choose wood and stringer thickness that suit the end user. Weak, easy to shape, soft stringer wood will always be preferred by the shaper who is not responsible to the end user, the surfer. All shapers and manufacturers are encouraged to use stronger wood in their blanks. Each and every surfboard can be snapped by even the smallest of waves. A thicker, tougher stringer wood will delay breakage. A quality glass job employing stronger resin and better tensile strength glass cloth will obviously assist in snap prevention.