I want a surfboard that won't snap when kite surfing (strapless). Guess I want a cheap second hand epoxy board.
Having never just surfed, I know very little about surfboards..
Are there different strength epoxy boards?
Are tough light boards tough enough?
If a board is epoxy and fibre glass is it likely to be stronger or weaker than one that just says its epoxy?
How much glass would you need on a non epoxy board to make it tough enough to handle kiting airs etc?
(I keep snapping scrappy old $50 to $100 6'2" regular surfboards. But only cheap second hand boards are an option for my budget.)
PS read the other current threads on 'what surfboard should I buy' type stuff, but want to understand toughness better so i'm informed when buying a cheap but very strong board. Cheers.
If you are on a tight budget and keep snapping boards, go for a used Polyester board, with a heavy glass job, with say maybe 2 layers of 6oz on top, and one layer of 6oz on the bottom, if you can find one. Best way to tell is just go round the used board shops, and pick up all their 6'2s and go for the heaviest one, the heavy ones are normally cheaper too because nobody particlulary wants them for surfing. If you are in the Gold Coast area at all, The Boardroom at Miami on the Gold Coast Highway has heaps of used boards.
Complex question,
Epoxy is a resin, so is polyester, fibre glass is the woven mat that provides the strength to the resin. Fibre glass is used in both traditional polyester and also Epoxy boards, graded by its weave and weight.
Epoxy boards are generally vacuum baged and so they can achieve a better glass to resin ratio than "fibreglass" boards, which are layed up by hand. this means they can be made lighter with the same strength, also the foam used is different.
Surfboards are made light so they can be thrown around, they also have some flex, the weight is in the foam so they use light foams, more air less foam.
From my experience breaking strength has a lot to do with the thickness of a board, how thin the rails are, how light the foam blanks are, the number/thickness of stringers and the weight of fibre glass used in the boards. It also depends on how your using the board.
If your buying second hand boards look for deck compression and stress lines on the deck and bottom, this can give an indication of the softness of the foam and the stength of the glass.
are you breaking boards riding them strapless, or are you breaking them from doing dangle jumps over the waves in straps?
Seabreeze rocks. Thanks for all the info.
Paul1. cheers I'll check the boardroom on the weekend.
Stamp. I've only ever ridden strapless. But I am doing some jumps, more down wind off the breaking waves on the way out than dangly. (I guess some might have a hint of dangle too them) Last board snapped hitting a lip (a little late and hard, as it was breaking). Its such a **** feeling knowing you just broke it.
8'+. Thanks for explaining. That helps a lot. I would be taking a guess at the type of core most of the time when looking at second hand boards unless I go with a surfer mate I guess.
CCanuk. Thanks for the reply that was helpful. It was helpful. As for the link you posted, the section under the link 'Boards' is currently very helpful. clicked and had a read earlier when you posted it in the other thread. Just clicked it again then to have another read. 
See if any of the surf shops have any secondhand towin boards,(would be hard to find one but worth a try) the boards are smaller than a normal one and stringer and glass job normally alot stronger. Got Sam Egan to make me up a 5.10 quadfin, with a inch stringer and a heavy duty glass job. Have been riding it overseas and at home in all kinds of surf for the last year and its held up really well. I find for me riding a heavier board in the surf is good as it don,t bounce aroud in the chop as much.(the board was $650 new)
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Theres a guy that does custom boards with eps epoxy and a centre stringer for kiting in Aus I'm on the spot so I can't remember his name but he does the boards for the winners of the wave nats I believe.
Smedg these get made very close to where you live. pm me your phone number and I'll put you in contact. There is a batch coming through and may be some secound handies as well. 
