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FAQ
WHAT IS THE MAIN ADVANTAGE OF BALSA WOOD OVER FOAM?
The main advantage is stiffness. A balsa board is much stiffer than
a foam board. This lack of
flex translates into more positive turns and more drive through soup
sections.
A balsa board will trim very fast because of this lack of flex.
IS IT TRUE THAT IT'S EASIER TO CATCH WAVES ON A BALSA BOARD?
In some cases yes. The stiffness of balsa gives a very solid feel as
you paddle into the wave.
Some foam boards, especially lightweight boards and so called "high
performance" boards
with excessive rocker are hard to paddle. As one surfer said "it's
like paddling uphill". The
reason for this is that the rocker actually increases as you paddle
into the wave. As the
rocker increases the board pushes water and gets harder to paddle.
DOES BALSA FLOAT BETTER THAN FOAM?
Surfboard flotation is a function of the ratio between the volume of
the board and the weight
of the board. Period. A balsa board and a foam board of the same basic
dimensions and
weight, will float exactly the same. If one of the boards is lighter,
it will float better.
DOES BALSA WOOD SOAK WATER FASTER THAN FOAM?
No. Water turns foam brown and balsa black. It ruins them both.
Click here to see a balsa and foam
experiment re: water absorbtion.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I GET A DING IN MY BALSA BOARD?
Do the same as you would with a foam board. Get it out of the water
as soon as possible.
Seal it with tape (I use plastic packing tape) or a sticker and finish
your session. Patch the ding as
soon as you can. As with any ding, make sure it's dry first.
