Body Board Materials/Construction

Hey all,

I’m looking to make some body boards, but I’m not sure how to put them together. Looking for some help.

I’m aware of PE, PP, EPS construction with PP, PE, EVA skin, and HDPE, Surlyn slicks…

I’m mostly struggling with what bonding method/adhesive to use, and **where to get cores, skins and slicks, **as well as which combo of materials to use.

I’ve tested Foam Board, and Heat Guns to bond the materials (PE+EPS, and PE+PP), but neither seemed to work great.

Also wondering if I can get by without stringers (boards are for little kooks 10-12 yr old).

 

Thanks!

Blessings

L

 

so… you want to make some sponge soft bodyboards?  You don’t specify, but your questions sound like that.  Maybe a little more background info on your specific goals, and your specific background / experience in surfboard shaping / vacuum bagging would help get the conversation started.

Like why do u want to make these yourself, as opposed to just rounding up some boogie boards for the kids?

What is your background in making or repairing surfcraft?

All of this (and a lot more) can be found here: https://www.swaylocks.com/groups/home-depot-bodyboard-building

CORE: We’ll use XPS (blue, grey, orange,…). We need 5cm(2") thick core. It’s difficult to find a supplier with 5cm thick XPS in stock, so let’s go for 2 panels of 2cm+3cm, which will be glued. Overall dimensions of the panels should be 125x60x2cm and 125x60x3cm for a common bodyboard (app. 3$+4$). If you can’t find 125cm long panels, don’t worry: buy 250cm long panels and you’ll have core for 2 boards. We can use white EPS too, but remember, the leash tab will walk trough the deck-core-slick and water will remain in EPS forever. XPS is almost non absorvent.

SLICK BOTTOM: We’ll use 1mm PSHI (high impact polystirene) or 1mm PVC or 1mm whatyoucanfind sheet. The overall dimmensions of this sheet should be 1250x600x1mm. It’s quite important it has, at least, one of its sides in a NON-SHINE finish, since we’ll use contact cement for gluing. (app. 12$ for a 1000x2000x1mm sheet (2 boards))

DECK:This is the hardest material to find. I made my first bodyboard from a 10mm camping mat (very cheap, but too thick). The best material I could find is EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate), the material used in sandals. Some thick around 5mm (4-5-6mm) should be OK. Overall dimmensions 1250x1000x5mm(app.12$). This layer is wider than the other 2 since we use EVA to cover deck+2 rails+tail. If you want a more colourful desing you can buy a panel for the deck (1250x600x5mm) and a panel from other colour for the rails and tail (1250x400x5mm). (app.10$+8$)

ELBOW PADS: We’ll use 5mm thick packing polyethilene foam. Overall dimmensions 1250x300x5mm. (app.1$ or free if you search in the dustbin of a TV shop).

GLUE: It should be NON-SOLVENT CONTACT CEMENT, since we’re using polyestirene (XPS) for core. App. 4$ for a can of 1kg, enough for a bodyboard.

TOOLS: Razor blade, cheap tape, saw-edge squegee (I don’t know how you call this thing) for the contact cement, sand disk and a drill.

The hardest thing about materials is to find someone who sells us the quantity needed for just 1 board. Make numbers and watch the possibility of building 2 or 3 boards (good anniversary present for your girl/boyfriend).

Hey,

Good Questions. I’m currently working on my 6th board. They’ve all been foam (pu, eps) and glass (polyester, epoxy). I shaped my first one in 2015 I beleive. I’ve worked for our local shaper doing some soft tops, repairs, and finishes, as well.

I work with youth, and am running a surfboard building camp this summer. The youth involved are, however, new to surfing, and too young to work with resins, glass cloth, and lack patience and skills to shape properly, in my opinion, so I’m opting to make body/boogie boards instead, as they are smaller, and have simpler rails for kids to shape… and don’t need to be glassed.

I’d like to have a slick bottom, and soft top on all the boards, doing 50/50 rails, and probably flat, uncontured bottoms, keeping it simple for the kids. I will make few prototypes before teaching the kids, of course. I’m not sure if stringers will be necessary for a beginner board, and would be okay to do the whole thing (top, rails, bottom) in the same soft material, but would prefer a slick bottom.

Most materials are accessible for me, but I live on an island, and haven’t been able to find any slick-bottom materials.

So ultimately, I guess I’m looking for the best set of materials to make it easiest for youth to make one for themselves.

thanks,

 

L

Also, for a reference of where to buy materials, I’m on an fairly accessible Island in Canada.

Hey,

Thanks a lot. I did see this discussion already, and it helped a lot, but I’m not really wanting to use those exact materials (they aren’t as easy to find and aquire as some others, nor as cheap necessarily). So I’m looking for some alternative materials, and good combinations to use, as well and good places to get them.

 

thanks a bunch!

I’m considering 2lb density crosslinked polyethylene for the decks, and and 1/16th inch crosslinked polyethylene skin for the slick, along with EPS cores.

However I’m not sure to bond them, since heat won’t be possible for me, and adhesives are, supposedly, notroiously hard to find for PE,PP.

Thoughts?

 

Thanks a bunch.


It might be easier to start with what materials you do have available and then we can McGyver it from there ?

Hey thanks,

Good thought.

What I guaranteed have available without ordering online are:

EPS foam for cores

4mm polyethylene yoga mats, or 2 mm polyethylene flooring underlayment 

decent foam glues for PE and EPS (PL 300, and permaweld, maybe find some others)

What I have not been able to find is anythign useful for bottom slicks…

Thanks again…appreciate everyones help, and care/patience…!

 

My initial thought is to make a prototype using the same material all the way around, i.e. no bottom slick. It may not be all that critical to performance for your needs.

Yeah, you’re probably right…well you are! I appreciate your advice!

thanks,

 

L

I would think you could make a decent bottom for a bodyboard with a hunk of vinyl sheet flooring like the stuff on a roll at the big box store.

FWIW I built a board with a wood core covered on both sides with “yoga mat” and it worked just fine.

Like one of Pendo’s Rubber Ducky’s. Squishy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haha nice! That’s awesome! Yeah I think if you could use a double sided soft one, then the kids will be fine to!

Yeah, thanks! I bet you’re right! That’s something where non solvent contact cement might be a good adhesive.

Thanks a lot, I think I might end up testing that!

I’ve tried the EVA on both sides with ply inside too, epoxy resin will hold and seal the ply in one coat. Cut the ply 1/2 inch less all around to make a safe edge.

 Or use thicker EVA on top with ply on the hull but get the kids to do artwork on the ply so the hull has a custom aspect for the kids.

A solid hull like ply is much better to ride than a soft foam hull. You’d think the foam would give it a firm but yielding skin like a dolphin, but it’s crap.

 What’s the water temperature going to be like for kiddies on an island in Canada ?

Nice,

So your saying a plywood, or another kind of ply? And you would just apply the resin over top?

Yeah I definteily want the kids to be able to art up the boards! 

The temp usually stick aroun 12-14 Celcius in summer. Winters get 8-10 C, probably. These kids are awesome…had them in 10C water this spring, on a rainy stormy day, suitting up into soaking wet wetsuit! Pretty stoked!

Wow.  That is hardcore.  Sooo, if you don’t want to divulge too much about your location, can you at least tell us if it’s east coast or west coast?  If you say it’s a lake I’ll flip.  I’m a total wuss when it comes to cold water.  

Huge respect.

Wow.  That is hardcore.  Sooo, if you don’t want to divulge too much about your location, can you at least tell us if it’s east coast or west coast?  If you say it’s a lake I’ll flip.  I’m a total wuss when it comes to cold water.  

Huge respect.

You do could easily do a 3 ply hull ( 5 ply would be a lot heavier but you can assess if that’s suitable) and epoxy resin a 30 mm ( or more) EVA deck on top.The resin will hold like superglue.

 If you have the ply with the EVA hanging over ike this in the pic, you can get the kids to shape the rails either with standard angled boogie rails or do rounded rails.

 As for artwork you’ll have to test with whatever paints or cans you’ve got but you could do a white undercoat on the ply that would seal the wood and give a good background layer for the kids to get creative on.

No worries. Up on vancouver island, british columbia. Pacific. Haha yeah, you get used to it! The oldschool locals grew up with half-suits, or no suits out here. pretty gnarly!

Nice. Thanks for the pic. It helps. I see what you mean now…no core, jsut EVA. I like it.

I thought of doing something similar at one point, but wasn’t sure how it’d work. But if you’re saying it’ll work, I might as well try it out, and at least test it!

Maybe try an EVA+vinyl combo too!

Thanks man!