OceanGreen's EcoFoil: A Balsa Hemp Surfboard
by Warren McLaren, Sydney on 06.23.06
In the distant past we’ discussed bamboo surfboards, and more recently observed the prototype sustainable surfboard via the Eden project. Having sprung from that same genesis is the EcoFoil by OceanGreen. Their ultimate goal “is to produce custom surfboards that are 100% bio-derived, that is, made entirely from natural materials.” With the EcoFoil they’re sure getting close. Instead of polyurethane or polystyrene blanks (core), they use hollow balsa wood from FSC certified Nicaraguan forests. These handcrafted blanks are purchased under fair trade arrangements for the final shaping in Cornwall. Fibreglass is avoided with the application of an organically grown hemp cloth ‘skin’. This has about 10% of the embodied CO2 emissions of the fibreglass. Research is still underway to find an appropriate sustainable resin to bind the package. Aside from their standard hemp covered models (right pic) OG offer three EcoFoil balsa boards, beginning with a thruster for £600, and moving up through a mini-mal (left pic) and longboard. Compared to a petrochemically derived board, the EcoFoil is said to be strong and lighter, with more float and less drag. ::OceanGreen, via the EcoSurf Project.
Neat idea. Living in Hawaii I'm always on the lookout for new surf technology and one that is environmentally friendly (clark foam peaced out because they polluted too much is the rumor). Great post.
Aloha,
E
yeah, this looks great!
Ocean Green Surfboards win Green Wave Award
Ocean Green, winners of The Surfer's Path magazine's first ever Green Wave award for surfboard manufacturing, are set to revolutionise the industry with their range of EcoFoil boards due to arrive in Britain this September.
The Green Wave awards are presented for excellence and achievement in promoting sustainability and environmental consciousness in the surfing world.
Based in Newquay, Cornwall, UK, Ocean Green are the only manufacturer in the world developing boards made entirely from natural materials that provide a real alternative to existing products in terms of both price and performance.
OG's founder and co-director Stuart Thomson said, "It's great to be recognised for our work so far, but there is still some way to go before we reach our goal".
Their aim is to replace each of a surfboards three standard base materials (poly foam blanks, fibre glass and petroleum derived resins) with an environmentally sustainable alternative that has equal or better qualities for the job.
An OG EcoFoil replaces the industry standard polyurethane or polystyrene foam blank with a hollow one made from FSC sustainably forested balsa wood grown in Central America, which is significantly more dense, and therefore stronger, than the balsa wood commonly found in our shops.
After the wood has been carefully selected for each particular component, ribs, nose and tail blocks, stringers, rails and deck panels are cut using digitally rendered templates that provide the accuracy needed to assemble a precision blank, similar in construction to an aircraft wing.
From there on the boards are completely hand shaped and finished, a process made much quicker and less wasteful because of the precise assembly of the balsa blank.
The EcoFoils are then glassed with organically grown hemp cloth, an amazing material that, through testing at Bangor University in Wales, has been proved to create a stronger composite, weight for weight, than the usual fibreglass equivalent.
So, with two of the surfboards three base materials already replaced with biodegradable alternatives, it now only remains for a workable natural resin to be found for Ocean Green to reach their goal.
OG's founder Stuart Thomson remarks "the large bio-chemical companies claim they are working on alternatives to fossil fuel based resins, but exactly how much effort they are making is hard to tell. In the meantime we keep in contact with several bio-composite research labs and are prepared to trial any viable solutions they can offer."
The EcoFoils are manufactured at Ocean Green's fair trade workshop near Managua in Nicaragua by a team of six carpenters and shapers. "The guys in the workshop deserve a great deal of credit for this award" said OG's co-director Graham Nicholson, "without their experience and craftsmanship these boards may never have even made it to the water."
Every EcoFoil is truly unique thanks to the beautifully varied grain and natural colours of the balsa wood, and each one is individually numbered and dated by hand so that a boards history can be traced and its ownership certified. After all, a good surfboard should last a lifetime.
The initial EcoFoil range of three board shapes are a 6'8" Thruster 'el Colibrí', a 7'6" Easy Rider 'el Gaviota' and a 9'1" Malibu 'el Águila'. (the Hummingbird, the Gull and the Eagle). There are currently four other board shapes being designed.
After many years of research and development by OG, every surfer now has the choice whether or not to put their money where their heart is. If you would like to be part of the Ocean Green revolution you can start by visiting their website at...
WWW.OCEANGREEN.ORG
Ocean Green Surfboards Limited
Newquay, Cornwall, U.K.
Tel: 0870 042 1712
Email: contact@oceangreen.org
Web: www.oceangreen.org
NVS Surf offers a hemp cloth option over biofoam and they are made in the US so a little easier to get if you're in the US