OceanGreen's EcoFoil: A Balsa Hemp Surfboard

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.