Imagine Eco Surfboards

A company we at OutsidePR is fired up about these days is Imagine Eco Surfboards. While many companies within the surf industry are finding ways small-scale ways to "green" their image, I am impressed and intrigued by Imagine's attention to detail through the design and production process.

From the company:

Our core, made from B-XP3 extruded polystyrene foam, is recycled, and fully recyclable. During manufacture, our polystyrene blanks emit 50 times fewer VOCs (volatile organic compounds) than the traditional PU foams. And this is just the beginning. The cores to our surfboards are completely waterproof, and do not out-gas. This means that your board cannot absorb any water if you put a ding in it, and we do not have to drill a series of holes along the rail, or install valves, to stop the board from delaminating like normal extruded blanks.

The boards are then laminated using a bamboo fabric rather than fiberglass. Fiberglass cloth is treated with toxic chemicals such as chromium, and breathing fiberglass dust is hazardous to the workers. Bamboo is a highly renewable resource. It takes in nearly 5 times the amount of greenhouse gasses, and produces 35% more oxygen, than an equivalent stand of trees, making it an efficient replenisher of fresh air. Bamboo fiber is also one of the strongest natural elements in tension (after the strands of a spider’s web).

The result is not only a very ecological board, but also a super lightweight board that is very resistant to snapping. This is a good thing.

The bamboo fiber is stretched across the core, so it is “pre loaded” giving the board a great springy feel. During the lamination process it is compression formed using a special vacuum bagging technique, literally fusing the resin into the fibers. This reduces the weight of the boards, increases strength, and cuts down on the amount of resin used overall. The bag itself is made from recycled plastic, and we are moving towards plastics not made from petrochemicals.

We use epoxy resins that put out 40 times fewer VOC’s than polyester resin, and we are now working on developing new epoxy resins from unsaturated vegetables oils. This will have a positive economic and environmental impact. Soon we’ll be making our boards from this biodegradable epoxy too.

And what about performance? Our focus is as always performance. After all, the idea is to help save the earth while we ride to the maximum of our ability, and not having to choose between the two is fundamental to our program. We have been adamant about putting performance first, and it shows when you jump onto one of our boards and take it for a spin. With a wide range of shapes, each targeted to a specific style of surfing, you can be sure to find the ideal board for the way you want to ride, and do something to stop the terrible tide of destruction that comes from the standard method of making surfboards.

This is what we mean by “perfect balance”. Using sustainable materials, for a natural feeling board and a pleasing ride. It’s only natural.

Imagine Eco Creates a range of shortboards, longboards and SUP's, and is even pushing the game a step further, offering a "split board" that can be disassembled, enabling you to avoid outrageous over-sized bag fees on your next over-seas trip... think that one over United.