Foam Blanks

The last time (way back when), that I built a board, the sourcing of materials was dead easy. Basically you went polyurethane for the blank and e-glass/polyester for the shell and that was it. The task was also simplified because it was a short-board hence no centreboard, the mast base was fixed and consisted of a finbox and the blank was small enough to fit within the standard repertoire of a surfboard maker- and so was easy to purchase.

The longboard racer is a different ball game.

Not only has the choice of materials increased, but now it is necessary to deal with a sliding mast track system, a fully retracting centreboard and a board length beyond that of even a surfer's stand-up paddle board. The latter makes the purchase of a blank+stringer directly from a surfboard manufacturer more difficult. Additionally, it now appears that expanded polystyrene or extruded polystyrene are the materials of choice for the blank. A good introduction with respect to these materials can be found at Fibreglass Supply

After some searching, I've been able to source some blanks of a suitable size. Shapers Australia is a good possibility for people who live in Queensland Australia, not only having blanks, but also appearing to be a one-stop shop for most of the other materials required to build a board. Unfortunately I have not found a surfboard manufacturer in Victoria who can supply a blank with stringer of the required size. However, Polyfoam Australia have high density (24 g/l) EPS blocks of dimension 500cm x 120 cm x 60 cm which can be cut down to a suitable (rectangular) size. And, wonder-of-wonders- a sister company StyraPak P/L can supply computer cut blocks of EPS or the higher density XPS. The computer-cutting capability presumably means that they could cut a rocker into the block and potentially save heaps of elbow grease and some of the agonising during the shaping stage. I've just emailed StyraPak and am waiting to hear back. Stay tuned!