Hi , looking for some feedback from all those that have surf supped carbons as well as normal sandwich construction (say naish GT etc) . how does the sizing compare (assuming for instance shapes were identical) - presume a carbon will feel corkier , and float better for its volume as its a kilo+ less , so sitting higher in the water . So how does this affect the size models you go for ?.... does say a 105ltr carbon = 110 ltr standard construction ... or on width , if youve been surfing a standard construction say 28 wide , do you need to drop down to carbon to 27.5 or 27.75 wide to hold the same power etc (as the carbon will be corkier on the rail , maybe bouncier with the lighter weight) .... any feedback appreciated , about to sort out my quiver with a carbon or 2 and dont know if this a factor in sizing .... and does for instance carbon show up as a bigger bouncier problem in say more the bigger sizes or your bigger board (when packing more reserve volume) .... or same impacts on riding yr small boards ? ... (i know its also a can of worms as few could have ridden identical shapes so diffs in rocker / rails / volume flow also massive factors that have to be compensated for ) cheers

Hi mate,
I can only speak from my own experience, and that is as follows....
I demo'd a JP surf 9'6 in the wood sandwich construction, but then bought the pro model, (carbon composite).
Couple of kilos lighter, but the thing I most noticed was how much more responsive it was. It was heaps more responsive.
So much better than the std model.

Also I demo'd a 2012 Starboard drive brushed carbon, while at the same time I owned the 2010 standard model drive.
Chalk and cheese, the carbon was probably 3 kilos lighter but so much more responsive and easier to throw around.

Hope that helps.

Ken.

First, forget all the bull**** about some materials being "floatier" than the others.
Floatation is just the volume of the board less its weight. Be it made of feathers or lead.

Carbon boards are great as they feel much more precise and responsive.
Non carbon boards may feel like "dampening" a bit the turns compared to a carbon board.
Non-carbon PVC sandwich board may feel a bit "wobbly" in chop. Carbon PVC however is great.
"Wood sandwich" are nowhere as rigid as real PVC sandwich but seem more lively than pure glass.

Note that carbon is not lighter than glass. It is stronger, so you can use lighter blanks.

The thinner and longer the board is, the more obvious the carbon benefit. A "blade-like" 10' longboard will feel incredible in carbon, but I must confess that between a carbon and glass 6'8" with similar shape I do not see such a difference. There is one, but is it worth a heavy premium? I am not sure.

Compromises can be good, too. For instance I like a carbon deck & rails giving responsivity with a bamboo bottom dampenping chop...

IMO .. different constructions is like different colours

@ Colas sorry to blow holes in your post but you are wrong on many counts. "Float" is a complex thing. Float is related to surface area, material density, water density, Thrust per sq mm of surface area (or planing ability), mass (as opposed to weight),total volume, volume distribution, hull shape, even temperature has an effect. It is neigh on impossible to compare two boards in different materials unless they are exactly the same shape (form). The boat industry knows this and relies on handicaps rather than formulas to work out a level playing field for racing yachts. Carbon finer is stronger than Epoxy Glass construction yes but it is also defiantly a lot lighter. Most Epoxy/Glass construction starts as loose glass cloth and gets wetted out with resin and vacuumed to remove as much excess as possible. Most Epoxy/Carbon comes as pre impregnated cloth fused under pressure and heat to the foam. Much more efficient building method.

thanks for responses .... so maybe volume wise its only related to the equiv weight saving ... so if a carbon 2 kgs less , then maybe 108ltr = 110 ltrs standard ? i do think also , maybe this issue shows up more in bigger boards for yr weight .... maybe also , if there is a quicker reaction , slighter higher speed thru turns , more responsive , that maybe would make a difference on how a certain volume feels ? slightly more hectic means maybe an overload earlier of say certain rail volume etc ... what about the acceleration say paddling for a wave with 3 kgs lighter board - quicker , easier to glide up and get up and running - that would also impact and allow me to drop the size a little

Peter, I think you confuse flotation with stability. Floatation is a simple basic physics equation and have NOTHING to do with surface area, material density etc... (just water density, which depends on salinity & temperature... but is the same for a glass or carbon board). For stability, width etc come into play, not for flotation.

seabreezer yes. If a carbon board is 2kg less than an glass board, you can drop 2 liters in volume to get the same flotation.
You are right to think that by going to carbon allow to change a bit the board, but in my experience, not volume, but rather the shape itself. A carbon board will be more responsive to your body movements and paddle strokes, so you want a shape that maximize this "bonus", as a general rule, a faster rocker on a carbon board helps transforming the initial added acceleration into more speed, and more refined rails to take advantage of less distorsion of a carbon board.

For instance, a carbon board will react more quickly so you can use a flatter rocker as a lighter, more reponsive board will make it easier to handle this trickier rocker... but on the other hand you may choose the opposite... to have MORE rocker for vertical surfing in the pocket of hollow waves, having the lighter weight compensate for the slower takeoff: A carbon board takes off earlier as you can "pop" it into the wave with your body.

Basically, lighter weight will give you a "capital" of added acceleration, that you will want to spend wisely with adapted shape features to the performance aspects YOU want to enhance.