Is This the Best Surfboard Foam in the World? Noel Salas Reviews the XTR10.
Surfboard design continues to evolve, innovate, and just…well…get better.
Gone are the days of the only option being foam and fiberglass, crafted from polyurethane blanks, and pioneered by Gordon “Grubby” Clark back in the 1960s.
Today, there’s options; like polystyrene (PS), expanded polystyrene (EPS), and now, extruded polystyrene (XTR), which surfboard review guru Noel Salas explores below.
This episode of Surf and Show Reviews asks the question: “Is ‘XTR 10’ the BEST Surfboard Foam on the Planet?”
And Noel examines…
The description of this episode reads:
“Noel Salas visits XTR Epoxy Pro in Oceanside, California for surfboard foam testing. Noel introduces Javier Huarcaya-Pro to share what makes XTR 10 so special. Javier compares XTR 10 to PU Poly foam and EPS foam with a stringer and actually runs some blanks over with his truck to show the durability of this extruded foam.
“The XTR 10 foam out performs with very little dents. The foam is 100% waterproof and can be customized with a super light glass job called "Carbon lite" or, if you prefer, it can be glassed a little heavier for bigger surf. This remarkable foam core makes your board last for 3, 4 or even 5 years (says Javier) with very little pressure dents, all while keeping the original pop and snap like it did when it was brand new.”
Going off of pure strength, the XTR 10 certainly surpasses its peers. When a truck drives over three blanks – PU, EPS, and XTR 10 – the strongest one is clear. Both the PU and the EPS saw significant damage from the tire treads, while the XTR 10 was mildly blemished.
But how do they stand up in the ocean? Or in Noel’s case, the Waco Surf wavepool?
“I’m looking for the board to go top to bottom as quick as possible,” Noel says. “I’m noticing about doing about eight hours, that this foam is superior in durability compared to the foam in the past, purely in pressure dents.
“So, after eight hours of riding this board, there’s hardly any pressure dents on the deck.”
Eight hours in a wavepool in no pressure dings? Pretty impressive.
Stay tuned for more reviews from Noel.
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