What determines which sup board is high-quality and which is not is most often the manufacturing technology. The most important role in this is the technology of making the edges, which are usually the weak point of every soup. Most of the time, the edges are glued, except for Starboard, which went one step further and with heat welding or Welded Rail Technology extended the life of their sups.
What does the inside of a sup board look like?
If you were to cut a good quality soup in half, you would get a look like the one shown in the picture below. Dropstitch core or threads connecting the upper and lower parts and one or two layers of PVC . There is an additional protective edge on the side, and with good boards an additional protective strip over this edge (reinforced construction).
Single layer vs. double layer board
In general, we can say that single-layer boards have one layer of PVC, and stronger double-layer boards have two layers of PVC. Sometimes the two layers were glued together and such boards could weigh up to 20 kg. Nowadays, the material that comes to the factory where soups are made is already welded together. This technology of welding layers is collectively called fusion technology .
Of course, each factory can have an additional sounding name for its fusion technology. The basic idea is the same, but the quality of the materials varies greatly. We still use the terms single-ply and double-ply boards, even though the actual layers are no longer visible. The board never weakens with age in the middle of this material. PVC is extremely durable. Of course, it can be punctured or otherwise damaged, and if the material is thin, this happens much faster. The quality of this core mainly determines how you will ride with such a board. If the PVC and central threads are insufficient, the adult will not be able to stand on his feet.
Manufacturers have various names that are more or less misleading. We even find a cheap single ply board called Fusion and it's even the best seller because people think it's good quality. In fact, it is a cheap single-layer board that does not contain fusion technology. A salesman's trick that apparently works well.
Where is the information about the quality of the material hidden?
This can best be seen in the data on the maximum allowable pressure in the board. For an adult to stand on a board, the board must be inflated to 15-16 psi. The cheapest boards on the market can only be inflated to 12 psi. Such boards are only suitable for children's play. Single-ply boards have an allowable pressure of mostly up to 16 psi . Double-layer boards with fusion technology can withstand from 18 psi onwards , the best even 25 psi.
Edge manufacturing technology dictates the life of the soup
The lifespan of a sup board is between 5 and 10 years, with exceptions in both directions. You can do something with careful handling, but the weak point of almost every soup is the edge production technology. glue. During production, the upper and lower layers of PVC are closed with a side edge tape. In better boards with two or even three strips. This means that the entire upper and lower edge of the board is held together only by glue, which weakens over the years. Most of the older soups that we get for service leave just on this edge. Whether they are the cheapest or the best. We can glue it back once or twice, but it may happen that the glue loosens in another place. In this case, it is best to buy a new sup. Of course, in recent years, the quality of glues has improved and the service life has increased, but this increases the price, so better glues are mainly used by better brands.
Starboard, the only supp brand that doesn't have a glued edge problem
The only supp brand that hasn't had problems with a glued edge for many years is Starboard. Their innovative Edge Manufacturing Technology Welded Rail Technology thermally welds the board together along the edge as well . We are not talking here about the fusion technology of the upper and lower surfaces, but about an innovation that has not been successfully followed by any other manufacturer to date. Sup boards made with this technology have a laboratory doubled lifespan. And how is it in practice? In 4 years, none has dropped. We'll see how it will be after ten years.
To better understand how welded edge technology works compared to glued, Starboard made a fun video. You can see that they painted the bottom black to get as much heat as possible (tip: avoid black when buying a board because it really affects overheating). Of course, the video is exaggerated, but many people already have the experience of exploding soup. If not his own, then someone else's who left him in the sun on the beach.
Starboard Zen with 6 year warranty
Starboard's Welded Rail edge production technology has been well-tested on the market so far, so this year the manufacturer is offering a 6-year warranty on Starboard Zen boards . Anyone who has or will purchase a Starboard Zen board from 01/03/2020 to 20/08/2023 can get an additional 4 years of edge leakage warranty in addition to the general 2-year warranty. All you have to do is fill out the form at this link after purchase.
