+ Eco-Friendly Materials in Surfboard Design

In the world of eco-friendliness and sustainability, the surfing community seems to always be on the forefront. Companies like Reef , Billabong , and Simple are taking impressive steps to implement "greener" policies and technologies. While these companies are exploring inititives in the clothing industry, there are also some exciting things going on in the world of surf boards. Several companies are exploring alternatives to the traditional polyurethane foam cores which are non-biodegradable, produced from toxic fossil fuel materials, and lead to large amounts of co2 emmissions as a result of their production.

Mike Sheldrake recently created a surfboard with a frame made completely of cardboard. Using a 3D modeling program, Mike assembled a deck using almost 400 carboard slats. Not only is cardboard cheap, it can be completely made of recycled material. This is a great alternative to the typical polyurethane foam core. This could be a big step in getting another earth friendly product into the main stream. Plus, this type of application looks insanely awesome. [Popsci Article].

Home Blown is a company that is taking steps in the right direction as far as alternative materials in surfboard construction go. They now feature a board which is made up of 50% agricultural products called Biofoam. On their site they claim that "a preliminary life cycle analysis indicates that using Biofoam results in 36% less global warming emissions, a 61% reduction in non-renewable energy use, and a 23% reduction in total energy demand." Along with several other benefits, this technology seems to be a promising advancement in a movement away from petro-based products.


Grain Surfboards are a "more green" alternative to traditional foam surfboards in that they are made from locally grown, sustainably harvested cedar wood. They still use small amounts of adhesive, along with fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin, but if that is removed, 99% of the board is biodegradable. These boards do not ding and crack like normal foam boards leading to a longer lasting product, and less environmental impact.

Ocean Green is another company on the hunt for a completely biodegradable board. Their boards consist of a hollow balsa wood core, and a hemp or cotton alternative to traditional fiberglass cloth. "Conservative estimates put the amount of CO2 released in the production of Hemp cloth to be only 10% that for Fibreglass." All they need now is a biodegradable resin.

There are several more examples of alternative materials used in surfboard construction including the use of the ever popular bamboo. Check out their sites for further information.