+ Samsara Surfsystems

The core of the surfing community is based around getting outside and playing hard in the waves, sand and sun. Surf culture is understandably embracing of sustainable ideals, but current production methods for surfboards are very much out of sync with those ideals. The industry standard surf board is made from a polyurethane core which is shaped by hand, wrapped in fiberglass cloth, and sealed in resin. The end result is a product that has a completely unmitigated ecological footprint; petroleum based, large quantities of carbon dioxide emitted in production, and non recyclable. In an effort to put close the gap between the surf community’s ideals and the product that is at the heart of the sport, we developed Samsara.

Surf culture is understandably embracing of sustainable ideals, but current production methods for surfboards are very much out of sync with those ideals.

Samsara is a concept for a completely closed loop product cycle that provides surfers with a board that minimizes their footprint on the environment. It begins with the board being made from Nylon 6 using SLS (selective laser sintering). SLS is traditionally a rapid-prototyping technique, and allows for some unique opportunities like the structure of Samsara’s core; a light but strong cellular-type structure that would be unproducable by traditional production methods. The entire board is made from one piece of Nylon 6 in a matter of hours. This particular type of nylon is 100% recyclable which will come into play later in the product cycle.

SLS is traditionally a rapid-prototyping technique, and allows for some unique opportunities like the structure of Samsara’s core; a light but strong cellular-type structure that would be unproducable by traditional production methods.

Once the board is made, it goes out to the surfer and lives the life of any other board on the market. Surfboards are a balance of minimizing weight and maximizing strength, and due to the enormous forces of the waves (and the beating they get from the user) will eventually deteriorate and possibly break. When this happens to Samsara, it is returned to the manufacturing facility in pieces. Due to the recyclability of Nylon 6 and the board’s one-piece construction, the pieces are reground, depolymerized and inserted back into the manufacturing cycle. This gives the customer the opportunity to choose a new structure pattern and get a discount on the new purchase. Basically the damaged board is reincarnated as a new one- strong, and ready to ride. The new board is then sent back out to the user and the cycle begins again.