Greenlight is Open for Order Pickups 10 am - 8 pm Daily.

Online orders only. You'll be notified when your order is ready to pick up.

NOTE: 

WE MANUFACTURE ALL ENGINEERED EPS SURFBOARD BLANKS PER ORDER ALLOWING FOR OPTIMAL CUSTOMIZATION TO MAKE SHAPING EASIER, FASTER, AND WITH LESS DUST.

DUE TO HIGH DEMAND PLEASE ALLOW 3 WEEKS BEFORE PICK UP NOTIFICATION OR SHIPPING.

Online orders only. We'll notify you when your order is ready to pick up

NOTE: 

WE MANUFACTURE ALL ENGINEERED EPS SURFBOARD BLANKS PER ORDER ALLOWING FOR OPTIMAL CUSTOMIZATION TO MAKE SHAPING EASIER, FASTER, AND WITH LESS DUST.

DUE TO HIGH DEMAND PLEASE ALLOW 3 WEEKS BEFORE PICK UP NOTIFICATION OR SHIPPING.

Most pickups are available within 2 days of ordering, EPS blanks are 3 weeks... We'll notify you when it's ready

NOTE: 

WE MANUFACTURE ALL ENGINEERED EPS SURFBOARD BLANKS PER ORDER ALLOWING FOR OPTIMAL CUSTOMIZATION TO MAKE SHAPING EASIER, FASTER, AND WITH LESS DUST.

DUE TO HIGH DEMAND PLEASE ALLOW 3 WEEKS BEFORE PICK UP NOTIFICATION OR SHIPPING.

Let us know what you need ASAP and we'll hold your order to include it. We will send a secure payment link for you to purchase and we'll ship it all out.

There is a $2.50 administrative order change charge.

We do our absolute best to ship your within 2 days depending on time of order. If ordering blanks it takes a few weeks to manufacture them and we work each shipment in the order we receive them. 

You will receive a tracking number email when your order ships. Check your spam folder if you did not see it.

You can also log into your online account and view the status of your order.

We didn't receive any orders so you were not charged, out payment gateway declined the card for address or zip code discrepancy. Your bank marked your attempts as "pending" and hold it for 2-3 days.

More info on why you see it as a charge here:

The merchant is telling you the transaction was declined, and your bank is telling you it has been approved. Yes, your bank approved the transaction but the merchant's payment gateway declined the transaction so the entire transaction was declined even though your bank approved it. Merchant's payment gateway may have security settings which may have triggered a decline such as address and zip code verification. It is the way how the banks operate, so it's not your fault nor merchant's fault. The merchant cannot remove the charge since it was never approved, so please do NOT ask merchant to remove this charge. The charge will be on "pending" state, and the money will never be taken out of your credit card account but the reserve will be put aside so it will reduce your credit limit until the transaction clears on it's own within 2-5 business days. The bank will say "ask the merchant to call in to cancel this transaction", but a merchant CANNOT call in on your behalf as the credit card companies will not share account information with non-account holders such as a merchant.

To understand why this is happening, you'll have to understand how credit card transactions are processed. For full explanation, please read the Credit Card Processing Diagram with explanation below.

1. When a buyer commits an order, the credit card transaction goes to the payment gateway provider such as Authorize.Net and forwards the transaction to Merchant Bank's Processor.

2. The information is then sent to your bank ("issuing bank"), and your bank will either approve or decline the transaction based on customer's available funds. If transaction is declined by your bank, the transaction stops and there is NO problem. The customer's bank account will show transaction declined and so does the merchant's processor so there is no reason to argue with the merchant or bank.

3. If the transaction is approved by your bank, now the transaction is once again go through a security check by the payment gateway company with billing information sent by the issuing bank. If customer entered address, zip code and card code do not match with the credit card billing information provided by the issuing bank, the payment gateway may decline the transaction based upon merchant's fraud security settings. This is the reason why your bank says it's approved, and your merchant says declined -- and, they are both right!! Your bank approved the transaction, but the payment processor declined the transaction.

To conclude, the net result of transaction status is a failure as the payment processor declined the transaction even though your bank approved it. This transaction will NOT show up on your credit card statement as it is declined by the payment processor. To your bank, they'll see this transaction as approved and will temporarily hold ("reserve") this money until the payment processor claims the money (which will never happen as it is a declined transaction), or a specific time elapses with no action from the payment processor which then releases the reserve. The time it will take to release the fund varies from banks to banks, and it could take anywhere from 2-7 business days.

The reason for multiple "approved" transactions on your bank account may be due to multiple attempts on your part to submit the order when the payment processor declined the previous transaction.

Why would payment gateway company scan a security check and decline the transaction when the issuing bank already approved the transaction? Credit card fraud is one of the fastest growing crimes as more and more people are buying products and services online. When fraud occurs, the banks get their money back from the merchant and the customers get their money back from the banks (with a bit of hassle). It is the merchant who will lose money on fraudulent transactions. To protect merchants and buyers, payment gateway providers implemented additional security check to prevent "possible" fraud.

Note: You may reproduce and distribute contents of this article provided that you give a full credit to the author ("Scott Seong"), and provide a backlink to this page from your webpage. The content shown below is borrowed from Authorize.Net, and we do not have an authority to grant permission to redistribute it's content.

Credit Card Transaction Workflow Diagram
Source: Authorize.Net

1. The merchant submits a credit card transaction to the Authorize.Net Payment Gateway on behalf of a customer via secure Web site connection, retail store, MOTO center or wireless device.

2. Authorize.Net receives the secure transaction information and passes it via a secure connection to the Merchant Bank's Processor.

3. The Merchant Bank's Processor submits the transaction to the Credit Card Network (a system of financial entities that communicate to manage the processing, clearing, and settlement of credit card transactions).

4. The Credit Card Network routes the transaction to the Customer's Credit Card Issuing Bank.

5. The Customer's Credit Card Issuing Bank approves or declines the transaction based on the customer's available funds and passes the transaction results back to the Credit Card Network.

6. The Credit Card Network relays the transaction results to the Merchant Bank's Processor.

7. The Merchant Bank's Processor relays the transaction results to Authorize.Net.

8. Authorize.Net stores the transaction results and sends them to the customer and/or the merchant. This step completes the authorization process – all in about three seconds or less!

9. The Customer's Credit Card Issuing Bank sends the appropriate funds for the transaction to the Credit Card Network, which passes the funds to the Merchant's Bank. The bank then deposits the funds into the merchant's bank account. This step is known as the settlement process and typically the transaction funds are deposited into your primary bank account within two to four business days.

Why is my credit card zip or postal code not matching?

When your payment fails due to an incorrect zip or postal code, this means your bank told us your security code matched, but not your zip or postal code. To protect both you and us, we decline non-matching transactions to fight fraud.

How we process payments

1. We send a charge request to your bank for approval

2. Your bank may both approve the transaction and tell us something didn't match -- in this case, they specified that only the security code matched, but not the zip/postal code

3. To protect you against fraud, if either the zip/postal code or security code don't match, we reject the transaction
4. For some banks, this can leave a temporary pending (but unsettled) charge on your account. It will fall off your card shortly, usually within 24-48 hours.

To get to the bottom of this, you need to find out why your bank is telling us that the information we are submitting with your payment does not match what they have on file for you. When you call your bank, they may initially tell you "we approved that charge". You have to be more specific with call center staff and ask "Why did the AVS not match? What zip code did you receive and what do you have on file for my account?"

Please visit our SHIPPING INFO page for detailed costs on blank shipping

1. We can ship to one of the following freight centers on the US border for you to pick up and drive back over the border. There is a small warehouse fee for these freight centers. You clear through customs at the border. This saves a lot of shipping cost for you as the freight companies almost double the fees to get your products across the border and deliver to you.

NEW SEPT 2017! Have your blanks shipped to a warehouse with the KinekPoint Service! Dozens of warehouses on the US border we can ship to.

Freeport Forwarding - Champlain, NY (Approx 1 hour from downtown Montreal)

Bee Line Logistics - Champlain, NY

Pinnacle Parcels - Richford, VT

Shiretown Package and Receiving - Houlton, ME

CBI - Niagra, NY

We prefer if you order online first to give us time to put your order together but you can buy anything while you're at the shop.

If you are purchasing an EPS blank we fabricate them per order and please allow at least 3-4 days to pick up. We'll email you when it's ready. 

US Blanks and Arctic Foam are stock items and you can come to the shop and buy them or order online and select "pick up at shop" before coming to grab them.

Shipping costs, both domestic and international are automatically calculated by the webstore based on total weight of the order and your location.

Shipping costs for blanks is a little more involved. Click here for more info on blank shipping costs. Keep in mind we can ship your fiberglass, resins, fins, tools, etc with the blanks in the same box for no additional cost

Please visit our SHIPPING INFO page for detailed costs on blank shipping

Returns

Our policy lasts 10 days. If 10 days have gone by since you received your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging. There is a 15% restocking charge for returned items.

Non-returnable items:

Gift cards

Downloaded products

To complete your return, we require a Return Merchandise Authorization number (RMA). Please email info@greenlightsurfsupply.com to request a RMA for your return.

Please do not send your purchase back to the manufacturer.

There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable):

1. Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error

2. Any item that is returned more than 7 days after delivery

Refunds (if applicable)

Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund.

If you are approved, then your refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment, within a certain amount of days.

Late or missing refunds (if applicable)

If you haven’t received a refund yet, first check your bank account again.

Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted.

Next contact your bank. There is often some processing time before a refund is posted.

If you’ve done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at info@greenlightsurfsupply.com.

Sale items (if applicable)

Only regular priced items may be refunded, unfortunately sale items cannot be refunded.

Exchanges (if applicable)

We only replace items if they are defective or damaged.  If you need to exchange it for the same item, send us an email at info@greenlightsurfsupply.com and send your item to: 

Greenlight Surf Supply

187 Parker Ave 

Manasquan New Jersey US 08736

Gifts

If the item was marked as a gift when purchased and shipped directly to you, you’ll receive a gift credit for the value of your return. Once the returned item is received, a gift certificate will be mailed to you.

If the item wasn’t marked as a gift when purchased, or the gift giver had the order shipped to themselves to give to you later, we will send a refund to the gift giver and he will find out about your return.

Shipping

To return your product, you should mail your product to: 

Greenlight Surf Supply

187 Parker Ave 

Manasquan New Jersey US 08736

You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. 

If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

We can ship EPS foam blanks in half for less than the blank glued up. We also ship Polyurethane foam blanks glued up but it costs more.

If you want to order an EPS foam blank the Canada shipping cost will be available in the webstore's checkout.

Stringer is included with the blank, the glue is separate and can be purchased HERE.

More info on blank shipping and shipments to Canda HERE

Unfortunately the shipping companies do not just weigh the order. They've devised what's called Dimensional Weight = (Length X Width X Height)/194. The large dimensions of the blanks (even shortboards) make the weight look like 100+lbs and therefore expensive to ship. They have to be moved on a tractor trailer and are called "freight". 

We work with multiple freight companies to negotiate the lowest possible shipping costs possible for you on every surfboard blank order.

But Greenlight has developed a way to ship Engineered EPS Surfboard Blanks under 6'6" to your door with UPS Ground for about 60% less cost than a freight truck. We ship the blank to you unglued to make the package smaller. Our EPS blanks have flat edges so glue up is really easy with clamps or even just stack the pieces vertically on the floor and apply pressure while the glue dries.

Sure, I recommend getting our shaping tool kit and our beginner glassing kit with epoxy (we can usually get epoxy through customs).

Yes, but we do not ship blanks or resin to Europe at this time, too cost prohibitive. We do ship small items like tools and materials to Europe daily though.

Yes we ship to Argentina. We cannot ship blanks or resin unless in large quantities due to high shipping costs. Every other product is no problem and the shipping cost is automatically calculated in the webstore's checkout. 

Yes we ship to FPO/APO addresses. Our webstore will not recognize an FPO address so please let us know what you'd like to purchase and we'll send you a secure payment link. No problem.

Very expensive to ship blanks overseas. You have to buy a lot of blank to make it worth the shipping costs

Yes, we certainly do ship to AU all the time. International shipping costs are calculated in the webstore's checkout based on total weight of the order.

Shipping the blanks across the country to BC is about $400. The total weight of the order will determine the exact cost. When shipping blanks its always better to get more because they don't weigh much and the shipping costs do not increase much with multiple blanks.

Here is a link to the Canada Duty Calculator

Some shipments such as blanks will require a customs broker to clear your produts across the border. 

Here are a few brokers to contact for info:

http://www.shipnorthamerica.com/htmfiles/brokerage.htm

http://www.aacb.com/

http://www.pcb.ca/

Small shipments with USPS do not require a broker.

Our beginner surfboard shaping kits include everything you need to get started shaping boards at home by hand. All the materials, tools, instructions, safety equipment, and support. All you need extra is wood and screws to build your shaping racks. We even give you padding for the shaping racks you build and a free outline template of your choice from our Template Library.

The only thing not included is the fin boxes and fin install supplies since that is a personal preference and usually depends on what type of fins you currently own.

The beginner kits come with an Engineered EPS blank and epoxy resin so you can build a stronger board that will last (most people keep their first shape as a memory of the fun) and it's much less toxic and smelly than glassing with polyester resin so you can do it in your garage or basement without stinking the whole house up!

We ship the beginner kits to your door with UPS to reduce the shipping costs.. you will glue the blank halves and stringer together in a simple process. Here's a video of how to glue your blank to save about $100 in shipping costs!

For a first timer, the least expensive fin system to install is FCS X-2 Plugs, [2 plugs per fin... for a tri fin you'll order 4 RAIL plugs and 2 CENTER Plugs, if you're making a quad fin order 8 RAIL plugs as the RAIL Plugs have a fin cant angle molded in] FCS X-2 Plugs only require a normal power drill, X-2 Holesaw bit. and quick set jigs. 

Here's how to install the X-2 plugs and a diagram of standard fin placements:

The things that we would suggest to make this an easy install are the FCS dummy install jigs and a g square or versasquare for laying out fin placements. The quick set jigs are an easy one time use product and the g square or versasquare is a tool you will use forever in your board building...

NOTE: For EPS boards use Resin Research Quick Kick Epoxy to reduce exotherm and prevent melting the foam. See Step 4. 

1. FCS X-2 and FACTORY plugs are installed after the hotcoat. After installation and the resin has cured, you sand them down flush with the board while sanding the bottom.

2. Once you have the quickset jigs laid out on the board (lined up with your shapers dots) you will use a FCS Hole Saw bit to make your holes for the plugs. Drill the hole 5'8" deep and pull the foam out with needle nose plyers or dig out with a flathead screw driver. 

3. We suggest using either FCS dummy jigs or a set of fins to set the plugs with the correct spacing as well as adjust the fin cant angle. Lightly screw the plugs onto the dummy jig tabs. If using fin keep the plugs loose on the fin tabs so you can push them down to where the "nubs" on the plugs touch the hotcoat.

4. Polyester boards: Mix 1 oz of resin per plug. (6 oz total for a tri-fin, 8 oz total for a quad). 

    EPS boards:  Use Resin Research Quick Kick resin.  In temperatures hotter than 80 degrees F, mix 1/2 oz per plug. You will fill the plug hole twice to reduce exotherm and prevent melting the foam. 

5. Polyester Board: Pour about 1/3 oz of mixed resin into the holes. 

    EPS Board: Pour about 1/2 oz mixed resin into the holes.

6. Place the plugs in the holes with the dummy jig or fins to ensure proper alignment. Set the fin cant to the desired angle and hold in place with tape. Here is an illustration of taping the fins in place (these are glass ons but same taping methods apply to FCS fin plugs)

7. Polyester Boards: Using a small cup (dixie cups work great) carefully pour resin around the perimeter of the plug so it runs into the drilled hole. Be careful not to over fill! Fill just under the lip of the plug and jig. 

   EPS Boards: In temps above 80 degrees F, let the first pour cure for about 2 hours then mix another 1/2 oz Quik Kick resin per plug an top off.


Once the resin cures remove the jigs and sand the plugs down until they are flush with the board.  


__________________________________________________________________________________

Three other fin box options that are installed before fiberglassing your board are:

We also have FCS Fusion fin plugs which require a Fusion Install kit and trim router.

Another option is the new FCS II fin system which require a FCS II Install kit and trim router.

or

Futures Fin system which requires a Futures intstall kit with router

Good to hear from you! The Surfermag kits include 2# density blank and 4 oz cloth.

We can substitute 6 oz cloth in the kit for an additional fee

Let me know if that's cool and we'll email you a special payment link. Please indicate what size blank you want and fin system.

Our Surfboard Shaping Starter Kit includes all the materials, tools, and instruction needed to build a surfboard. Only thing needed to purchase is a leash from a surf shop when complete. 

Also your daughter will need to build shaping racks from wood and fiberglassing racks from wood, buckets and a bag of cement or sand. The total cost for those materials from Home Depot is about $30

The logo rice paper can be printed on with an inkjet printer, or drawn on with posca pens, acrylic paint, or india inks. Do not use sharpie markers as they will bleed when wet out with resin. 

It is best to put the logo paper directly on the foam on the bottom of the board, and in between the two layers of fiberglass on the deck to protect it from sanding. You can also put it on top of a cured lamination and put a small piece of fiberglass over it. We use 1.5 oz fiberglass for this. It is common for board builders to laminate the board with a dark color pigment then put the logos on top of it with the 1.5 oz fiberglass cloth protecting the logos.

We have a shaping tool kit package with a few more useful tools than the bare necessities but to shape and glass the board with epoxy resin the minimal tools needed are as follows:

Handsaw

Shaping Rasp or G-rasp

Wood block or shaping block

Tiger Shark Sand Paper

Trim plane for stringer

Sandshark Rail Sanding Screen

Squeegee

Mixing Buckets

Scissors

4" Hotcoat Brush (2X)

Masking Tape

Holesaw for fin plug and leash plug install (if using FCS X-2 plugs or Factory Fin Plugs)

Consistent High Quality

Greenlight has teamed up with a major plastics manufacturer to design the optimal bead and compression process for EPS surfboards to improve surfboard strength, flex, practical weight, and shapability. We've even engineered the rocker and foils in our blank selection to yield any board you can imagine with the least amount of effort by hand or machine.

Our engineered EPS Blanks can also be customized to any thickness for a super close tolerance blank that requires very little shaping without the expense of paying for a machine shape. 

Greenlight's Engineered EPS Blanks Advantages:

• Reduced Bead Tear out
  
• when Shaping by Hand
  
• or Machine
  
• 
  
• Low Resin Absorption
  
• 
  
• Calculated Rocker and Foil Designs
  
• 
  
• Completely Customizable
  
• 
  
• Quick Turn Around Time
  

Surfboard are made from (and we sell) two types of foam blanks.

1. EPS Blanks - EPS stands for Expanded Polystyrene. EPS foam is lighter and stronger than Polyurethane foam blanks. It consists of small beads of polystyrene expanded with steam and fused together under high pressures. Greenlight's EPS blanks are engineered with a special bead formula for the optimal strength, flex, and shape-ability of the blank. There is a growing demand for EPS surfboards in the world due to its superior strength to weight ratio. 

The EPS blanks are rectangular in shape supplied with a rocker and foil. You can create any outline shape you want with EPS blanks.

Greenlight is a huge proponent of EPS surfboards and has been developing, manufacturing and selling EPS blanks for over 10 years. 

NOTE: EPS foam must be glassed with EPOXY resin! Polyester resin will melt the foam!

2. PU Blanks - PU stands for Polyurethane. It has been the standard surfboard core for over 50 years. PU blanks can be glassed with either polyester resin or epoxy resin (epoxy becoming more popular due to its superior strength). PU blanks are molded in the general shape a surfboard to reduce the amount of excess foam. Your surfboard shape outline still must be drawn on the blank and cut out.

We manufacture all EPS blanks here at the shop and can cut up to 12' long. Please email info@greenlightsurfsupply.com with your blank dimensions and stringer option and we'll give you a quote. 

Typically a custom EPS shortboard blank will cost about $70

We can also take a AKU Shaper, Shape3D file or .dxf file you design and cut directly from that.

Sure, we'll split your EPS blank no problem. Just put a note in the order to split the blank.

You could use another longboard blank and 'flip" it so the nose rocker would be used for the tail (as long as your outline template fits in the nose area [which would be the tail of the blank when you flip it]) Some guys flip the US Blanks 98Y for nose rider designs.

Or we can custom order you a blank to whatever rocker you want. No problem.

US Blanks and Common Surf Foam are PU blanks (polyurethane foam)

It has been the standard surfboard core for over 50 years. PU blanks can be glassed with either polyester resin or epoxy resin (epoxy becoming more popular due to its superior strength).

EPS stands for Expanded Polystyrene. EPS foam is lighter and stronger than Polyurethane foam blanks. It consists of small beads of polystyrene expanded with steam and fused together under high pressures. Greenlight's EPS blanks are engineered with a special bead formula for the optimal strength, flex, and shape-ability of the blank. There is a growing demand for EPS surfboards in the world due to its superior strength to weight ratio. 

Greenlight is a huge proponent of EPS surfboards and has been developing, manufacturing and selling EPS blanks for over 10 years. 

NOTE: EPS foam must be glassed with EPOXY resin! Polyester resin will melt the foam!

Here's a link to the blank glue up instructional video: https://youtu.be/vcbdzGcQgnU

The video can also be found on each EPS blank product page

Yes we have foam cutting files for various skimboard sizes. We can provide you an EPS foam blank any length in 2# density. Please contact us for a quote.

Yes, we have wakesurf board blanks and complete wakesurf board building kits available.

Please click here for our WakeSurf Board Building Section

Don’t believe all the hype, EPS is great to shape. A good deal of our customers prefer to shape their boards with it. We all use just a regular planer and do not switch out the blades.   We would recommend our Pro Tool series as they were designed to take down foam fast and efficiently, especially EPS beads.

We use AKU Shaper .brd files, Shape3D .3dx files, or Autocad .dxf files. But you can send a pdf and we can trace it. Or just rocker numbers and we'll create the file for you. No problem.

Cost depends on length, foam density, and stringer material. Send a file over and we can quote it.

Venting an EPS board is like an "insurance policy" to prevent delamination. EPS boards contain very small air pockets between the foam beads which expand and contract with changing temperatures. If a board is dinged while surfing and water gets in, additional heat (leaving your board on the beach or in a hot car) will cause the water to change phase in to steam and exert pressure on the fiberglass skin - pushing the glass away from the foam (delamination).

It's up you to if you want to install a vented leash plug in your EPS board but we developed the VXVs because so many personal boards were having issues when not vented. Since installing VXVs in boards there has not been a single delam due to water expansion in a board in years. 

*It is highly recommended to install vented leash plugs in stand up paddle boards due to the large volume of foam that will expand and contract more in varying temperatures. All the major SUP manufacturers vent their boards with either a vented leash plug or a deck vent. 

It is popular to "Flip" a stock blank to increase the tail rocker and lessen the nose rocker. This is also called Reverse Rocker.

 A lot of guys just template the board with the at the tail of the blank if the outline fits.

We can easily build you a reverse rocker blank in any size if your outline templates don't fit on a stock blank that is flipped.

EPS blanks do not need to be sealed but sealing helps to use less resin and also provides a bright white uniform surface if you are doing color or artwork on the board. 

You can simply squeegee lightweight spackle on the board (mixed with bottled water to a mayonaise consistency) in a thin later to fill the small holes between the beads, or mix up a paste of epoxy and Q-cell and squeegee that on (makes a stronger board). 

There is also the option of finish sanding the board to 320 grit sanding screen to close up the cavities between the foam beads.

The glue up simply holds the blank together so you can shape it. An uneven glue up will just be a little more shaping to level everything out. Glassing the board provides all the strength and the glue is not really a factor in the board.

If you have space between the foam and stringer you can squeeze more glue in. It will expand to fill the gap and is shapeable.

Our Engineered EPS foam does not require sealing. We recommend screening your final shape with 150 grit sanding screen to tighen up the bead structure for less resin absorption into the foam.

Sealing with lightweight spackle is highly recommended when glassing resin tint laminations or if you are painting the blank to give the blank a flatter surface for uniform color (no darker pools of resin)

The answer to your question is covered in detail on the first page of our Surfboard Building Guide. Please read through the guide to understand the entire process and you'll be confident in starting to shape your own boards.

Our new foam is a consistent density throughout the blank and designed with a special mix of EPS beads that have high energy bond strength that reduces tear out and resin absorption. We could call it super duper fused but it's just marketing words. I've shaped "superfused" blanks that chunks of the rail blew off with one pass of the surform...

The blank rocker and foils are also special since we took a lot of time studying current modern rockers and designed the series of blanks to easily fit just about any board possible.

You can use epoxy resin but we recommend using Expanding Stringer Glue as it cures fast and is easy to sand.

Tear out is nothing to "worry" about. It is part of the process of shaping EPS. Our foam is the tightest bead bond in the industry but you will still get some beads that pull out. The idea of shaping EPS to to rip into it with the most aggressive tools to remove the foam them go over it with finer grits of sandpaper or sanding screen to close the small bead voids up. 

If you are painting or doing a resin tint it is advised to apply a thin coat of lightweight spackle on the board to make it a clean, bright white surface to have even color. 

A clear glass job or opaque pigmented resin lamination does not require spackling.

No big deal. If you have more Stringer Glue left just squeeze it in the void and it will expand. It's foam too and easily shapeable. If it looks weird you can put a logo over the area, paint the board, or do a pigmented lamination to cover it.

You can design a file from free design programs like AKU Shaper or Shape3D software and upload it when you order a custom cut close tolerance EPS surfboard blank. 

When the glue is fully cured you'll be able to peel it off your skin. Maybe rub some sandpaper or file on it to break it up. We're peeling glue off body parts all the time here

Your stringer choice really depends on performance and style. 1/8" basswood stringers have been standard for decades and work really well. Our new HD foam stringers give the board more "pop" out of turns and are just as strong as the 1/8" basswood. The HD foam stringers also give you a choice of color and can be shaped with the same tools as used on the foam. No wood tools needed.

In the end, the snap resistance of a board really depends on the amount of fiberglass you put on the board. An all 4 oz glass board is much more susceptibe to breaking than a board with a mix of 6 oz and 4 oz glass or an all 6 oz glassed board (longboards or old school fish).

The gap is no issue for strength of the board, the fiberglass shell is 90% of the strength after glassed. To make it look good you can squirt more glue into the gap and let it expand. If you have clamps then use them to pull the foam to the stringer and it will be 100% glued correctly. 

If you're doing a clear, white board or pigmented lamination no need to fine sand. You can leave it at around 80 grit and glass. It will use a bit more resin as the small voids in the foam will fill with resin before the glass is saturated. 

If painting or tinting the resin you can either spackle or fine sand up to 150 screen to close the voids in the foam. Spacking is easier...

The template letters next to the length are just to identify different templates of the same length. 

The best noserider template we offer in my opinion is the 9'6W as it is designed with a wider nose and square tail for nose riding. The other templates are more high performance or cruiser designs.

Sorry we don't make custom templates. Please refer to our Surfboard Shaping Guide for different methods of making your own templates.

The stock templates we have are all HERE on the site. They are starting points for your shape. You can make a single fin from any of them or modify the template to what you feel looks right.

The 12'6" SUP outline template has parallel rails through the middle of the board so you can take out sections of the middle to reduce the length without changing the overall shape. No need to specify the length you want when ordering.

To make the board wider you simply move the template away from the stringer and draw curves on the blank to extend the outline to the stringer. You can do it free hand, make your own paper template for the extensions, or bend a flexible piece of wood, plastic, or metal to get your extension curve.

Sorry we do not supply rocker templates. There are no standard dimensions for a surfboard rocker (along the stringer) since it all depends on the waves you surf and how you want the board to perform. 

Stock surfboard blanks have proven rockers that are a great starting point and maybe a little adjustment is needed while shaping to get the desired rocker you want to surf.

Extensive info on ROCKER can be found in our Surfboard Design Guide

There is no physical railband template but we provide the rail band dimensions to lay out on your board. The dimensions depend on thickness of the board and out chart is made for a 2 1/2" thick board. A little math is needed to calculate railband dims for other thicknesses. 

The railband numbers can be found in our Surfboard Building Guide, here they are as well. 

Railband Reference drawing for a fish

When using templates it's always a good idea to measure out the width you want the board to be and pencil in a dot at the widest point on each side of the stringer. Then line up the template to that dot and parallel to the stringer. Then trace the line and connect the nose and tail lines if needed. 

Templates are all about the curves that work well in the water and not so much about numbers.

We designed the templates to be any width you want by moving it closer to the stringer for a narrower board or further for a wider board. We believe you should have control over the design and dimension of your board and not be locked into a board that is designed for someone else. 

The "fred tool" part of the rail runner is for the bottom tuck only. The bottom tuck is normally anywhere from a 3/8" - 3/4" radius (depending on your preference) and the rail bands are cut in the the rail runner. 

The deck rail bands are much bigger and not a "radius" but an arc or curve. The rail bands are created with a power planer or G-rasp tool and the sharp corners of the rail bands are cut down by rail screen (you should be using a more aggressive screen like the sand shark screen to shape the rails down... they'll come out round and less angular or boxy)

Think of the rail bands as facets of a diamond. Flat surfaces intersecting at points. There is a curve hiding in there that is exposed when the corners are screened off.

More info and dimensions for rail band shaping in our Surfboard Building Guide

Yes I definitely recommend a spokeshave for fine tuning the stringer and not tearing the foam. But, tear-outs are a common occurance with EPS foam and there is no way around it. There are 2 ways to remedy tear-outs

1. after shaping spread a thin layer of lightweight spackle over the blank to fill in the holes - or you can use an epoxy / Q-cell slurry which gives the board more strength but increases weight a bit.

or

2. Use various sanding screens and foam shaping pad to close up the tear outs. Each progressive sanding screen grit will shave the EPS bead down and not tear. We use up to 320 grit to close them all up... 

Please note the quality of the foam has a lot to do with it... make sure the blank in at least 2# density. Also, sharp tools and shaping a little slower help reduce tearouts.

I have used Micro-planes before and in my option they do not take enough foam away. Takes forever to get the shape you want.

We developed PRO-TOOLS to aggressively and efficiently shape EPS foam. They do cause a little tearing which is normal but finishing the shape with spackle or sanding screen makes the board look like a polyurethane blank..

You can find all the Design Guides here: http://greenlightsurfsupply.com/pages/surfboard-design-guide

Our surfboard shaping power planer is a great value for a power tool but you can use any planer to skin and shape a blank. Whatever you can find for the lowest cost as long as it has 2 blades. 1 blade will tear the heck out the the foam.

I use a 6" Sawzall blade in my jigsaw to cut the outlines then a railrunner to square it up, or a hard block with sandpaper. (We have plastic Rail Runners for less cost as well)

T12 lights are fine for a shaping room, they put out a bit more light than T8 bulbs. Doesn't really matter, we're looking at shadows on a blank and not necessarily the light.... Position them about 2" above the top of a blank on your shaping racks.

The only feedback we've gotten has been very positive except one guy wore out the grit by trying to shape a stringer which is advised not to do on the site. 

The power planer is great for both EPS blanks and PU foam (I've shaped many with this planer) but does not have the on-the-fly depth adjustment of the modified Hitachi. 

The adjustment is nice but not necessary to shape a board. With a non-adjusting planer, I usually keep it cutting full depth for the major foam removal and finish the delicate parts in the nose and tail by hand.  

Sorry, we don't sell rail band templates. It's almost impossible to have standard rail band templates due to various thicknesses in everyone's foils and length of board. You can make rail band templates to copy boards but not a one-off shape.

Railbands must be shaped according to the board's foil, thickness, and flow as well as the surfer's preference in rail shape. 

Laying out railbands is pretty simple. Here are examples of Boxy and Knifey rail bands. Use the chart below to lay out the rail bands you want.

It is best to reshape a SAWZALL blade to fit your jigsaw. Takes a little elbow grease and a file or grinder if you have one. It helps to bend an kink in the tab to help the blade stay in the jigsaw.

Get a 6" one that is wide like this to help keep the cut straight. Any brand will do...

The foil (thickess) of a board is all dependent on the midpoint thickness and volume of foam you need to float. 

Most blanks have the foil already shaped in and not much additional tweaking is needed, unless you choose a blank that is not right for the shape.

If you're making a 3" thick board at the middle, the thickness at 12" from the nose and tail will be somewhere in the 1 1/2" to 2" thick range. 

There is not right or wrong numbers. It all works. 

Here is a reference drawing for the how the rail band dimensions change along the foil of the board that may help you see the proportions of thickness.

You can measure the thickness of your current surfboards as a guide too.

It's simple to shape channels though. Just use a hard block with sandpaper wrapped around it and shape the channels by putting pressure on the corner of the block.

The outline cut is the most crucial aspect to the way your board looks and any dips or wobbles in the outline will show up in the rail and you can't get it out at that point.

For a flawless outline we make a tool called the Rail Runner that does the work for you. It also shapes the bottom tuck of the rail which is one of the most critical aspects of a board since it determines how much "grip" into the wave the board will have so it's best to undershape it to start and screen it to the radius you want. As soon as you cut that tuck railband a little too much the foam is gone and you're intended rail shape is altered. 

First, the trim plane is not the best tool for finish passes on the stringer to make it flush with the foam. You want to use a spokeshave for that.

When using the trim plane drag it along the stringer on a 45 degree angle to help keep it flat and not rock sideways which can gauge the foam. Also go along the grain of the wood. You'll know when you're going against the grain because the trim plane will dig in deep an get stuck.

You can also file a radius on the edges of the trim plane blade to keep them from hitting the foam.

This is covered in our Surfboard Building Guide. The calculations based on your board's thickness in the midpoint, nose, and tail... the goal is to keep the railbands smooth and flowing so don't get caught up in the numbers too much.

Here is an illustration on railbands but here it is for reference

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0689/1441/files/Surfboard-rail-band-dimensions-boxy-full-fish-egg-rail-shape_2a15f067-9b86-42cf-b8c0-6ab288a8ad20.pdf?16216708058669744041

Here are suggested rail band dimensions. 

The railbands will taper in the nose and tail areas up to a 1/2" difference from the midpoint dims. It's all relative to the foil of the board. If you are unsure what the railbands will look like simply mark the railband dimensions at the midpoint, 12" from the nose and 12" from the tail and connect the dots with a pencil. Follow the flow of the foil with the line. If the line looks good and matches the flow of the foil then go cut it. If it doesn't look good make a new line until you find what looks right to you. 

The only difference between the PVC and steel tools is that the steel are heavier and require less "elbow grease" to shape foam as well as come with a lifetime warranty. They both give the same results on the foam.

Normally guys use a power planer to mow down the foam to the thickness you want. 

By hand, the trick is to shape the stringer down first with a trim plane, then level the foam to the stringer with a G-rasp or shaping rasp.

If you have all the tools you'll just need a blank, resin, fiberglass, finboxes, and a leash plug to build a board.

We offer surfboard building kits in traditional materials or newer epoxy materials.

You might also want to consider getting just a blank, a beginner glassing kit, and fin boxes of your choice.

We screen EPS with 100 / 150 / 220 / then 320 grit for a super smooth, spackle-free surface. Each screen grit cuts the beads until all the small voids between beads are gone. We use a foam sanding pad with the screen to even out contours.  It's more work than spackling but leaves a very nice and clean foam surface.

There are power planers out there specifically designed for surfboard shaping with on-the-fly adjustments for tapering foam(a huge help for shaping rocker, foil, and rails), special dust chutes and handles but any planer will do the job. Just make sure it's got 2 blades so it doesn't tear the foam. 

While there are no concrete numbers to sufboards it's a good idea when you start to keep more foam in the board that you can fine tune in the end before glassing. 

Aim for a 1/2" thick nose tip and a 5/8" tail tip thickness. Then foil your board for a nice flowing line from the nose to tail. Don't get caught up in the numbers too much. Water doesn't know numbers...

Here's more info on Foil from our Design Guide:

SURFBOARD FOIL

The change in thickness you notice when you view aboard from the side is referred to as foil. This thickness flow in most modern boards is smooth and even, without noticeable lumps or transitions. Foil determines to a great degree the overall volume of the board, how it flexes, the degree to which it can be flexed before it snaps, and whether the board is designed for long drivey turns or quick snaps. In general, thinner boards (2 3/8 inches thick or less at the thickest point) will be more flexy, harder to paddle, and less drivey… but more responsive. These boards are most suited for better surf, smaller or more advanced surfers, and strong paddlers. Thicker boards (2 1/2+ inches thick or more at the thickest point) will be less likely to snap but stiffer in terms of flex, will be easier to paddle due to increased buoyancy, and be more drivey. They will be more difficult to control in bigger surf, but work better in weak, small or slow waves because the added volume will allow them to catch waves easier and give the rider something to “push off of” when putting the board on a rail. A thinner board would have a tendency to sink under these conditions. Obviously, heavier and more powerful surfers require boards with more volume for flotation and to resist being pushed too deeply into the water and stalling on a hard turn.
While a trained eye can get a good feel for what the overall thickness flow is doing, and what it is intended for, by viewing from the side, the best way to quantify foil is by taking measurements along the length of the board using calipers. Measurements are most often taken at 12 inches from the nose and tail, 24 inches from the nose and tail, and at the wide point. Typically, boards are 1/8 to 1/4 inch thicker 12 inches from the tail than from the nose, and 1/16 to 1/8 inch thicker 24 inches from the tail than from the nose. The thickest point is typically found at the wide point. Boards designed for drive over responsiveness have their wide points and thick points ahead of center. Retro boards, single fins, classic longboards, and guns are good examples. These boards paddle better because the concentration of foam volume is under the chest when lying prone, and the center of the buoyant force is closer to the front foot when riding. Modern performance shortboards, however, have their wide and thick points behind center, which makes them inherently more difficult to paddle, but have a tighter turning radius. Rather than having the bulk of volume under the chest and front foot, the thick point back puts the concentration of foam between the surfers feet, better facilitating back-footed, rail-to-rail surfing.

It's a good idea to get the stringer flush with the foam so the fiberglass lays flat across the stringer. If it is not flat there will be a gap and there's a good chance the glass will crack there letting water into the board. 

Also, a smooth, clean shape is easier to sand. Wavey rails, high and low spots on the deck and bottom will cause a lot more work sanding.

Take your time to get the shape as nice a possible (without overshaping) and you'll find the glassing and sanding process will go pretty smoothly.

The board is foiled from nose to tail so the thickness of the rail is different at 12" from the nose than the midpoint of the board. The rail band chart shows dims for the center of a 2 1/2" thick board. You can measure the thickness of your nose and tail at 12" marks and do a little math to determine the rail marks based on your midpoint rail bands. 

After a few boards you can just eye it up though. The most important thing is to keep the rail shape flowing along with the rocker and foil.

Flattening the bottom and deck can be done by hand with two tools: a stringer trim plane and Greenlight Rasputin Tool

Squeeze some Gorilla glue into the gap. It will expand and fill it then you can sand down any excess and glass the board.

Let me preface this reply with the fact that water doesn't know numbers, it's the flow of shape that matters. Numbers are only a guideline to shaping what looks good to our eyes and feels good to our hands. 

That being said the railband dimensions change at 12" from the nose and 12" from the tail due to the tapering foil of the blank's profile and the narrower nose and tail widths than the midpoint. 

Most importantly you want to copy the bottom rocker onto the side rail and make that taper slightly in the nose and tail areas. The deck rail bands will affect overall volume of the board and shape of the top rail. 

You can do math to calculate the rail mark dimensions at the nose and tail based the change in thickness compared to the midpoint.  For example, a 2 1/2" thick midpoint rail mark of 1 5/8" [1.63 / 2.5 = ~60% for a 60/40 rail] will reduce down to 1" if the foil thickness is 1 5/8" @ 12" from the nose (~60%)

You can put your rail marks on the board and trace them out (making a tool for that is fine but I use my hand and drag my pinkie along the edge or bottom to trace the outline or rocker and adjust the curve while walking to hit the rail mark dots - or come close. 

Then take a look and if you don't like it, make adjustments. It'll all shape off when tools hit the foam.

The apex is between the rail mark and top of tuck and will appear when screening the rail bands to round them off.

Always use the midpoint of the length of your board for the railband measurement, not the widepoint. Although the widepoint being only 4" away will not really affect the railband dimension as the board's thickness should be pretty much the same in that area.

We recommend the most aggressive grit you can get your hands on to shape the foam quicky. We have Tigershark sandpaper which is 36 grit and also our Greenlight shaping rasps are 16 grit and are the most efficient way to shape next to using a power planer. 

You can find the rail band designs in the shaping section of our Surfboard Building Guide.

No, you absolutely do not need an electric power planer. We recommend shaping your first few boards by hand with the tools included in the kit to understand what you're doing and have control over how much foam is removed. As soon as you put a power tool between you and the foam there's no telling what mistakes will happen as you're trying to get the hang of both the proper sculpting of foam as well as how to use the planer correctly on foam. Once you shape a board or two by hand and understand the process and how the shape comes along then you can use a planer to take some of the elbow grease out of it...

We do offer customization of your blank to take away most of the useless power planing to thickness. If you'd like we can provide your blank 1/4" thicker than your final shape thickness so you only have to scrub a total of 1/4" of foam (1/8" from deck and bottom) which is pretty quick with out rasps provided in the kit. If you want a custom blank thickness just put a note in the "custom blank specifications" section of the cart and we'll cut it the that thickness. No problem. 

No, you absolutely do not need an electric power planer. We recommend shaping your first few boards by hand with the tools included in the kit to understand what you're doing and have control over how much foam is removed. As soon as you put a power tool between you and the foam there's no telling what mistakes will happen as you're trying to get the hang of both the proper sculpting of foam as well as how to use the planer correctly on foam. Once you shape a board or two by hand and understand the process and how the shape comes along then you can use a planer to take some of the elbow grease out of it...

We do offer customization of your blank to take away most of the useless power planing to thickness. If you'd like we can provide your blank 1/4" thicker than your final shape thickness so you only have to scrub a total of 1/4" of foam (1/8" from deck and bottom) which is pretty quick with out rasps provided in the kit. If you want a custom blank thickness just put a note in the "custom blank specifications" section of the cart and we'll cut it the that thickness. No problem. 

All fin boxes are ordered as a single box... so you'll order (2) 9 degree, (2) 5 degree, (2) 3 degree, and (1) 0 degree [center box]

It is always best to measure the fin placement from the rail since the fin works with the rail and not the center of the board. 

Please take a look at our fin position layout diagram from tri fins, quads, single fins and 2+1 setups.

Here is our resin usage chart: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0689/1441/files/Resin_Amounts_Per_Board_Length_Chart.pdf?14703194591624972901

1/2 oz of epoxy per box (1.5 oz total for  3 FCS II)... no addF or cabosil needed for fin box installs.

Yep. routing's scary until you get used to it. Just go slow and stay strong on the router next time...

You can install the box and fill the hole with extra resin, put some of that foam dust on the floor in the hole (after installing the box). It'll take up some space and require less resin.. 

If you want to cover the mistake you can paint the foam a dark color in the fin area before laminating.

Futures finboxes are the hardest to install and do require the router jig to get it right. We recommend FCS X-2 Plugs to start. All that is required is a holesaw bit and a drill to install them. We also have jigs to make sure the plug spacing is correct.

You can still sand the plugs down and glass over them. It's more difficult but certainly can be done. 

I recommend glassing a small later of glass over the holes first and re-drilling or cutting the fiberglass with a razor blade. This will protect the foam when sanding the plugs flat.

Put a piece a masking tape over the slot and screw holes before laminating. 

After the hotcoat has cured you'll have to cut through the resin and remove the tape.

You are correct the center tab gets removed to get the fin in place. Usually we pop them out during the sanding process with a pair of needle nose pliers. 

For EPS Blanks, we recommend setting X-2 plugs with 2 separate resin pours so the resin doesn't exotherm and melt the EPS foam. 

Fill the drilled X-2 hole about 1/4 to 1/3rd of the depth with resin (just a little) and set the plugs in. Then when that's cured fill the rest of the hole with another batch of resin.

26 layers of 6 ounce in a hand layup works well for FCS and futures boxes, which are 0.25 inches wide on the flange.

36 layers of 6 ounce for the normal single fin center boxes, which have a 0.375 inch width.

It's best to orient your fin template so the fiberglass yarns run from the base to the tip on an angle for the best flex. Having them run straight parallel and perpendicular to the base makes for a floppy fin. So make your fin panel big enough. 

 I think you'll need somewhere around 60 oz of resin to make a 36 layer panel...

If any water gets in the board, EPS foam has air pockets inside that heat up into steam and push on the glass, delaminating it. The vents prevent that.

PU has no air and no steam but delaminates from the foam crushing and breaking away from the glass.

EPS / epoxy construction is 5X stronger than PU with the same glass schedule.

No maintenance needed. It's good practice to occasionally dump some fresh water in the plug because hypothetically tiny salt pieces can accumulate and clog the vent. But highly unlikely.

Here's the centerfin position info: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0689/1441/files/Surfboard-fin-position-layout-guide-tri-quad-2-plus-1-longboard_b6079546-0668-4c56-8368-77739d9c0904.pdf?16216708058669744041

You can put masking tape over the FCS plugs when glassing and cut the slots out with a razor blade when the resin is cured. You can also fill the plug slots and screw hole with plummer's putty to make sure no resin gets in there when glassing.

Straight resin on the plug and routed hole. We pour a the routed hole about 1/4 the depth and brush resin up the sides of the walls.

Then take the rest of the resin from the bottom of the routed hole and paint the bottom and sides of the fusion plug before setting it it. 

Squeegee around any excess resin to prevent bumps in your lamination.

No, futures designed the new install kit to only work with theMakita RT0701C router

FCS X-2 plugs were the first system, then came FCS Fusion, then FCS II click in system.

Normal 2-tab fins work with the X-2 plugs and Fusion

In summertime heat (80 degrees ) the epoxy resin will tend to exotherm in deep holes as in FCS X-2 plug holes and ding repairs. FCS fusion, FCS II, and Futures are a tight fit and use very little resin so no worries there.

We recommend pouring only about a 1/2 ounce of epoxy into a hole at a time then waiting about an hour to fill up the rest of the hole. This will stop the epoxy from exotherming and melting EPS. 

I am about to begin glassing my board but I’m confused about the fin boxes and i was hoping you guys could help me out. I have the future fin boxes installed in the foam and i understand i have to put resin in the hole i routed out and set the fin boxes. i know before i put on the fiber glass I’m supposed to tape off the opening of the fin box and then begin laminating, but how am i going access the fin box after the hot coat, do i sand the hot coat down until the tapes gets sanded off with it?

Yes, the tape gets sanded off and opens the fin slot. You can see the futures boxes have a raised tab that creates a bump in the lamination. When sanded flush with the board it opens right up.

We prefer to install 10.5" centerfin boxes because it gives you an extra 2" to move the fin around, Start with the fin in the middle of the box for your first few surfs then move it back for more drive or forward for more turning depending on how you want to surf the board. Or maybe just keep it in the middle if you're having fun!

The centerfin box is installed after the hotcoat, before sanding the board. The lip of the box will be sanded down flush with the bottom of the board during the sanding process. We recommend "grinding" the fin box plastic with 60 or 80 grit and a hard or medium flexpad. 

Grinding is a bit different than sanding whereas you tilt the sanding pad up a little bit to use just the edge of pad to focus the force right where you need it (on the box plastic). Sanding is done by keeping the pad flat on the board and removing a broader area of hotcoat. 

Grind the finbox plastic down for a few seconds and let it cool for a few seconds as too much friction will actually melt the plastic and the heat can possibly transfer into the foam and weaken the area around the box. So it's best to cycle the grinding a few seconds on, a few seconds off.

Grind the box down as close as you're comfortable with without hitting the hotcoat. Then proceeed to sand the entire board with the flexpad flat and as you pass over the finbox it will sand evenly with the hotcoat.

Football patches are fiberglass patches shaped like footballs which are used for strengthening pre-glass fin systems, such as FCS Fusion, FCS II, and futures.

They are laminated over the fin boxes at the same time you laminate the bottom of the board. The football patches go on first, then roll your bottom fiberglass over them.

Use 4 oz. scrap fiberglass (you can use 6 oz as well) Cut it out about 1" bigger on all sides than your fin box shape into an oval (or football shape) and lay over the fin box. MAKE SURE YOUR FIN BOXES AND SCREWS ARE TAPED OVER FIRST!!!

NOTE: if you are doing an opaque pigment bottom lamination, it is best to route and install the fin boxes after the lamination so you can see them. Then the clear fiberglass football patches go over the fin boxes and bond to the lamination - giving the fin boxes more strength. 

You do not need to use Cab-O-sil but the resin might drain into the foam and require an additional top-off pour... 

There is no need for Cab-o-sil in FCS fusion, FCS II or futures fin box installs. Only suggested for FCS X-2 and Factory fin plugs as well as leash plugs.

For a plywood fin, either finbox compatible or glass-on use 2 layers of 6 oz fiberglass on each side of the plywood fin. Laminate them on an angle so the fiberglass strands run from the base (toward the leading edge) to the tip of the fin. You'll get a better flex pattern than having the fiberglass strands run parallel and perpendicular to the base. Use Resin Research Quik Kick. 

 To make futures fins I have simple propped up a piece of wood to the desired cant angle (a bit of trigonometry is required) and layed wax paper over it. Wet up 2 layers of glass on the mold, Lay in your wood fin, fill the base with fin roving the width of the wood as well as a piece of roving along the leading edge of the fin, then laminate 2 layers of cloth over that. Over-build everything to trim to shape when cured. Use a carbide jigsaw bit to cut out the fin and base, sand to size and file in the notches for the futures fin. 

Hotcoat and finish sand to fit into the fin box. You'll want the final base width to be 1/4".

Fin placement really depends on our average back foot placement when you pop up. You want the fins slightly behind your rear foot for a twin set.

Somewhere around 7" - 7.5" up from the tail is a good place to put the trailing edge of the twin fins. For keels you want them back another inch since they have longer bases so 6" - 6'5" up from the tail.

Twin fins are supposed to be loose so you'll want 5 degree cant and 3/16" toe-in. Keels are more of a down the line fin and need less toe-in and cant. 1/8" Toe-in and 2-3 degree cant is good for them.

Be advised using standard side fins from a thruster set for a twin will not work as well as real twin fins. There is more surface area on twin fins that hold you in the wave, a standard thruster side fin will be difficult to make waves on. 

Here is one way to install the centerfin box

Here's another way

And here's a third method to make the fin pocket applicable to wood or foam boards.

We have templates to make your own centerfin router jig at the bottom of THIS PAGE

The only difference between the new futures ILT (Interwoven Laminate Technology) and the futures 1st generation boxes are the holes in the flange that allow resin to flow through and provide more bond between glass and foam.

1. Fin placement should be relative to where your back foot is on the board... the side fins position should be right under your foot as a baseline. Do 10 pop ups on a tape measure or yard stick and measure the average distance your back foot lands from zero. This is your "neutral point'. If you want the board to be more drivey down the line position the fins back towards the tail a bit. If you want looser and more turning move them up a bit (this is a pivot point). But you can't go wrong with the typical 11"-12" up from the tail (seems to be where most feet land anyway).

2. Toe-in: More toe-in provides more turning but more drag. For front tri fin or quads a 1/4" toe in (measured by a Versa-Square or G-square) is optimal. Rear quad fins get 1/8" or 3/16" toe-in depending on if you want drive or more turning. Twins get 3/16" toe

3. Cant: Fin cant provides "lift". More cant is looser, less is drivey. This is a big decision when buying or setting the fin boxes. It all depends on how you want to surf and the wave shape you surf. 5 degree front fin cant is fast down the line while 8-9 degree front fin cant is looser and turns easier (pivot point).

Here is the fin position chart in the surfboard building guide, they are good numbers to use but don't be afraid to experiment!

The difference is the depth of the boxes and fin tabs. Side fins are 3/4" deep, center and rear quad fins are 1/2" deep.

Set the FCS II boxes in flat, the cant is built in but may have to be adjusted slightly to 5 degrees if there is a concave or Vee in the tail. It doesn't really matter though. 5 degree cant is just a standard number and your board will surf fine if it's not exactly 5 degrees. 

No need to use Cab-O-Sil when installing FCS II, FCS Fusion, or Futures fin boxes. They are a tight fit in the routed pocket and straight resin is all you need.

Rail plugs have 4 degree cant built in but you should set them to the cant you desire when installing. You can use our fin cant templates to help you set the degree. 

 Install the FCS X-2 or FACTORY plugs after the hotcoat then sand them down as you sand the hotcoat to 150 grit. Then put a piece of masking tape over the plug slots and screw holes so resin doesn't get in when glossing. You can pull the tape a few minutes after glossing using a razor blade or tweezers.

A two part pour is definitely the way to go. Just put a little resin in the bottom of the holes to set the plug and wait about an hour to fill the rest of the perimeter with resin. Use a dixie cup or something like that to drizzle the resin around the hole.

Bummer. Yep, you have to install them with the screws pointing forwards. The fins won't fit in that way.

I suggest razor blading the fiberglass around the boxes and sticking a fin in them. Then rock the fin back and forth to break the box free. You will pull foam out with it so you can either fill the routed holes with Q-cell and resin mix and re-route or stick some fiberglass scraps in the pocket when installing the boxes the correct way to take up the space. 

You'll have to sand the foam off the boxes or get new boxes.

Then cap with a layer of 4 oz cloth before hotcoating.

Air bubbles sometime happen. They are an absence of resin. The next time you laminate over fin boxes wait a few minutes and if you see any air bubbles use the extra resin left in your mixing bucket (or off the floor if you have none left) and dap more resin into the air bubble. It will force the air out and have a clean lamination over the fin box.

To fix these voids simply mix a small batch of resin and drip it into the holes. Fill them up then sand them down flush with the board again. 

There is no exotherm with Quick Kick and the small amount of resin used in a futures box install. It is the resin draining into the foam and acting as an anchor in the EPS making it stringer. I advise not using AddF when installing the fin boxes as that makes the resin thinner and allows it to drain more. 

We also paint the routed pocked and flange with resin as well as the outside surface of the box when installing. Then pour more resin over the flange to fill the ILT box slots and squeegee the excess resin off the flange and onto the foam.

We do not recommend installing fin boxes the same time as laminating the bottom. You can not set the cant of the fin with the dummy cant jigs in that case. It could make your fins misaligned. Better to let the fin boxes cure then tape them off and laminate the bottom.

The reason the left and right side fins are slightly offset from center is the fins are flat on the inside (not symmetrical) and the jig automatically offsets the fin placement to line the flat inside surface with your shaper's dots. 

Although that's just standard industry practice to offset the fins like that, no one will ever know if the board surfs better with the fins 1/8" over here or 1/8" over there... it really doesn't matter...

The jig is marked with a "right" and "left" side.

Looking at the bottom of the board, place the "right" side jig line on the dots on the right side of the board. Vicea-versa for the left side. 

Center fin is pf course on the center line.

More info can be found in the FCS II install guide.