CompositesWorld

JUN 2017

CompositesWorld

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45 CompositesWorld.com Stand-up Paddleboard A bit of board background "Board shapes vary among the disciplines of surf, windsurf and stand-up paddleboard," explains Chotikapanich, "but basic shape details affect performance the same way across those sports." For example, boards for slow speeds, such as recre- ational SUPs, tend to be wider and thicker, delivering greater lift, stability and buoyancy; board edges or "rails" are sharp, also enhancing lift, but "release" the water, reducing drag. Competi- tive surfboards are narrower and thinner, with softer rails, yielding higher speed and more control to carve into the water. Boards with square tails offer more lift and thus more stability; "pin" tails have less surface area, and dig into the water for active tracking and control. Historically, the board OEMs for whom Cobra manufactures have conceived of a board for a customer segment, created a shaped master board model and sent the model to Cobra. "We scan the master to digitize the shape, and then use the master to Illustration / Karl Reque NSP Surfboards' Molokai Stand-up Paddleboard › Carbon fiber reinforcements surround foam core and wrap around board rails for added stiffness. › Expanded polystyrene (EPS) replaces polyure- thane core for significant weight reduction. › Bio-based epoxy system ensures sustainable production without sacrificing performance. create a mold, to produce the boards in serial production," says Chotikapanich. Although NSP was an exception, OEMs increasingly supply Cobra only with the CAD files for boards, from which Cobra builds the masters in-house. Board design software programs typically used include Delcam's (part of Autodesk, San Rafael, CA, US) PowerSHAPE CAD solution, and CATIA from Dassault Systèmes (Vélizy-Villacoublay, France). Cobra and some of its OEM customers also employ two surfboard-specific CAD software programs — Shape3D (Paris, France) and AKUShaper (Kailua, HI, US) — which produce designs based on specific inputs about riders (height, weight and ability). In the case of NSP's Molokai SUP, Chapman and Teurquetil developed an elongated, narrow board, 5.44m long and 62 cm wide, with a board volume of about 345 liters (one liter of board volume will float 1 kg of rider weight). Because the board was intended for long-distance ocean racing, a greater volume was "Unfinished blue" matte surface finish saves weight 62 cm wide Foot-operated steering system 5.44m long Front "rocker" Fin Rear "rocker" Sunken deck area PVC/carbon deck reinforcement

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