Sandwich style surfboards (those made from different materials stacked together) have been around since the 1940’s. They aren’t new in the world of surfboard design. Few people custom build them because of the time and effort required for each board but the end result is a very high performance surfboard that is extremely strong and light.

The strength of the board comes from the outer skin, allowing the foam core to be very lightweight. EPS foam is used for this reason. Rather than simply covering the core with a layer of fiberglass, sandwich boards usually have two layers of fiberglass on either side of a sheet material that covers the core. When fiberglass is put on either side of the sheet material a strong I- beam structure is created that absorbs tension and compression. This means you will probably never break a board like this and you will get far less dings.

Why wood?
Nine Lights uses wood, as the sheet material that covers the foam core because of it’s built- in structure. Wood is a natural composite material. It’s made up of cellulose fiber tubes glued together with lignin. It’s less prone to fatigue than most high- tech materials we have today and weight for weight it’s stiffer than steel.

Wood is still used today in the construction of racing sailboats and powerboats. Most sandwich boards built today use high-density sheet foam that is easier and cheaper to work with, but can give the board a chattery and dead feeling ride. Wood provides a springy flex and lively performance that doesn’t diminish over time. Nine Lights also uses laminated wood parabolic rails, which further enhance this lively feeling by allowing the board to load up and release energy, rather than resisting flex like a center stringer. The other nice thing about using wood is that it’s naturally beautiful too.