Pocket Foilboard DIY with minimum effort

[Tomlutz]

For travelling I needed a pocket board for foiling, and as I don't have time it had to be easy and quickly built. So why not taking an old TT, saw it, drill some holes, attach straps and put a deckpad on it - and that's it.

Well, it wasn't that easy. Because I wanted to have it as stiff as possible I took some carbon and epoxy for a stiffening. I made some mistakes, always in a hurry after work, so it became heavier as hoped: 2.5 kg instead of 2 kg. But still ok. Photos attached (straps are provisional - but worked quite well). Very ugly, but as I said I don't have time to make a good finish. 90 cm long. I tested it, and so far the board did its job surprisingly well. - Tom

[jumptheshark]

I bought a wooden skim for a couple hun and bolted straight through. Rode it for 2.5 years. Its got nothing on the beautiful carbon custom a buddy built that I ride now, but it worked, was cheap and took next to no effort.

[alpaia]

Hi looks stiff with the beams under, but why not a sandwich panel to get the stiffness ( could be even lighter maybe ? )

[merl]

Interesting idea. But don't most twintips have a kind of clear plastic coating of the kind that you can't stick stuff to?

[Tomlutz]

Hi looks stiff with the beams under, but why not a sandwich panel to get the stiffness ( could be even lighter maybe ? )

I don't know what you mean by sandwich panel. I thougth carbon is the best in terms of stiffness - weight ratio. But if there was something equally stiff, not more weight and could add bouyancy - that would be great! Glueing it on the bottom should not be an issue.

[alpaia]

Hi I meant sandwich as used in board construction, or planes or other applications :

-carbon layer
-high density pvc or pet foam ( like airex 70 to 100 kg / m3 ) - say 15mm to 20mm thick
-carbon layer

the high density foam core with the skins creates a beam effect,
the stiffness increases with the cube of the core thickness for a given skin carbon layup.

Overall it saves weight because a given stiffness can be achieved by spacing out two minimal layups of fiber,
rather than increasing the number of layers without any core spacing.
that saves weight because pvc foam density is substantially lower than the one of carbon+epoxy layup.

Just a thought for your next project maybe

It seams like you have achieved a very nice result anyway with your build with the stiffeners under congrats

I am not in in position to criticize board weight, I would need to loose 10kg myself first

[Tomlutz]

I just came back from my kitesurfing trip to Egypt - and the board fully delivered. I even like it more now than my other volume board.

The board fitted well in a SUP Boardbag with the maximal size allowed for normal check-in luggage without additional costs (lengh + width + depth = no more than 158 cm), together with my split- twintip, two foilkites (8 and 11m) and all the other gear. 22.6 kg. Cheers - Tom

[kiteman_hellyeah]

Nice quick build. Tom, what thickness was the board originally where you mounted the mast? I'm thinking of doing the same on either a LF 151 Proof cut in half, or my other cheap gear find, a Best Armada that I found online already made into a split.

[Tomlutz]

Nice quick build. Tom, what thickness was the board originally where you mounted the mast? I'm thinking of doing the same on either a LF 151 Proof cut in half, or my other cheap gear find, a Best Armada that I found online already made into a split.

appr. 1 cm I think, or a bit more, but not more than 1.5 cm, the usual thickness of a normal TT in the middle part. In the front part thickness is too poor, only 0.5 cm, and thus my stiffeners.

[airsail]

Or just buy a Naish Microchip, cheap as with resale too.