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Lib Tech Waterboards

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kitesurfrabbi
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Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Postby kitesurfrabbi » Tue Aug 14, 2012 5:56 am

[quote]the owner of this company [/quote]
...is mervin, mervin is owned by quicksilver. so much for a small company ;-)

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Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Postby L0KI » Tue Aug 14, 2012 7:44 am

I was unaware of the details of exact ownership percentages, of the place Mike Olsen makes the products that they make. Doesn't change a thing.
The fact is that they were making snowboards that blew away Burton (an others) back when Burton was big and Libtech was not. They have made some very cool things over the years, I would guess these are better than average surfboards.

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Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Postby GregK » Tue Aug 14, 2012 7:46 am

If they are light and as ding-resistant as claimed but still flexible like a lightly-glassed PU/polyester surfboard, then they will be a revolutionary game-changer. Stiff sandwich boards with water-thirsty styro cores will be old-school.

I haven't kited with one yet, but looking to soon, next time I'm in Vancouver I'll be checking them out at a surf shop that's stocking them. Will post when I do get a chance to ride one ...
Last edited by GregK on Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Postby tautologies » Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:39 am

kitesurfrabbi wrote: ...is mervin, mervin is owned by quicksilver. so much for a small company ;-)
oh no, now JRad is going to be angry with you for not adressing his question. :lol: :lol:

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Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Postby Johnny Rotten » Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:12 pm

GregK wrote:If they are light and as ding-resistant as claimed but still flexible like a lightly-glassed PU/polyester surfboard, then they will be a revolutionary game-changer. Stiff sandwich boards with water-thirsty styro cores will be old-school.

I haven't kited with one yet, but looking to soon, next time I'm in Vancouver I'll be checking them out at a surf shop that's stocking them. Will post when I do get a chance to ride one ...

Looking at the materials readily available that would accomodate that honeycomb matrix the density seems rather high. (heavier than Dcell)

http://nida-core.com/english/nidaprod_nidfoam3d.php

Although compression toughness would be AMAZING the weight would be VERY high would like to pick one up before actually buying it.

Hopefully they managed to get them (or someone else) to make this in lower density foam. Or they made it themselves, Anyone connect a hotwire cutter to a chicken wire fence? :)

Well designed board nonetheless, Rubber rails and the filled honeycomb are some smart things done to address problems with existing surfboards . Realistically when designing a board, corecrush is usually the limiting factor making the board stiffer, heavier or just more fragile than you would otherwise like to design it. Don't understand why honeycomb isn't employed more in surfboards. EPS will absorb water anyway so why not just go honeycomb....I guess difficult to shape, and expensive etc. This appears to be an elegant solution that address this. I would be concerend that a resin honeycomb may be more brittle and heavier than some "proper" core materials.

Have to agree with Taut though a bunch of jargon trying to hide their secret sauce but so little actual information given about the board. Posting the weight would have taken me off the fence. as to whether it was awesome or a piece of wood.....That stated, I like my kiteboards a little heavy as it keeps them from fucking off when the wind get's heavy. So a LITTLE weight in our case would be a good thing.

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Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Postby POACHER » Tue Aug 14, 2012 4:00 pm

I have nothing productive to add to this thread other than I laugh when my Mom asks me occasionally if I'd had a chance to get out waterboarding.

"No Mom........I haven't interrogated any terrorists this week." :lol:

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Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Postby tautologies » Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:05 pm

Johnny Rotten wrote:
Looking at the materials readily available that would accomodate that honeycomb matrix the density seems rather high. (heavier than Dcell)

http://nida-core.com/english/nidaprod_nidfoam3d.php

Although compression toughness would be AMAZING the weight would be VERY high would like to pick one up before actually buying it.

Hopefully they managed to get them (or someone else) to make this in lower density foam. Or they made it themselves, Anyone connect a hotwire cutter to a chicken wire fence? :)

Well designed board nonetheless, Rubber rails and the filled honeycomb are some smart things done to address problems with existing surfboards . Realistically when designing a board, corecrush is usually the limiting factor making the board stiffer, heavier or just more fragile than you would otherwise like to design it. Don't understand why honeycomb isn't employed more in surfboards. EPS will absorb water anyway so why not just go honeycomb....I guess difficult to shape, and expensive etc. This appears to be an elegant solution that address this. I would be concerend that a resin honeycomb may be more brittle and heavier than some "proper" core materials.

Have to agree with Taut though a bunch of jargon trying to hide their secret sauce but so little actual information given about the board. Posting the weight would have taken me off the fence. as to whether it was awesome or a piece of wood.....That stated, I like my kiteboards a little heavy as it keeps them from fucking off when the wind get's heavy. So a LITTLE weight in our case would be a good thing.
NICE!!! So much information here! I mean so much of the boards qualities comes from the rail shape (often the big difference between cheaper brands and more expensive well designed boards). Do you think the rails on these board can be shaped properly?

I like the look of the boards for sure. :-)

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Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Postby L0KI » Wed Aug 15, 2012 12:11 am

Please watch the 28 minute video of Mike detailing past experience and present friends and contacts, as well as the rest of the stuff presented, then ask that question. If every kite company in the business thinks they can make decent directional, then I guess this guy's experience is probably more than sufficient to make surfboards.
I know they will never touch the awesomeness that is a Naish directional, but let's assume the guy has a clue. :thumb:

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Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Postby Johnny Rotten » Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:04 am

tautologies wrote:

NICE!!! So much information here! I mean so much of the boards qualities comes from the rail shape (often the big difference between cheaper brands and more expensive well designed boards). Do you think the rails on these board can be shaped properly?

I like the look of the boards for sure. :-)
Rail shaping no problem, Rail toughness, when the skeleton runs vertical requires some creativity (that they have solved with rubber) only challenge is to keep it from not weighing a ton with an internal resin skeleton. (resin is heavy) So I'd still like to feel the weight of a board before making any conclusions...If it's light(ish) it's pretty damn awesome.

As for watching the whole video....I really can only get 5 minutes at a time....after that point my brain shuts off and the only thing I can think is "say no to drugs"........fine line between genius and insanity...this guys walking it pretty close. Got far enough to realize they got a batch of foam made to their specs...so looks super promising. I'd put this build on my short list....beside an Aviso.

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Re: Lib Tech Waterboards

Postby L0KI » Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:31 am

Johnny Rotten wrote:As for watching the whole video....I really can only get 5 minutes at a time....after that point my brain shuts off and the only thing I can think is "say no to drugs"........fine line between genius and insanity...this guys walking it pretty close. Got far enough to realize they got a batch of foam made to their specs...so looks super promising. I'd put this build on my short list....beside an Aviso.
The guy remembers names and dates and who did what and when, in the various niches they touched, what blank seconds cost them 30 years ago, chemical compounds, materials and construction methods, surfboard history, wakeboard history with names and dates. He was a big part in some really innovative snowboard product developments that nobody else thought of, long before this new project, he is conscious and concerned about working with non toxic materials, and making non toxic products. He is currently working seven days a week and has a wife and at least one child and your thought about him is "say no to drugs" ?? Wow.


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