FAQ
Choosing the right TRIAD board for you…
SIZING: Below is a general scale for sizing a person to a board. Be sure to factor weight, age, and skill level into the decision making process. In general, the more weight/ more age/ less skill means you want to go for a slightly larger board
4’2” – 4’6” = 34”
4’6” to 4’9” = 36” – 38”
4’9” to 5’4” = 38” – 40.5”
5’3” to 5’7” = 40” – 41.5”
5’6” to 5’11” = 41” – 42.5”
5’9” to 6’2” = 42” – 43.5”
6’0” to 6’6” = 43” – 44”
6’4” to 6’8” + = 45”
CORE OPTIONS: POLYETHYLYENE , POLYPROPYLENE
Polyethylene, more commonly known as PE, is a mid-range core that has some memory, fair durability., medium weight, and tends to fair better in colder waters. It’s mid-tier price and overall good value make it a sensible choice for weekend warriors, people just starting out, or someone on a budget who wants a good board at this price tier.
Polypropylene, more commonly known as PP, is premium core that has good memory, good durability, and good weight characteristics for high performance riding. These cores fair well in both warm and cold waters as their flex characteristics can be adjusted more or less through stringers and various substates, bottom skins and construction processes. Please keep in mind that buying a polypro core model does not mean your board will last forever because it cost more and has stringers. Ultimately, a board should last about 3 – 6 months at peak performance and will breakdown there after if getting regular useage. That does not mean the board will not last 1 – 2 years or more or barely 1 – 2 weeks if you choose the wrong board and place it under certain expectations/ demands that are not consistent with its manfacturer’s intent. And even with the toughest board, if it is subject the to rigorous use or extreme conditions, such as big waves, shorebreaks and big aireals, it can break down quickly.
Stringer Options: Stringers help support the core of the board and typically equate to greater stiffness. Boards come as single, double and triple stringer. Experienced riders will usually have a preference in this regard. Stringers do not prevent deck creases or bottom creases. No company warranties against creases. They are a naturally occurring element with bodyboards. And just because a board has 3 stringers, it does not mean it is the best board. All bodyboards should have some level of flex and the highest level of performance for a board is when its flex characteristics are properly paired with someone’s body type and riding style.
Channels: Channels help the board hold an edge in the steep sections of the wave and at different times can help the board accelerate by forcing water out and off the bottom.
Bat tails and crescent tails: Bat Tails look like the shape of batman’s head. Crescent tails look like a crescent moon. Bat Tails generally offer a more maneuverable board for Prone Riding and can be slightly faster board through flat spots and on smaller waves as there is more foam in the tail of the board than with a crescent , thus providing more lift and flotation in this area. Crescent tails can be a little more comfortable as far as locking the rider’s hips into the boards. They can also allow for a little more control off the bottom for the less experienced rider and generally require less effort to control the board in the steep part of the wave. They can be a little slower in smaller surf and a little less maneuverable but this does not mean they will not do the same tricks. Crescent Tails are the preferred tail for versatile riding including stand up and drop knee. If you like to drop knee alot, you should consider a crescent tail. If you like to prone a lot, you may want to consider a bat tail. BUT, both tails will work for both types of riding, each will have various performance characteristics.
Deck materials: The general terminology to understand:
Sealed Air = “Old School Deck”, larger cells, slightly rougher feel. Cross Link = Tight Cell Deck, small cells, smoother. Sealed Air is a little less rashy but gets dirtier a little easier and does not look as clean as Cross Link. However, it has great performance and a lot of pros prefer to ride Sealed Air. One deck is not “better” than another. This is a personal preference. You will find both deck options in the Triad board range.
Hand Bulbs, Deck Inlays, Deck Contours/ Bottom Contours: These are all visible design features aimed at improving the comfort and performance of the product. Better cars make for better drivers and better boards make for better riders.
Putting in a leash plug: The location of you leash is a personal preference but there are few general things to consider. There is a spot on the board where the nose angle meets up with the thick of the board. This is typically the area where the stringers end. You should look to plug your leash just on the nose side of this meeting point. It will insure you don’t hit the stringers. Also, if you have a single stringer board, the stringer is centered so be aware of “cheating” the plug too far down the board as you could hit the stringer. Double stringer boards run parallel on the outsides so you can put the plus further down and have no risk of hitting the stringer if you plug in the center. Anyway moderately sharp and skinny object, like a Phillips head screwdriver can be used to create the hole. Some people like to heat up the object as they feel it seals the foam around it as it goes through the board. Be careful, there is a lot of risk to this and I don’t think it is worth the reward. I will explain more on this later. To start, push the screwdriver from the deck to the bottom until you can see the screwdriver making a mark on the bottom skin. Take it out and go to the mark and needle it until you break the bottom skin. Push the screwdriver through the board and give it a slighty wiggle on both ends to slightly enlarge the hole. Use some sponge-rez to flood the hole. Insert the plug and fasten it down till the bottom skin has a very slight concave around the plug. Then wipe up whatever sponge-rez comes from under the plugs. Leave about 12 hours to cure.
More general info: Heat is a bodyboards enemy, all companies do not warranty boards for heat-provoked delaminations. Also, a bodyboard is not designed/ constructed to be used as a skimboard, this also voids manufacturer’s warranty. And please provide a receipt when filing a warranty claim, we can’t process the claim without this info. THANKS!
