Things to know about our boards
To us, surfboards are a composite of several structural and performance elements. Making the best boards possible requires a recipe of materials and design that optimizes performance and durability. The materials we use have complementary properties providing for tough, fast and responsive boards.
Foam – Our cores are manufactured from expanded polystyrene (EPS) by Marko Foam. It is environmentally benign and non-toxic, has better buoyancy and memory than polyurethane foam, does not absorb water and has very good UV stability. We select the best foam core material based on the following criteria:
  • Flexural Strength
  • Compressive Strength
  • Thermal Stability
  • Dimensional Stability
  • Moisture Absorption
  • Shaping Process Compatibility
  • No, or exceptionally low, out-gassing
  • Environmental compatibility and recycling capability
Stringer Material – The stringer materials we use are complementary to the performance of the board. If it is not a performance enhancer, we don’t use it. The wood used for our stringers is Basswood and Poplar. On our ultra high performance boards, we use carbon fiber.
Resin – Epoxy, epoxy, epoxy. Epoxy is tougher and has much better flex/memory than polyester resins. Additionally, our epoxy is more environmentally friendly than polyester resin having only 1/50th the volatile organic compound (VOC) content.
Glass –Glass is a critical element to a board’s performance and toughness. Golven uses a combination of Glass and lay-up scenarios which makes our boards stronger and tougher with unsurpassed memory (memory = a boards ability to return to its original state over time = more responsive). The toughness of the glass/epoxy composition equates to higher impact resistance and better compressive strength when compared to standard E glass lay-up scenarios.
Golven-Advanced Composite Technology (G-ACT) – Through our materials and advanced manufacturing processes (vacuum and elevated temperature curing) our boards retain memory (flex Pattern) 6 times longer than polyurethane/polyester composite (standard surfboards) structures. Our boards are also much more ding, compression and impact resistant and remain cost competitive when compared to standard surfboards. Stay tuned for the release of our latest technology, G-ACT; advanced flex control with our independent parabolic carbon fiber flex control system – stringer-less technology.
Lastly, our surfboards and surfboard materials are made in the USA (100%) and because we are environmentally committed, Golven is a 1% for the Planet organization.

Performance Driven – Environmentally Committed