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The Acid Splash Surfboard Series: A new look with an old trick

October 12, 2017

Surfboard art has been around since the foam blank was launched for full scale production at the turn of the 60's. The wooden boards before that had their own aura and beauty about them. As surfboards became more and more personalized and customized by their owners, board builders began to add an artistic approach to their boards, hiring artists and skilled glassers to paint and tint their boards.

While resin tinting a surfboard can be tedious, requiring a many-stage process to get it just right, There are a few tricks to get similarly impressive style by using paint as a medium. The wonderful thing about using paint on a foam blank, is that you can glass it like it's just a clean white blank when you're done with your design. Glassing and sanding uses a bit more elbow grease than shaping the board, so any steps you can take to reduce extra work after the board is shaped, will save time, and in your case, money.

For this series we went with a painted blank design, and to mix it up, we utilized an old trick surfboard painters/artists have been using since the early 80's, the acid splash squeegee pull method.  We are fortunate to live in one of the most talented surfboard building pockets of the world.  Because of this we were fortunate to connect with an amazing artist by the name of Mark Avina who has been doing color work on surfboards since the early eighties.   His work and style is world class and can be regularly seen on some of the most well known pro surfers boards.  We have one of the best in the business doing our color on these boards and we feel fortunate to be working with such a talented group of craftsman.  Thanks so much for the the amazing work Mark!

So here's how it happens:

The painter tapes off the deck of the board so that the paint will wrap from the belly, around to the rails, with a crisp outline blocking off the deck. Then he uses 1/8" tape to cover the stringer of the board so that there's a solid resin to wood bond later when the board is laminated.

The board is laid on it's deck on the painter's stands, belly up. The painter hand mixes a set of both complimenting and contrasting colors (often 4-6 colors) and drizzles each paint on to the exposed belly of the board where he wants the colors to be most prominent. The first areas where paint hits the foam, are where the paint will make the most permanent and distinct marking. In this case, streaks and swirls are dripped on to the board in patterns. the painter lets the paint soak into the foam for just long enough to keep rather than getting squeegeed to other areas of the foam. 

Next, the painter uses the same style squeegee as the glasser, a wide, soft, flexible rubber with a slightly rounded edge and begins to squeegee the paint nose to tail, allowing different colors to begin mixing and spreading into other areas of clear foam for a marbled, swirled blending of colors. Ones the paint has been spread across the whole bottom of the deck and is wrapped under to cover the rails to the tape line, he squeegees the excess paint off into his bucket so the foam blank remains light-weight and has the opportunity to soak up resin during lamination. 

For our boards, the painter waits for the paint to dry and removes the tape. The board is flipped deck side up so the exposed, white foam is ready to be painted. He tapes off the colored rails so the deck color will meet right up to the edge of the rail color. Once the rest of the board is taped off and protected from the deck, the painter air brushes the deck and lets it dry. 

Finally, our painter pulls the tape and tapes off new lines to create a thin pin line on the border of the squeegee paint and the deck spray. Once that's dried, the board is ready for lamination.

The result is a brightly colored acid swirl bottom and rails with a complimentary deck color and clean, crisp pinline to create a classy definition between the two colors.

For our lineup, we chose our 3 most popular 2017 models, The Ultimate, the Codfather, and the coveted, Over Easy.

Here are the specs:

The Ultimate - Performance Longboard: 8' x 22 1/2 x 2 3/4

Fiery red, orange and black acid splash with orange deck and black pinline

 For beginner to advanced surfers, our performance longboards are designed for all-around wave riding with the responsiveness you need in a variety of wave conditions. The Ultimate is our best seller and caters to ALL surfers who want a solid go-to longboard that lets you noseride or crank turns off the tail just the same.

 

The Codfather - Modern Retro Fish: 6'2 x 21 x 2 1/2

Cool Aqua, blue and green acid splash with light blue deck and black pinline

Design:

For surfers looking for an every day fish that can still surf vertically. Retro in roots with a modern twist, our fish is for progressive surfing in varied conditions. Built for the early-intermediate to advanced surfer looking for speed and drive down the line and through turns, without sacrificing stability.

 

The Over Easy - Speed Egg Funboard: 7'6 x 21 1/2 x 2 7/8

Cool blue acid splash with sky blue deck and black pinline.                        "

Design:

For the both the newer surfer ready for their first fiberglass board or the seasoned veteran needing more float than they did in their prime. Grab this board for an edge in chest high surf and up. Built for intermediate (and talented beginners) to Advanced surfers who want to take off at the top of the peak without needing cumbersome board length or mighty shoulder strength.

 If you're stoked on these boards, the you can click the model name to be linked to the acid swirl collection to purchase. If you're stoked on the idea and want to try this style of paint job on a board of your choosing and even pick your primary colors, contact us below to get started!

Ph: 858 693 3692

Email: Surf@degree33.com

 

 

 




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