What comes to mind when you think of a sustainable surfboard or SUP? Is it a board made from recycled materials? Trash? Do you question how it will perform? How long it will last? If it will look nice? If it’s really worth the cost? These are all valid questions and ones I’ve asked myself.
Through our “Keep It Green” column and partnership with NSP we will be exploring their line of sustainable boards: the Cocomat series. Like the name suggests, the boards are made in large part from coconuts (or coconut husks to be exact).
Before taking the boards to the water we wanted to run through a dry land examination of our first impression of the boards.
DC Surf Wide
Call me materialistic, but I want a board that looks pretty. It doesn’t have to be foofoo or anything excessive but I want a board that I can be proud of. A paddleboard is a big investment and I want to be able to see mine sitting on the beach and think, ‘Yeah, that one’s mine.’
The DC Surf Wide looked nice online but you never really know until you see something in person. My first impression of the board was a good one. It’s a pretty, blue-teal color with some deep blue and brownish-tan stripes. I knew from the description that the board was made from coconut husks but what I hadn’t noticed from the photo online was that the brownish color was the coconuts. The sustainable coconut fibers are visible throughout the board, giving it a truly unique and beautiful look; I’ve never seen anything like it.
The board is on the wide and thick side for it’s length but despite the extra volume it is extremely light. Board transportation has been an issue for me in the past but this one is easy for me to load onto the car as well as carry to and from the beach—a huge plus.
The board comes with five fin boxes, allowing for a tri-fin or quad-fin setup, depending on your preference. I’ve exclusively ridden tri-fin boards in the past but am excited about the flexibility for different set-ups.
Coco Endless
The Coco Endless comes in two color options: a deep red or a denim blue. Blue is my favorite color, so naturally I opted for the blue. Like I said before, I like a board that is aesthetically appealing. This one hit the mark. The blue is nice but what is particularly striking about this board is the underside of it. There are no colors or dyes on the bottom so the coconut is on full display, the intertwining of husks creating stunning designs.
I’d like to say that I dance on water, cross-step with ease, and hang ten on the regular but that would be a lie. In reality, I do an awkward shuffle up the board and occasionally am able to sneak in a cheater five. I’ve been blaming myself for my lack of toes on the nose action but what I’ve come to realize is that my previous board was more of a performance longboard than a nose-rider. This board has a neutral egg shape and seems like it will be the perfect board on which to perfect my nose riding skills. While most nose-riders are single fins, this board has a tri-fin setup—I’m interested to see how it compares.
Like the DC Surf Wide, this board is on the light side despite being 9’6,” making transportation a breeze.
We’re excited to take these sustainable boards to the water and share our thoughts along the way. Pray for surf!
NSP Coco Endless
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