Aftermarket hull build, Foam or no Foam?

I foamed the circus I'm building just out of the pure fear of losing the thing in some horrific accident. Had to help rescue a buddy's sinking Circus last summer - not something I'd like to experience again.

Even if the hull is punctured or for whatever reason my versiplug max gets stuck open and the bildge can't handle it, the thing will still be neutrally buoyant enough for me to hold it up.

I threw what I could of some round nose foam into the nose of the thing too. Polystyrene in the bottom deck, 2 part US composites 2lb polyurethane in the top deck.

Its maybe 3-4 extra pounds, and some sweet, sweet relief.

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Sent from my VS980 4G
I thought about this but I wasn't sure if even with all of that packed in there if it would even float a sunk hull. But that ship has sailed since I already bonded the two haves of my hull, so my only option to two part foam at this point. I made my tray as air tight as possible then installed a drain plug for the tray incase I get any moisture. image.jpg
 
Remember a versi-plug only works under water. If your ski flips up-side-down, it's a vent to let all of the air keeping your hull floating.

Skis don't sink with you riding them. They sink when the surf nags it.

I almost lost my x2 once. I took the foam out of the hood to clearance my pipe. I was at the brink, wind ripples lapping over the bottom deck, completely submerged. It still had foam on the back and it went down fast. Not a feeling I ever want to experience. Back the , relatively speaking, my $1500 x2 with several hand made mods felt like losing a $20k ski.
This is why there is no versa plug installed yet. I rode a Backie at daytona this year with no bilge and a versa plug, got rolled in the surf and that's all I thought about. Not a good feeling.
 

Quinc

Buy a Superjet
Location
California
I thought about this but I wasn't sure if even with all of that packed in there if it would even float a sunk hull. But that ship has sailed since I already bonded the two haves of my hull, so my only option to two part foam at this point. I made my tray as air tight as possible then installed a drain plug for the tray incase I get any moisture. View attachment 281820

What nozzle is this?
 
I like the idea of skis straight from the builder with no foam. It really helps the industry. Smart hull builders. Saving the sport one sunk ski at a time.
With out a versa or scupper the only other way to sink a ski immediately would be to blow a hole thru the hull or loose the hood which is pretty preventable. Right?
 
Foam it. I've seen $20k+ skis dissapear in seconds in lake and surf..

P.S. once foamless ski start sinking, fellow rider cant rescue it or he goes down with it. Bobbing ski with even 20 years old water logged foam will bob to shore itself. Personal experience with a/m foamless ski and old foamed SN.
 
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Foam it. I've seen $20k+ skis dissapear in seconds in lake and surf..

P.S. once foamless ski start sinking, fellow rider cant rescue it or he goes down with it. Bobbing ski with even 20 years old water logged foam will bob to shore itself. Personal experience with a/m foamless ski and old foamed SN.
I get what your saying I just don't want the heavy water logged foam (which will eventually happen) or I would have stuck with a sj hull. I got thicker top and bottom hull halves and was trying to cut down on weight with no foam
 

Roseand

The Weaponizer
Site Supporter
Location
Wisconsin
If your decks are already bonded, couldn't you drill holes for drain plugs and pour in polystyrene pellets? Then just have a mesh screen behind the drain plug so they don't pour out when draining out any water.
Idk if you can buy polystyrene in pellet form, but I'm sure there's an easy way to take a sheet of it and get it into small pellets.
 
You asked about the difference in ride when using foam or no foam : The diderence I have Seen here on the X is , those who have flotation in their skis ''Tend to ride longer '' then those who dont . I concluded it was due to the fact that you can only hold you breath for so long when the ski becomes submerged from lack of boyancy and you eventually have to let go of your beloved friend and thus your ride is over at that point . Then ,after losing several thousand dollars to '' Davy Jones locker'' a light clicks on in their head and they choose to use foam the next time round. This seems to be a common train of thought that hold true in 99% of the sinkings here on the X that I have observed .. Again this is only MY observation and Im totally open to any and all opinions ! FYI Note : 1 cubic foot of flotation weighs @2 lbs will float 60 lbs and imo thats probly enough to bring a SEMIBOYANT ski back to the surface at some point in time . :):D
 
If your decision are already bonded, couldn't you drill holes for drain plugs and pour in polystyrene pellets? Then just have a mesh screen behind the drain plug so they don't pour out when draining out any water.
Idk if you can buy polystyrene in pellet form, but I'm sure there's an easy way to take a sheet of it and get it into small pellets.
????? Any one try this before?
 
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