Beyond the Buzzwords - The Truth About "Eco-Friendly" Bodysurfing Handboards

Why Performance Matters - The POD® WOW Handboard Story

As a bodysurfer, my connection with the ocean runs deep. Naturally, I want the gear I make to reflect that respect for the environment. In recent years, the market has seen a surge of products claiming to be made of eco-friendly materials, with recycled plastic often taking centre stage. While the intent behind these initiatives can be genuine, as a manufacturer with over 35 years of experience in plastics and rubbers, I have seen firsthand how these terms can be used to greenwash products - leading to materials that sound responsible but fail on performance, durability, and real long-term sustainability.

Today I want to pull back the curtain. Using the POD® WOW Handboard as a case study, I will explain why material science and performance are inseparable - and why true sustainability in a handboard almost always comes down to longevity and thoughtful design.

For a general overview of choosing the right handboard, read How to Choose a Bodysurfing Handboard.

The Problem with Hype - When "Eco-Friendly" Falls Short in the Waves

The appeal of recycled plastic handplanes is understandable - guilt-free enjoyment, a cleaner conscience. But as many dedicated bodysurfers have experienced, and as I have witnessed with frustrating regularity, the reality often falls short. I have seen brands market boards made from what they call eco-friendly or ocean recycled plastics that are brittle, significantly overweight, and simply not capable of handling the dynamic demands of bodysurfing. These boards break early, cut sessions short, and, ironically, contribute more waste, ending up in the landfill sooner than any well-made board would.

Consider this. If a handboard were made from typical raw polypropylene, with a density of 0.895-0.92 g/cm³, and applied to the WOW's volume of 788 cm³, the result would be a board weighing approximately 710 grams. The WOW weighs 330 grams. That is a difference of over 200 per cent.

It gets more complicated when ocean plastics enter the picture. Ocean plastics are inherently a mix of various plastic types, often contaminated with organic matter. The material properties become highly unpredictable and generally inferior. Here is a quick reference of standard plastic densities to illustrate the variability:

• Polypropylene (PP): 0.895 to 0.92 g/cm³
• Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE): 0.92 to 0.94 g/cm³
• High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE): 0.95 to 0.96 g/cm³
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): 1.16 to 1.45 g/cm³
• Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET): 1.38 to 1.39 g/cm³

If a mixed ocean plastic blend includes denser materials like PET or PVC, the overall density rises significantly above pure polypropylene. A board made from that blend would likely weigh more than 710 grams and be considerably more brittle - degraded by UV exposure, salt water, and the fundamental incompatibility of mixing different polymer types.

From a manufacturing perspective, the amount of recycled content a product can effectively carry varies significantly depending on its required performance. For a bodysurfing handboard - which demands specific flex, rebound, lightness, and durability in dynamic ocean conditions - even a small percentage of inconsistent or degraded recycled material can compromise the final product. I have seen firsthand that introducing high proportions of mixed or recycled plastics from varied, potentially degraded sources leads to unpredictable material behaviour, increased fault rates, and a product that fails to meet the demands of bodysurfing. The weight increase alone, combined with compromised structural integrity and brittleness, makes these materials unsuitable for high-performance ocean use.

My Approach - Performance First, Sustainability Always

My commitment since 1988 has been to create inventive, well-designed, and quality-manufactured products. That commitment comes from a lifelong passion for design - rooted in my early 1980s studies in jewellery design, which instilled a meticulous attention to detail - and a deep love for the water. True sustainability begins with creating a product that lasts, performs consistently, and keeps the rider connected with the ocean across years of use.

To read more about that journey, visit POD Bodysurfing Handboards History - Successful 30 Years.

This philosophy was at the heart of developing the POD® WOW Handboard. I identified the shortcomings of existing handplanes - the lack of comfort, wrist strain, suboptimal buoyancy, and limited responsiveness - and set out to address them properly, not with marketing language but with material science.

The Development Journey - Engineering the WOW Handboard

My decision to use a custom-formulated polyurethane for the WOW Handboard was not accidental. Building on the understanding developed in Which is More Eco-Friendly: Polyurethane or Plastic?, I recognised that polyurethane offers the properties necessary for the performance and durability a bodysurfing handboard demands.

Choosing polyurethane was the starting point. The real challenge - and the reason for the intensive development period - was finding the right formulation and the right manufacturing partner. This was not about moulding a piece of plastic. It was about precisely engineering the material's Weight, Density, and Rigidity to meet the specific demands of bodysurfing. Finding a manufacturer willing to attempt a polyurethane formulation to these requirements took eighteen months. Trialling and refining the compound took another ten to twelve months on top of that.

• Weight: At 330 to 350 grams, the 13-inch WOW is the lightest handboard in the POD range - approximately 25% lighter than the equivalent timber board at the same geometry. A lighter board allows more natural swimming and paddling movement, reduces fatigue, and gives greater control at critical moments in the wave.
• Density: The polyurethane formulation achieves a degree of compactness that delivers that weight with a flexible core and a robust outer layer. This specific density provides the upward buoyant force needed for lift while the board withstands the physical demands of the surf.
• Rigidity: The formulation produces rigidity comparable to wood - strong enough to resist snapping, chipping, and denting - while introducing flex and rebound as a new material property in the range.

As with all rubber and polyurethane products, minor variations occur during manufacturing. Due to the nature of the polyurethane mixture, a slight variation in weight of up to ±5 % is a natural characteristic of the material. It does not affect how the board performs.

Flex Rebound - A World First for Bodysurfing Handboards

No previous POD handboard - not the classic polypropylene, not the cedar, not the walnut - has had controlled flex rebound as a material property. The WOW polyurethane formulation is introduced to the range for the first time. The board flexes under the wave's forces and returns to its original shape. This behaviour reduces the load on the wrist, arm, and shoulder across longer sessions, keeps fatigue lower, and creates a more connected feel between the rider and the wave. It is a new physical characteristic that the earlier technology simply could not deliver, regardless of shape or construction.

The Ergonomic Design

The material science sets the foundation. The design built on top of it completes the board.

• Ergonomic Palm Support and Hold: The world's first ergonomic palm support on a bodysurfing handboard. The asymmetrical, three-dimensional convex deck mirrors the natural curvature of the human palm, relieving stress from the hand and arm muscles that flat-deck designs place on the rider. The hand stays securely under the strap in a relaxed, neutral wrist posture across the full session.
• Strap System: Custom POD-designed hand strap retainers at 50mm - not the 25mm surfboard plug used across most handplane designs - combined with a 65mm double-padded neoprene strap. Secure across the hand, reduces skin irritation, and holds the board in position without the rider having to grip against the wave.
• Signature Shape and Keel Fin: The proven signature shape with the deep 18mm concave bottom and integrated keel fin. Close to zero splashback toward the face. Lift, directional hold, and control that the shape has delivered since the earliest cedar prototypes in the 1990s.

Does Size Matter - The POD® Perspective

There is a view in some parts of the market that there is no right size for a bodysurfing handboard. My answer is that this is incorrect. Just as a surfboard or bodyboard is chosen for its volume, dimensions, and materials relative to the rider and the conditions, the same applies to handboards. The WOW 13-inch, with its volume of 788 cm³, lifting force of up to 100 kg, and upward buoyant force of up to 30 kg, demonstrates that detailed specifications directly translate into how the board performs in the water. The 13-inch planing surface, combined with the WDR characteristics, is considered a response to years of customer feedback and sales data across the cedar and walnut range, specifically identifying the size between the WOO and the FLO as the most wanted.

For a more detailed explanation of handboard size theory, read What is the correct size bodysurfing handboard that will best suit the individual?

What Eco-Friendly Actually Means at POD®

At POD®, eco-friendly is not a single material claim. It covers the entire lifecycle of the product.

• Longevity is sustainability: A board built with the right material for the right application, maintained correctly, and used across years of sessions is more sustainable than a cheaper recycled alternative that breaks down quickly and ends up in a landfill. Durability reduces the cycle of consumption and waste. That is the honest measure.
• Responsible manufacturing: Sustainable manufacturing since 1988 means thoughtful design, minimising waste in production, and selecting the right material for the specific demands of the application - not the material with the best marketing story.

The confidence that comes with a POD® product is knowing the gear works, lasts, and was built by someone who uses it. Not marketing claims. Just the board and the wave.

Longevity Is the Honest Measure

When choosing a bodysurfing handboard, the material claim on the label is the starting point - not the answer. Look for the formulation behind the claim, the specifications that reflect it, and the track record that supports it. The POD® WOW 13" Handboard is the result of nearly three years of development, decades of shape refinement, and a material science process that started with what the board needed to do in the water and worked backward from there.

To learn more about and purchase the POD® WOW 13" Handboard, visit the product page. For the full development story, read POD Bodysurfing Handboards History - Successful 30 Years.

Signing off,

Shane
Innovator and Lead Designer