♪♪
Narrator:
STAND-UP PADDLING HAS BECOME
A POPULAR SPORT,
BUT PADDLE BOARDS HAVE BEEN
AROUND FOR OVER 3,000 YEARS.
CONTEMPORARY BOARDS RELY ON
MODERN MATERIALS TO MAKE LIGHT
AND RELIABLE PADDLE BOARDS
SUITED FOR LEISURE,
AS WELL AS FOR COMPETITION.
♪♪
THIS PADDLE BOARD IS MADE WITH
VINYL ESTER RESIN
AND LAMINATED FIBERGLASS.
IT'S EQUIPPED WITH AN ON-BOARD
LIGHTING SYSTEM, AN ANCHOR,
AND A NEOPRENE RUBBER
NON-SLIP PAD.
IN THE GEL-COATING ROOM,
A TECHNICIAN
WIPES A RELEASE AGENT
ON THE PADDLE BOARD MOLD,
TO MAKE THE SURFACE SMOOTH
AND CLEAN.
ANOTHER TECHNICIAN POSITIONS THE
FIN CHANNEL ON THE MOLD
USING A THIN FIBERGLASS TEMPLATE
AS A GUIDE.
HE USES AN AIRLESS PUMPING
SYSTEM TO SPRAY THE MOLD
WITH A VINYL ESTER GEL COATING
MIXED WITH HARDENER.
♪♪
HE TAKES A MILL GAUGE TO MAKE
SURE THE HULL THICKNESS IS EVEN.
A TECHNICIAN PREPARES TO MAKE
THE FIRST STRUCTURAL LAYER
OF THE HULL,
USING A 3/4 OUNCE
BI-DIRECTIONAL FIBERGLASS MAT.
♪♪
FIRST, HE PULLS OUT
A PANEL OF FIBERGLASS
AND COVERS
THE GEL-COATED SURFACE.
USING FABRIC SCISSORS,
HE CUTS THE MAT
AND MAKES THE FIBERGLASS SKIN
AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE.
HE TEARS THE MAT
TO CONFORM IT
TO THE ROUNDED SHAPE OF
THE GEL COAT.
AND FITS THE MAT
TO THE EDGE OF THE HULL.
HE APPLIES VINYL ESTER RESIN
WITH A PAINT ROLLER.
THE RESIN SATURATES THE
FIBERGLASS,
WHICH MERGES WITH
THE GEL COATING.
♪♪
EXTRA MATERIAL IS PLACED OVER
THE FIN CHANNEL TO STRENGTHEN
THE STRUCTURAL BOND BETWEEN THE
CHANNEL AND THE HULL.
♪♪
THEN, THE TECHNICIAN
USES A BUBBLE ROLLER
TO PUSH OUT AIR BUBBLES.
HE APPLIES A SECOND COAT
OF FIBERGLASS
TO REINFORCE THE STRUCTURAL
INTEGRITY OF THE BOARD.
IN THE ASSEMBLY ROOM,
ANOTHER TECHNICIAN
FITS A TEMPLATE
ON THE BOARD DECK
AND TRACES THE CONTOURS OF THE
HAND-GRAB MOUNT WITH A PENCIL.
♪♪
HE USES AN AIR SAW TO CUT OUT A
SLOT IN THE FIBERGLASS LAMINATE
TO FIT THE HAND-GRAB MOUNT.
♪♪
HE BINDS THE HAND-GRAB MOUNT TO
THE HOLE WITH A COAT
OF VINYL ESTER RESIN.
WITHIN ABOUT 20 MINUTES,
THE LAMINATE HARDENS.
NEXT, PLASTIC TUBING FOR
THE INTERNAL ANCHORING SYSTEM
IS INSTALLED.
A TECHNICIAN APPLIES A BONDING
ADHESIVE TO THE TUBE,
SECURING IT IN PLACE.
HE ATTACHES THE TUBE
WITH TIE WRAPS
SO IT DOESN'T GET TANGLED
INSIDE THE HULL.
HE INSTALLS A JAM CLEAT
FOR THE ROPE,
THAT WILL ALLOW THE PADDLER
TO MANUALLY CONTROL
THE ANCHOR FROM THE DECK.
♪♪
THE HULL'S CURED
VINYL ESTER RESIN
IS NOW FIRMLY BONDED TO THE
STRUCTURAL LAMINATE.
THE ASSEMBLER APPLIES THE
EXPANDING ADHESIVE,
AND POSITIONS AN EXPANDED
POLYPROPYLENE FOAM STRINGER
INSIDE THE HULL.
THE FOAM STRINGERS ARE THE
BACKBONE OF THE BOARD.
THEY SUPPORT THE WEIGHT
OF THE PADDLER ON DECK,
WHILE KEEPING THE BOARD
AS LIGHT AS POSSIBLE.
USING A NYLON WEDGE
AND RUBBER MALLET,
THE ASSEMBLER REMOVES THE MOLD
FROM THE HULL.
SINCE THE HULL IS SO
LIGHTWEIGHT,
TWO ASSEMBLERS CAN LIFT
AND FLIP IT ONTO AS CART.
AN ASSEMBLER TRIMS OFF THE
EXCESS LAMINATE
USING AN AIR CUTTER FITTED WITH
A DIAMOND CUTTING BLADE.
HE LEVELS THE FOAM STRINGERS
WITH A FILE BLADE,
ENSURING THE TIGHTEST POSSIBLE
FIT BETWEEN THE HULL AND DECK.
HE APPLIES EXPANDING FOAM
ADHESIVE ON THE STRINGERS
BEFORE HE PLACES THE DECK
ON THE FOAM,
WITH THE HELP OF A COWORKER.
THE ADHESIVE QUICKLY BINDS THE
PARTS TOGETHER.
THE VINYL RUB RAIL,
DESIGNED AS A SIDE PROTECTION,
MASKS THE JOINT
BETWEEN THE DECK AND THE HULL.
THE HULL CONTAINS
A DRY STORAGE HATCH
WHERE THE ONBOARD BATTERY
IS HOUSED.
THE 8-AMP HOUR BATTERY CAN
ACTIVATE THE POWER POLE --
A MICRO ANCHOR DESIGNED
FOR SHALLOW WATERS.
IN DEEPER WATERS,
A PADDLER CAN MANUALLY ACTIVATE
THE INTERNAL ANCHOR SYSTEM WITH
A 16-FOOT NYLON CORD.
FINALLY, THIS BOARD IS READY
TO HIT THE WATER.
