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Appletree, always at the forefront of innovation in board building, have spent two years secretly developing a unique coating for all their boards that reduces weight while maintaining durability and product longevity. The cat is now out of the bag and the team reveal all…
Appletree has always had a reputation for doing things differently. Where does that come from?
Curiosity and innovation is at the core of Appletree Surfboards. It’s been in our DNA since the early days back in the apple orchard, where Wieger and Jorrit first started shaping boards. From the beginning we were driven by a single purpose: to find a production method that allows for boards to be incredibly durable and resilient, without making them heavy. That constant restlessness is what leads us to explore new methods and materials – from the first boards built using resin infusion instead of normal “wet” bagging, to our fully waterproof core. But we wanted to push it even further.
And that led to Coat 25. What is it?
After two years of secret development and close collaboration with specialized composite industry suppliers, Coat 25 is a proprietary material that finally replaces the traditional epoxy hot coat – reducing overall weight while maximizing scratch resistance and structural longevity. Traditionally, boards require a “hot coat” to seal the composite structure. Epoxy is the industry standard for this, but we realized it was adding unnecessary dead weight. We knew there had to be a better way. Coat 25 isn’t an epoxy or a standard resin; it’s a completely new material developed specifically for our boards. It represents a fundamental shift in how we finish our equipment — stripping away the excess while reinforcing the core.
How much of this comes down to having your own factory?
It’s our biggest advantage. Our factory in Portugal is a space filled with custom-built machinery and in-house processes that let us test, fail, evolve and ultimately perfect our craft. After extensive testing, that’s where we developed Coat 25 – a high-performance finish engineered to provide the durability, protection and refined finish our boards demand.
So why is it a game-changer for the rider?
Three things. First, we’ve stripped the weight – eliminating the unnecessary weight of traditional hot coats without sacrificing an ounce of strength. Second, it’s built for the grind: Coat 25 is significantly more scratch-resistant, so your board looks as fresh on session 100 as it did on day one. And third, precision in every line – the material flows better and cures faster, which lets us highlight the crisp, sharp details of our shapes, the subtle nuances that traditional epoxy often fills in or hides.
That sounds like a big change to make across a whole production line.
It wasn’t just a simple product switch – it was a full-scale factory transformation. We had to retrain our entire Hot Coat Department and completely rethink our artwork and finishing process to meet the new standards. It was a massive commitment, but a necessary one. The artistic side is vital to us, and the unique designs that characterize our boards are a core part of the Appletree identity.
What’s the feedback been from people already riding it?
Coat 25 is now the standard on every board that leaves our factory. It’s been running in our production line quietly for some time, and riders have immediately noticed the difference – they say the boards feel remarkably light and sharp. Combined with our signature 50K waterproof foam core, we can confidently say these boards are truly built to last.
And the sustainability side?
We’re always searching for the most sustainable ways to build and produce our boards. Durability is a key part of that commitment, because it avoids the need for constant equipment replacement which equates to a more sustainable product. ■
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