Durable construction longboards

I'm looking into getting a new longboard and I'm really keen to get one which can withstand small impacts without cracking and won't be covered in depressions after a season. I'm looking at boards from Firewire and Sunova with wood laminate sandwich constructions, Surftech, and last but not least Tolhurst/Thunderbolt technologies carbon sandwich (which I really like). I'd like to hear feedback from anyone who had good/bad experiences with regard to durability and ruggedness with any of these constructions, or any other board out there with stronger than average construction. I'm after something fairly light and "performing" but not a disposable board that will not survive more than a season in a crowed spot.

Pretty sure it's the HIHP thunderbolt technology has a bit of carbon wrap on the tail too..
little point about carbon wrap is that that a lot of big name manufacturers are putting stickers that look like carbon wrap under the glass, real carbon wrap will generally always have frayed ends and all the end bits are never equal like you see on a print.
be very cautious of carbon wraps unless you can see the fibrous material

this board loves the tube he tube and has been in many, I have had shortboards snap from a lot less than this has been through.
Once went top to bottom at north point on it after getting a little cocky cause I'd made a few, way to deep and too late the lip landed across it and I thought for sure I'd have two boards but all good ,, came in anyway as it felt like the lip had exorcised the soul out of my body....

very durable up to head height maybe not so much at double/triple head

Look into a Dick Van Straalen full carbon fibre all rounder. The carbon fibre is black but he can paint it in your colour choice so the heat isn't an issue like plain black carbon fibre. Super strong and great weight. I've had lips from 2 waves break right on the centre of the 8'er I had at the Boiling pot at Noosa on a 6' day (after avoiding a drop in who flailed and bailed right in front of me) and I've surfaced expecting to see it in 2 pieces but No. They paddle like a board a foot longer.
Price for a custom won't be far off a Tolhurst thunderbolt tech board.

Personally I would love a Mctavish PU blank and glass myself in s glass. I come from windsurf background with polystyrene foam and sandwich bottom and deck. I have only glassed a few pu blanks and more stringers don't make it stronger but heavy. A ply sandwich construction with no stringer can be so much stronger with tougher egg shell that won't dent. The last surfboard I built was awesome but my current mini mal is a Starboard plywood construction that is still going strong today.

i am totally biased and sell sunova in n.z. .. i have been rep'ing sunova since post firewire. i sold all my 'other' boards years back ,no regrets. having read this thread it confirms everything in my experience and if you want performance over a heavily glassed board get a sunova no question.we can glass them heavy at 5.8kg,they will still flex nicely and NEVER compress..no b.s.
p.s evertything snaps given the right opportunity

Bert is a master craftsman
when I bought the tolhurst it was a close call between the two.....

various opinions ons aside I have been told by very very respected longboarders that

tolhurst is likely the lightest and most hp ( which is why I selected it sorry to the purists)
sunova is a really close second however is far more durable

in saying that there is a looot to be said for mctavish who makes what many call the pinnacle of longboards,,, if I lived over east it would be blasphemy not to own and ride one regularly..

I also have a Boyd Perty from yallingup surf co which is a pretty special weapon,,, apparently bob monkman had a bit of input into design shape it's a special special board but 9,4 and is more a nose rider which I suck at but will keep practicing until they remove my legs...

I really really liked the old mctavish fireball the one from early 90,s mate had one I was permitted to ride on smaller days I loved everything about it.

Its a hard question to get a response on from longboarders , generally the local guy making boards for the local waves makes the best board in that hood...

If I surfed the east coast points every week it would probably be on a mctavish

surfing down south west oz is normally the tolhurst and sometimes me Boyd.....

Im sure guys in southern nsw will argue the point as there is a couple of quality quality local guys through that region.

If I was a wealthy man I would order a 9,1 and a 9,4 off everyone suggested in this thread, than in my million dollar 4 wd drive around oz and surf every board at its local break with variations between prior ones...

upon arriving back home I would see which ones had made the full trip in best condition than weigh up which ones rode better...

With all this learned information I would than be more indesicive than ever and repeat the process until either I ran out of money, my car broke down, and the shapers got sick of my repeat orders..

It is solely for this reason that I will never achieve "financial freedom"

Marketing school perhaps