dog wrote:

Yes, there are many foams to choose from, but few have the same
characteristics that make end-grain balsa such a good core material.
Few of the foams bond and wick epoxy resin as well as end-grain balsa.

What a crock of crap.

The only time someone uses balsa as a core material on a boat is
because they don't know any better or can't afford anything else.

Lew