hand crafted to your specification
Ordering a surfboard that is specially made for you is something that has been an integral part of surfing since the act of surfing began. In those early days every surfer took it for granted that they could order a board from a local shaper that was made to their own specifications.
Today, despite the fact that there are less shapers in the world because so many boards are now mass produced, most serious surfers still ride custom made surfboards. Indeed, the vast majority of Pro surfers on the world tour today, work closely with a shaper to get the board that is right for them.
But custom surfboards are not the just preserve of Pro surfers. We build boards for all levels of surfers so that everyone can enjoy the special benefits of owning a custom made board. It's fun and easy to do and very much part of the complete surfing experience
You can adapt every aspect of the board design to suit you or change just one, depending on your needs. Email us or call us for expert advice.
There are no extra costs for custom shapes but because our custom order service is so popular there is a standard lead time of 6 to 8 weeks for completion (can be longer during busy periods). You can place an order from our Braunton shop, at the factory in Woolacombe, on this website or over the phone. It really is that simple...
Shape and fins
Every dimension on the board can be changed to suit your height, weight and ability. Most often customers take our regular dimensions and tweak them a little, for example, you can simply swap a swallow tail for a squash tail, move the wide point or change a concave. But it is also perfectly possible to make your own design with alterations to the width, length and thickness. You can also choose to have fixed fins although it's most popular to have removable fin system these days. One way of customising your fins is by adding extra fin plugs to the set up. 5 fin plugs instead of 3 for example, can give you the option of riding your board as a standard 3 fin thruster or as a quad. It's a simple way to give your board a bigger range of performance.
The advantages of having a board shaped just for you are clear, pro surfers can find the 'edge' they need to win competitions but for the rest of us it means we can make the most of our ability and get more out of our time in the ocean.
Art
We have a great reputation for producing fantastic looking boards. That's because we believe a board shouldn't just go well it should be beautiful as well. As such we have a dedicated artist whose skill and experience is second to none. You can choose from our own extensive range of artwork, take inspiration from other boards or even create your own. You can draw it yourself, you can email a design from your computer or post us something from a magazine. Virtually anything goes, just get in touch with your ideas and we will do our best to make them come true.
Standard artwork costs £25, more complicated designs can be a little more.
Glassing, tints and finishing
The main way to vary glassing is to go heavier or lighter. For example longboarders may well add some extra fibreglass to make their boards heavier and therefore add 'glide'. Performance boards are almost always light but sometimes extra fibreglass patches can be added to high stress areas if you are particularly heavy footed for example.
Resin tints are extremely popular on all types of board but especially so on longboards and retro designs. If you can think of a colour we can probably create it, tints are very cool.
Finally, the finish on a board can be matt or high gloss and polish. Generally performance boards are matt finished because gloss and polish does add weight. However if you have a great colour scheme on you board or fixed fins a lovely polished finish is the best way to make your board look amazing. A matt finish comes as standard and a tint, gloss and polish costs £100.
