The 7th Annual Wooden Surf Board Day is this weekend - Sunday 2nd August

Get that board finished for the weekend

DON'T FORGET - The 7th ANNUAL WOODEN SURFBOARD DAY IS ON THIS SUNDAY AUGUST 2nd… AT CURRUMBIN ALLEY, IN THE PARK.


If you build wooden surfboards, or would like to… or maybe you just have an interest in how it all happens, then come down to Currumbin Alley on Sunday from 9 to 3.

A host of board shapers from all walks of life will be on hand to showcase their designs, including the well known Tom Wegener from the Sunshine Coast and Nobby Ohkawa from Japan.

The day is all about like minded people - who enjoy the challenge of spending countless hours in a shed building wooden boards - getting together to share their passion and progress.

 



Even if you don't build boards but want to find out more, this is the ideal place to ask all the relevant questions, because there are many ways to build a wooden board and they’ll all be on show this Sunday at Currumbin Alley.



 

So bring your wooden boards, bring a picnic lunch and go for a surf. The Alley in winter is often at it's best for a slide across the banks on a wooden board. And there is nothing better than being on one you built yourself.



 

Looking forward to catching up with old faces and welcoming some new ones. 


 - Grant Newby

 



For any more info contact: grantnewby@bigpond.com

All the way from Isreal to Brisbane to build a wooden board.

Michael Guarino signed up for one of Stuart Bywater's wooden board building class a few months back, and wound up working part time with him in his shop. While there a man named "E" from Israel came in to make a board, and he thought it would make a good little story.
He shot and edited this piece, and would like to share it with you. Surfing and it's passion with take you a long way.

Donald Brink turns some pallets into a work of art.

For all the details of the build and the steps and stages...  steps-and-stages-1

http://www.brinksurf.com

A great way to celebrate your military commitment

Charlie Loiselle is an military man, a surfer and a craftman. To celebrate his military career he has used his love of surfing and board building to make a great display piece.
"Another off-the-wall wood board. I wanted something special for my miltary retirement shadowbox, so I made this 6’ hollow-wood board with an internal shadow box in it. Other than the hole in the middle, you could surf it, it’s made just like the rest of my wood boards - koa and mahogany deck, redwood and mahogany strip rails, interior plywood frame."

Wooden surfboard maker in the Philippines

With nothing but a desire to create his own wooden surfboard, Jay Love quit his corporate job to pursue an uncertain future. The Tree to Sea Project embodies Jay Love’s devotion to having his signature wooden surfboards conquer waves around the Philippines.
We’re excited to see what the future holds for this passion project. For more updates about the Tree to Sea Project, you may visit Jay Love’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jayar.domantay.

Kiwi ingenuity and eco friendly design

Original Bob Simmons wooden board for sale

 This great piece of history is for sale at the 

California Gold Vintage Surf Auction - September 26th

Seminal post-World War II surfboard designer and shaper from Pasadena, California; a primary architect of the modern surfboard who almost singlehandedly brought into play the now-fundamental principles of nose-lift, foil, and finely sculpted rails. the lanky 6’2″ Simmons was compelled, almost from the moment he began surfing, to create better equipment. He learned the fundamentals of board-building in the mid-’40s from the talented but surly Gard Chapin (stepfather to surf icon Mickey Dora); in 1946 he acquired a copy of a lengthy MIT study on planing hulls, and began applying its complex equations and theories to surfboards.By 1949, the typical Simmons board was wide (around 24 inches), with a thin, squared-off tail, finely turned and calibrated rails, and a broad spoonlike nose. Pre-war boards for the most part had been redwood-balsa composites coated in varnish; Simmons, working out of his garage in Pasadena, used balsa only and was one of the first to cover his boards with a layer of resin-saturated fiberglass. On September 26, 1954, in eight-foot waves at San Diego’s Windansea, Simmons was struck in the head by his own board and drowned. He was 35.
This board belonged to legendary San Diego lifeguard and TJ Sloughs surfer Dempsey Holder.
Allen “Dempsey” Holder was one of the earliest surfers in San Diego, California’s south county. He was one of the first surfers to ride the big surf off the coast of the Tijuana sloughs. Dempsey was also head of the Imperial Beach lifeguard services for many years. The Public Safety building that houses sheriff and lifeguard services is now named after Dempsey for his important contributions to surfing and public safety.
THIS BOARD HAS IT ALL : Pedigree, Provenance & Patina.

For more info on this board and others on offer :www.thevintagesurfauction.com/sneek-peek

Some nice colour tint on wood

 Ryan Lovelace with one of his great shapes that he glassed for Raphael Wolfe who does the wood over EPS core boards at Timberline Surfboards. A nice mix of skills for a great outcome.

 The tints let the grain come through

Wooden Board Building Classes Brisbane

The next wooden board building class the be held by Stuart Bywater in Brisbane is coming up starting August 18th.
"Our Wooden Surfboard Classes are designed to enable you to make your own Classic Wooden Surfboard.
In 8 easy Tuesday night lessons or our 2 day weekend shaping course, you will be able to take home your very own board. You will be given options for size, style and timber choices ensuring your surfboard is exactly how you want it to be."
Prices for wooden surfboard classs vary according to board size and timbers required ,
As an estimate please use the following as a general guide.
We will of course confirm your price prior to registration.

10’ Okanuie $1600 cedar $1750
9” Mal $1500 cedar pinstripes or all cedar $1650
8” Mal $1450 cedar pinstripes or all cedar $1600
6”8’ fish $1200 cedar pinstripes or all cedar $1300
5”8’ fish $1050 cedar pinstripes or all cedar $1150
More options: Western red Cedar and stripes can be added please add aditional pricing
Once completed, Stuart will advise and guide you on finishing options best suited to your needs.
Wooden Surfboards make for a wonderful ride in the surf, enabling you to catch the smallest or the biggest wave…
"By making your own classic surfboard you will have gained definitive woodworking skills and produced a work of art that is uniquely yours.
Our Wooden Surfboards are not just meant for the surf, they are the perfect ambience for a breezy deck, sports room, pool room or bar…"

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Do I have to have prior experience to make a surf board?
No prior woodworking experience is necessary, as we start you off with the right templates and techniques, we show you the basics and guide you every step of the way.

2. Do I need to wear anything special?
We will require you to wear enclosed footwear; steel capped boots if you have them otherwise sandshoes/runners will be fine. We will supply you with any other safety equipment required.
Warning there will be lots of gluing that will not come off your clothes.

3. How big are the class sizes?
The class sizes are kept small – no more than 10 in a class and we all help each other at times, but usually about 6.

4. Do you have many females in the class?
Yes we do, they are most welcome and will thoroughly enjoy making a board under the expert guidance of Stuart and Michael

5. Are materials covered in the cost of the course?
All materials required for the initial course are covered within the course fee.
If alternate timber is requested the price will increase and we need 2 weeks’ notice.

6. How do I pay for classes?
You can pay for classes by direct deposit, payment of cash or cheque prior to commencement of classes. It is a requirement that your full Course Fee is paid upfront 2 weeks before the course commences. Once payment has been processed you will be issued with a tax invoice for claim purposes.

7. What happens if I miss a class due to illness?
If in the unfortunate event that you are sick we will endeavour to help you catch up but no makeup class are available.

8. Are Course Fees refundable?
No, once fees are paid they are deemed non refundable. Unless the classes are terminated by Bywater Design.

9. Do you offer food /drink?
We endeavor to offer tea, coffee /water and biscuits time allowing, students often have a quick break during our classes and enjoy a cuppa with fellow students and talk about their last great wave, or the one that got away.

10. After I finish my first wooden surfboard what happens next?
After you finish the initial board classes you will have completed your own hollow wooden surfboard. Ready for final sanding and finishing or glassing whichever you choose. Most of our course participants then choose to re-enroll for another course where they can choose another board to create.

11. Do you offer gift vouchers?
We certainly do.
They make a wonderful gift and they can be for any board size required.

12. Yes; it’s also a great team building adventure.

If there are any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us; surf@bywaterdesign.com.au
or Please phone Stuart; 0414283818

We will see you in class