Surfboards shaped by hand

A hand-shaped surfboard starts as a block of foam and ends as a board someone will trust in heavy water. Between the two lies a long run of shaping, sanding and finishing — most of it producing fine dust, and all of it depending on what the shaper can see and feel.

From blank to outline

The starting point is a blank: a foam core, usually with a thin wooden stringer glued down its centre for stiffness. The shaper traces the outline from a template, cuts it out, and then takes the blank down to thickness and rocker — the curve from nose to tail — with a power planer, pass by pass. A shaping bay is lit from the side, so that low light shows every hollow and bump on the surface.

Rails, bottom and the feel of the board

The rails — the edges of the board — decide how it turns, and they are shaped mostly by hand, with sanding blocks and screens. The bottom gets its contours and the nose and tail their final thickness. There is no fixed recipe; it is judgement built up over many boards. Some workshops also build boards in wood, from thin strips over an internal frame, and the same principle holds: the shape is found by removing a little at a time.

Why extraction matters

Foam dust is extremely fine and light. Without extraction it hangs in the air and settles on every surface. Sanding fibreglass and cured resin later on is worse: that dust irritates skin, eyes and airways. A sander coupled to a dust extractor changes the whole working week.

• Health. Dust caught at the sanding pad is dust nobody breathes.
• Visibility. A clean surface shows the shape as it really is, so the shaper is not working through a haze.
• Finish quality. Grit and dust left on the surface scratch it on the next pass and spoil the following layer of resin.

Glassing and finishing

Once shaped, the board is covered with fibreglass cloth and resin. The resin has to suit the foam: some foams are attacked by polyester resin and need epoxy. A filler coat follows, and it is sanded smooth without cutting through into the cloth beneath. That last sanding takes a light hand and a sander that stays steady and controlled.