Anyone notice Grizzly's surfboard kits?

[Josh Reet]

Browsing the new Grizzly sale catalog (Spring 2010), I see that they are now carrying surfboard kits. Anyone know anything about them?

http://grizzly.com/products/searchresults.aspx?q=surfboard

Without more info, I have to say that I'm not confident that they would be usable for surfing. Far too often this sort of thing is just a "for looks" type of deal. The captions are filled with "surf talk" about rails and other typical board design stuff. But I'm still suspicious.

Perhaps I'll wander up to the Griz showroom and see if they have anything on display. Though I didn't notice any boards sitting around when I was in there the other week.

[Jim O'Dell]

Yes, I saw those. I'm no surfer, but I'd hate to get whacked in the head by a solid wood surfboard! I thought most surf boards were foam core? Jim.

[David Helm]

You guys are just too young to know about real surfboards. They were all solid wood, very long and weighed a ton (well not literally). Duke Kahanamoku was a world champion surfer (and a world class competition swimmer). His board was wood and about 9 feet long. This foam stuff just happened in the 60's (1960's that is).

[Josh Reet]

Yes, I saw those. I'm no surfer, but I'd hate to get whacked in the head by a solid wood surfboard! I thought most surf boards were foam core? Jim.

Historically, David is correct. Back in the day, boards were solid wood.

However, these boards are not likely to be solid wood. Wood boards these days are typically built over a hollow core rib frame design (though I'm sure that isn't the right name). And in fact, in looking for a photo to illustrate the design, I actually found out an answer to my original question.

It appears that Grizzly is selling board kits from these people:

http://www.woodsurfboardsupply.com/

You can see that Grizzly uses the names and product descriptions used on that website:

http://www.woodsurfboardsupply.com/longboards.html

So I have a feeling that the boards are actually quite surfable given the little I've been able to look into it. I haven't found any reviews of these specific kits, but I haven't looked all that hard yet either. The Grizzly prices are a bit cheaper it appears (particularly with the spring sale), but the kits from that website include shipping. So it may not be any savings for some/most people. I do wonder if Grizzly is actually stocking these kits, or just having them drop shipped from the company that makes them. I guess I'll ask the guys at the showroom the next time I can get in there.

Finally, I found this forum based around building wood surfboards, looks like some good info there:

http://www.grainsurf.com/forum/index.php

[Bill Wyko]

I use to surf when I lived in San Diego. I miss those days. Kind of hard to surf in Tucson AZ.:D Otherwise I'd go for it.

[george wilson]

Those boards have to be the new,light kind. The old wooden ones were several feet longer.

[Brad Tucker]

Hi all, I make the kits. Yes they are light and surf able. Been making and surfing them for my son and I for years as a hobby. Cabinetmaker for 30 years. Always dreamed about making some kind of fun product for a living instead of white melamine boxes over and over again. Sold a few board kits on eBay in my spare time when the economy was booming. Bought a Flexicam CNC and software for nearly 100k for my cabinet business just before the bottom fell out. Oops! To save the ship I began looking to all avenues to keep my machine paying for itself and my family. I was forced to look at the pennies my hobby was making as real income. Got together with a computer wiz / fellow hollow wood board builder Jack Young to write some good instructions and make a website and Wood Surfboard Supply was born. We’re far from out of the woods but we’re making the rent and CNC payments thanks to a woodworking hobby. :D

Brad Tucker

[John Shuk]

Very cool stuff Brad. Best of luck to you.
Grizzly rocks. I think it is awesome that they branch out the way that they do. Shiraz should be happy and proud of the company he has built.

[Paul Steiner]

The grizzly catalog gets better and better. I am going to add this project to the list, I think this will be a father son project down the line. Brad I am impressed, I checked out the manual online and it looks great. Would you recommend any of these for a beginner? I live in VA and get to the beach about 2 weeks out of the year.

[Brad Tucker]

The grizzly catalog gets better and better. I am going to add this project to the list, I think this will be a father son project down the line. Brad I am impressed, I checked out the manual online and it looks great. Would you recommend any of these for a beginner? I live in VA and get to the beach about 2 weeks out of the year.



Hi Paul, Depends on what you mean by a beginner. Total beginner, never done anything with wood at all ever. Probably not. I think you may be a bit more advanced that that if you're on this forum. If you're on this forum in the first place to have enough interest and a few tools. You'll need something to rip the planks. A tablesaw or bandsaw. I think our instructions say you need a planer too. Although a planer is useful its not needed. The father son thing is great. My son and I are very close because of surfing and woodworking together. My son wouldn't be interested in learning woodworking making chairs and tables or cabinets but a surfboard to him is cool and he's become a very good woodworker. We've had many beginners succeed. We'll answer any questions along the way as you build. The mid sized longboards are the easiest because there is less rocker in the nose. (Less wood bending involved) The MiniMal and Cruiser are great first wood boards. Also good father son sizes.

Brad Tucker

[Andrew Joiner]

This company get's $10,000 for each board and they're all sold!
http://www.42boards.blogspot.com/

The 42boards site had pictures of the construction but I can't find them now. The middle strips are sawed and drilled out to form hollow chambers like this link shows:
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZImUHaZVs-g/0.jpg

This "chambered" construction is easier to build and would be more durable than a ribs and spar core. Chambered style may be a bit heavier initially until there is a leak.

[David Helm]

Wow!!!! $10,000 for a surfboard. How do we go about getting into that business?!

[Paul Steiner]

Hi Paul, Depends on what you mean by a beginner. Total beginner, never done anything with wood at all ever. Probably not. I think you may be a bit more advanced that that if you're on this forum. If you're on this forum in the first place to have enough interest and a few tools. You'll need something to rip the planks. A tablesaw or bandsaw. I think our instructions say you need a planer too. Although a planer is useful its not needed. The father son thing is great. My son and I are very close because of surfing and woodworking together. My son wouldn't be interested in learning woodworking making chairs and tables or cabinets but a surfboard to him is cool and he's become a very good woodworker. We've had many beginners succeed. We'll answer any questions along the way as you build. The mid sized longboards are the easiest because there is less rocker in the nose. (Less wood bending involved) The MiniMal and Cruiser are great first wood boards. Also good father son sizes.

Brad Tucker


I meant beginner in surfing. I am an expert in woodwork, surfing I am going to need some lessons.

[Andrew Joiner]

This company get's $10,000 for each board and they're all sold!


This "chambered" construction is easier to build and would be more durable than a ribs and spar core. Chambered style may be a bit heavier initially until there is a leak.

I just reread this and to clarify. I meant to say the "chambered" construction is less likely to leak than the spar core designs. Either design gets heavy if it leaks.

[Brad Tucker]

I meant beginner in surfing. I am an expert in woodwork, surfing I am going to need some lessons.
You'll have fun breezing through the kit then Paul. Surf lessons are a good start. If you take some lessons before you buy a kit you'll get a good idea of what size board will work for you.

[Brad Tucker]

I just reread this and to clarify. I meant to say the "chambered" construction is less likely to leak than the spar core designs. Either design gets heavy if it leaks.

True on all counts Andrew. The problem with chambered construction is the cost and availability of Balsa over 3" thick and 8 to 10 ft long. Rib and spar method allows the builder to make the board with shorter lengths. I use scrap rippings from my cabinet shop and I get a smoking deal on balsa shorts left over from the chamberd board guys. You can also get creative with the pattern on a rib and spar without adding a ton of weight. Chambered construction really only works with Balsa or Paulownia. Anything else is a wall hanger.

[Greg Portland]

Paul, you may want to start with a stand up paddleboard. It would be great to take out on the Potomac or other local lake and/or river. They are much more stable than a surfboard.

[Brad Tucker]

Paul, you may want to start with a stand up paddleboard. It would be great to take out on the Potomac or other local lake and/or river. They are much more stable than a surfboard.

Here is a link to an SUP build on another forum. The guy building it ( Malcolm Schweizer ) Is an incredible wood worker and hull designer. Check out the inlay work at the end of the post. He designs and races kayaks as well as making wood surfboards. In addition to building this prototype he also came up with the design. He lives in the Virgin Islands and has very limited shop space. This is his 2nd build in a newly expanded shop. His first build was build almost entirely in his kitchen. Every time I feel like complaining about my shop space I think of the great work Malcolm is producing in such a small space. Then it comes to me he can walk to the beach from his shop and I don't feel bad for him anymore. lol.
http://www.grainsurf.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3240