New Logo...

I've been meaning to get this logo reproduced for over 18-mos, and finally got around to it.

You'll be seeing this new logo on stickers, t-shirts and boards, of course!

Talk with your shaper, surf with your shaper...

The better your shaper knows you and your surfing, the better the boards he shapes will work for you. It's that simple. Phil ( on the right, above) met me for a surf this morning at C St. He first called me about one of my used boardsback  in 2008. Over the past several years, we have had many conversations, and shared more than a few waves. And, we've collaborated on four different boards, each one custom fit for Phil's surfing style and ability. It's the relationships I build with my customers that keeps my surfboard shaping from becoming nothing but "millwork". Sharing the stoke is what it's about...

T-Belly Gen 2 Build...

This is the second post on the T-Belly G2 build. The blank was given a sealer coat of epoxy resin and cabosil. The sealer coat helps to fill in the tiny pock marks left in the EPS foam after shaping, helps to prevent air from escaping the core and causing delamination after glassing, and generally provides a good adhesive layer for the lamination. After sealing, the blank was air-sprayed a light grey color. At this point the blank weighs 2lbs 4oz. Since the blank is stringer-less, I decided to use a layer of "VectorNet" between the blank and the 6oz cloth on the bottom. VectorNet is Kevlar netting woven into some very fine nylon mesh.

I'm hoping that the netting will provide torsional strength without the stiffness that you  get with carbon fiber. Here's the VectorNet draped over the blank prior to trimming.

And now, trimmed, with a layer of 6oz E-cloth. Normally, I would use 4oz cloth, but the VectorNet causes ridges beneath the fine, 4oz cloth, which can lead to sand-throughs during the sanding process.

And, finally, laminated with epoxy resin and "pulled dry"...sexy, eh?

The deck will also get a layer of VectorNet, but only in the back half of the board where the rider will be. I'm hoping this lamination process will yield a board that is strong and resilient, but also has a little flex.

Summer is just around the corner....

A quick check of the local surf conditions confirms that Winter is over and that it's time to break out the small-wave gear. Here's a few ideas for maximizing your fun quotient in small waves.


         


                48" T-Belly

5-4 Mini-Widget, 5-fin set-up

5-1 Mini-Widget, 5-fin set-up.

7-3 Widget 5-Fin Set-up

7-8 Kingfish with Gephart Marine-ply  Keel Fins




And, of course an irreplaceable 9-6 Single-fin Classic

Summer orders are starting to build, but current wait time is only 6-weeks. Wait a minute, in 6 weeks it will be mid-June!? Better hurry!

A couple of Classics....

   Hot, breezy days have people lining up to get their next custom summer board. Here's a pair of Classics on the lamination rack.

Both boards are resin tint, with resin tint deck inlay. Traditional lap-line, pinline will be added after hot-coat.  Old school lamination to match the feel of old school 50/50 rails and single-fin glide. A couple of more Classics in the wings, including a triple-stringer and one for yours truly...errr, the shop, I mean. Don't get caught without a log for the summer, order your Classic today.

A photo-essay...

Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to be approached by photographer Anastasia Petukhova, requesting the opportunity to photograph me while shaping. Anastasia is a very talented photographer who is in the process of creating a photo-documentary about surfboard building. She plans to show her work at a solo exhibition sometime in the future, but in the meantime you can find her most recent work on shapers HERE.

The board I'm shaping in the photos is my current daily driver. You can see all of the photos taken by Anastasia during this session in the "Shapers Series" on her blog.

Pure custom...

Believe it or not, this shape started out as a 7-10 Widget 3yrs ago. Customer Phil didn't like how it fit, so I took it back and we put our heads together and came up with this shape. Phil loved this board, and then recently a friend rode it and insisted on buying it. Phil came back to me, wanting the same shape, but with some tweaks, most notably EPS/Epoxy construction. Here's the result:

If forced to name it, I'd call it a double bump-wing swallow-tail Nova Speedster, but you can call it a "custom". Isn't it time you had a custom board built?

Sneak Peak at T-Belly Gen 2...

I've been working on a couple of belly boards, one of which is a prototype for the next generation of T-Bellys. Here are some photos of the early stages of the build. I plan to do a complete article on the whole project in  a couple of weeks.

Tenplate underneath is TB-G1

 

Every shape starts with a template, and if its a new shape, a new template is created. One way I create templates is to print out the full outline from Aku, carefully tape together the 8.5x11 sheets of paper, cut the outline, and trace it onto a piece of masonite.












After cutting and truing the big curves with my Hitachi Planer, I use a surform true up the smaller curves and finish with a bit of sandpaper.

The outline is then traced onto the blank and cut out. I have another planer set-up to just true the outline on the blank. With all the contours on both the deck and the bottom, shaping one of theses takes almost as long as shaping a longboard.

Here's the finished bottom viewed from the tail. Notice the defined tail concave and the elevated wing on the rails.

r

Yesterday, my glasser applied the sealer coat to the deck. I like to have my EPS boards sealed with a slurry of epoxy and cabosil, It helps to fill in the little pock marks that plague EPS blanks, provides a great surface to bond the rest of the lamination, and helps to prevent de-lamination.

New Nova for Adam...

This is Adam's new Nova. Its 9-3 x 22-3/4 x 3". The Nova is a great choice for a one-board-quiver since it has such a wide wave-range. You can surf it as a single-fin up to shoulder-high, and then switch to a 2+1 set-up for shoulder-high and bigger waves. It accommodates a wide range of surfing styles from surfing off the tail to the more classic slide/glide/noseride, and everything in between.

The other nice thing about the Nova is that the shape scales very well. I've done them as small as 6-10 and as long as 10-6. So, regardless of your size, sex or age, I can tailor a Nova to meet your surfing needs. I can have a new Nova in your hands within 4 weeks. All it takes is a phone call 805-856-8554.

Ready to ride...

Fresh off the polisher's rack is this sweet, 9-6 Nova. Dimensions: 9’6” 18-3/8” x 23” x 14-1/4” 3-1/8”  79L NR 4-1/2” TR3-5/8”.
Modern longboard with 60/40 rails, half-length nose concave, “V” in tail, and 2+1 fin setup. Plenty of speed, with effortless turning and long noserides.

Gloss & polish, two-tone, Maroon resin-tint “nose dip” with clear tail. This board is brand-new-never-been-waxed-never-been-surfed, fresh off the glasser’s rack.










It can be seen and fondled at Backnine Surf Shop in Camarillo, M-F noon-6p, Sat & Sun 10a-6p. Price $705+tax.  Pay cash, PayPal or use credit card (MC, VISA, AMEX).

Up next for the shop is a 9-0 Nova. Blank is shaped and is waiting its turn to be glassed. So if you're interested in a new 9-0 Nova, finished to your liking, call me ASAP at 805-856-8554.