Last post...

This will be my last post on tp4surf.blogspot.com. Future blog posts will be seen at www.tp4surf.com under "Blog...see what's new". While your're there, check out the new website.

Another T-Belly headed to the glasser...

This one is for Customer Sheila

These mini-pocket-rockets are just too much fun! If you can ride a boggie board you can fly on a TBG4!! 

Colorful Mid-Sized Simmons...

Most of the "mini-Simmons" shapes are built in the sub-6' range. Simmons himself built boards with similar outlines from 9' to 6'.  This board is a good example of what I would call a "mid-sized " Simmons shape. The board has the the low-aspect-ratio outline, flat rocker and tail concave that is Simmons-inspired. The extra length provides the volume desired by the customer, and the quad-fin set-up maintains the desired performance level. A great longboard alternative for the smaller waves of summer.

It hard not to notice the unique color design of this board. All of the color work was done with resin-tints by master craftsman Ray Lucke. This is a labor-intensive, four-stage process that yields a radical, one-of-a-kind look.

This close-up shows some of the color variations obtained by the process.

The dimensions are 6'10" x 23" x 3" 60L. As stated above, this is a great summer and/or small-wave board. Multiply your weight by 0.316 to get an estimate of the volume you might need.

May is here and the time is right to order your summer board!

New shaping bay at Lucke Glassing...

Glasser and good friend, Ray Lucke, is in the process of moving into a much larger factory. Here I am trying out the new (and larger!) shaping bay.

Just a few additions to make, like an overhead vacuum hose and power cord management for the planer, a few more side-lights, but in general I'm totally stoked with the new digs!


I'm working on a customer's 6-10 Mini-Simmons, a great choice for summertime conditions. Though usually below 6ft in length, the shape is very adaptable. Longer versions, like this one, are a good fit for older/larger surfers looking for a shorter alternative to their longboard.

Getting close to summer...

It's not too early to order your new summer board. Check the "Demo Board" page if you want to try one of my boards, and then take a look at the current "Prices" page. Delivery times are now 4-5 weeks, but that will change soon, as orders for the summer season start to build. Order yours today!

New 8-0 Nomad...

Over the years I've built a number of sub-8ft egg shapes (Nomad Model), mostly 2+1 set-ups, but a few quads as well. The surf conditions in my part of California vary, greatly. This past winter was as good as it gets, while the winter before it (2013-14) was just an extension of summertime, without SW swells. More often than not, surf runs 2'-4', which is good enough for the ol' log, but who wants to ride a log everyday? Finding a board that's a little more "sporty" in performance but can still handle the small stuff is a real challenge. This board is my latest attempt.

Dimensions are 8'0" 16-1/4" x 22" x 14-5/8" 2-3/4" 55.8L. EPS/Epoxy construction with two-tone resin-tint color, and sanded gloss-coat finish. The board is both light and buoyant. The board has a versatile five fin-box set-up, allowing either quad- or tri-fins.

Low entry-rocker makes this board an easy paddler, with good down-the-line speed. Initial trials at Mondos (mush-burger capital of the world) showed that it can handle the small stuff. Just waiting for the next South swell to see how it handles some juice.

New 9-8 Nova for Scott...

Man, I love "Pick-up Day", the day the customer first lays eyes on his/her new board; the smiles, the high-fives, brings out the kid in everyone. Its one of the things I like most about building surfboards. This day it was Scot and his new 9-8 Nova.

This Nova is 9'8" 17-1/2" x 23" x 14" x 3-1/8" It was glassed with double 6oz deck and single 6oz bottom, and finished clear, sanded gloss-coat, with black pinline. And just for a little pizzaz, we added a wooden tailblock. The 2+1 fin set-up adds to the versatility of this shape. I recommend 9-1/2" single-fin for waves 4ft or smaller, and 7-1/2" center fin with 3.7" side-bites for waves 5ft or larger.

Getting ready for summer...

This winter, in Ventura County, we had lots of great surf, but Spring is here and with Summer just around the corner it was time to build a small-wave longboard.

This is my Classic Model, at least its the latest iteration of the Classic. For 2015 I've moved the widepoint behind center, giving the shape a more "Pig-ish" look and feel. The rails are pinched 60/40 with no tucked edge. The bottom has a blended, half-length nose concave that becomes slightly convex in the middle, and then transitions into a rolled panel-V in the tail. The rocker is fairly flat to match up with the small flat waves we have here in the summer. The NR is 4" and the TR is 3-5/8"

This blank had a couple of tiny surface holes caused by air bubbles, so my first choice of a resin tint color was not to be. Instead< we went with this "Dejon" yellow opaques, with red and black pinlines. Glassing schedule was 6oz + 6oz deck, and 6oz bottom.

The board's dimensions are 9'6" 17-1/4" x 23" x 15-5/8"  3" 79L. At 19lbs the board has the heft of a proper noserider to it, largely due to the 3/8" redwood stringer. Finished off with a through fin-box leash loop and True Ames 9.5" Velzy Nose Rider fin, the board performs as as well as it looks.

Kirt's Classic...

I really enjoy being challenged by my customers. It gets me out of my comfort zone, and spices things up. As much as I appreciate the classic look of a coke-bottle-green noserider, you can only do so many solid resin tints before it gets, well, boring. I can always rely upon customer Kirt to stir things up, and his request for this 9-3 Classic Model was no exception.

This 9-3 x 23" x 3-1/8" round-pin single-fin, has 50/50 rails, half-length nose concave and extraordinary resin work by Ray Lucke. The board was done with a multi-colored, reversed-lap deck and solid blue tint bottom inlay. A double pinline on the bottom neatly cleans things up.

To get a glimpse of the complicated process required to produce this very special lamination work go here. Ray and I have been building boards together for over 4yrs and I think this definitely one of the best that we've done. We'd love to build your next board. Challenge us!

Getting social...

Social networking is a great tool for a shaper (me) to communicate news, ideas, thoughts, photos' etc.with fellow surfers. You can now follow Thomas Patrick Surfboards on Facebook , Twitter (@tp4surf) and Instagram (#tp4surf)