The finished board

The final product and first surf

The knowledge of having designed and built the board from scratch was great and I love the varnished yacht hull like appearance.

If I made another I would still use plywood for the top and bottom skins and internal structure. One change I would make would be to use solid paulownia timber for the rails instead of building the rails up from thin strip pine sections because this would save a lot of time and stress.

The board is fairly hefty, I estimate at least twice as heavy as a typical foam surfboard, but still fine to lift under one arm. Once in the water the extra weight was not very noticeable. It paddled quickly and was easier to paddle into waves than my 7'10" foam board, probably due to the extra length and buoyancy. The flatter rocker (compared to my foam board) and single fin setup made the board feel very fast. Paddling through choppy water was a bit noisier as the waves hit the board but this was quite satisfying as it reminded me of its hollow construction and the time and labour that had gone in.

The finished board

My surf skills have plenty of room for improvement!