Anyone here make 'em? I thinking about a hallow wood one made with cedar and redwood. I see lots of plans to buy on the net, but I'm working on my cheap assness. The pics I see on look pretty straightforward. Of course then I'll have to learn to surf.
This is how I occupy my time with the wife out of town and the car not here yet.
I wouldn’t recommend learning to surf on a wood board if it can be avoided. Those things are heavy and while learning its bound to run into you more than a couple of times. My 9'6 long board punched a hole through my lower lip a while back.
If you really wana make your own board hand shape a foam blank then have someone glass it for you. It will still probable come out to be a bit more expensive than just buying a nice used board off of craigslist though.
I would personally recommend just getting a lightly used long board off of craigslist or a local surf shop and getting out there and surfing. Its good times and the more you do it the more rewording it becomes.
GlennS has got it nailed. I grew up surfing in SoCal. IMHO, wooden surfboards are beautiful to look at but not a lot of fun to surf with. Make great displays. On the wall or on top of an old style hot rod. Just saw an old style hot rod with a wooden surfboard on top yesterday here in Alabama, in fact. Find a good used board (Craigslist, local surf shop, garage sale, etc) and get out there. If you want to make one, stiff foam and fiberglass is the way to go. Back then I got my board at a garage sale and had to learn fiberglass to repair the board. Wasn't pretty but worked. Would be cool to build a fiberglass board and paint it to look like wood before sealing it.
I actually think that a properly build long board in wood is just fine to learn on but they are extremely dangerous for the rest of us while you learn to surf.
As a example, I got hit with a FOAM longboard in the chest and fractured three ribs and separated my rib cage. Stupid new surfer with no leash in way to big surf, would have killed him if I had the strength at the time.
The kits only run around 400$ or so and they have laser cut spars which is what I would do.
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