Bywater Surf takes Hobart

We are stoked to be a part of the 2023 Australian Wooden Boat Festival, held across the Hobart waterfront from 10th - 13th February this year. It is a free, four day festival featuring boats afloat to boats ashore, maritime marketplaces and museums, live demonstrations, races and various activities. Growing from humble beginnings in 1994, it is now a significant event that celebrates wooden watercraft and maritime culture and history. 

Stuart will be hosting and running 3 workshops on crafting wooden handboards. A handboard is a mini-surfboard that fits on your hand, used as a planing device on water to help you bodysurf faster, longer and with more control. Essentially they are designed to act like an extension of your hand, offering a better body surfing experience. They are a light and compact addition to the beach bag. 

As one of the leading timber surfboard craftsman, Stuart will guide individuals through traditional woodworking and watercraft techniques, with their very own hand board to be kept after the workshop. These handboards make for a stunning, collectable surf craft, that is solid, durable and sustainable. Techniques used will be similar to those which are used in wooden surfboard making, so this is a great bite size taster to the world of wooden watercraft. We’ll proudly have a selection of surfboards on display, and yes they will be for sale for a new owner. 

Located at the Noisy Boatyard, there will be 3 workshops running throughout the weekend. Each run for a total of 4 hours and will have a limited capacity of up to 8 students. All tools, equipment and materials are provided and all levels are welcome. We hope to see you there - tickets can be purchased directly via the Wooden Boat Festival Website. 

Workshop 1: Saturday 11 February from 10am-2pm.

Workshop 2: Sunday 12 February from 10am-2pm.

Workshop 3: Monday 13 February from 10am-2pm.

We’re looking forward to being immersed in an iconic and informative festival and know that there will be a lot to be in oar of! (Pun intended)