Have you wondered what the inside of our hollow wooden surfboard looks like?

To make the foundation of your new hollow wooden surfboard, it all starts with the ribs, the rails and the nose & tail blocks. These fundamental components are carefully structured together to make the skeleton of the Bywater wooden Surfboard.

The laminated rails are paulownia timber and the plywood ribs are CNC cut ready to go. The nose and tail blocks are paulownia and will later be furthered crafted into the desired shape you are after for your board.

The size, shape and length of these parts are very specific to the board that is being crafted. For example, the Fanny requires 10 ribs while the Rose taking a total of 16 ribs. The ribs need to be evenly spaced to ensure the integrity and durability of the structure and board outline shape.

The ribs are specifically designed for strength weight reduction and to ensure there is one air chamber throughout the board, which ensures there is no internal air pressure. This allows the board to be left out in the sun on the roof of your car all day (with the bung out) with no ill effects to the board.

Once the ribs are secured to the internal rail, a dry run is performed so the timber memory is formed throughout the frame. The outer rails are pegged to the frame and the nose and tail blocks are held with tape. Not only does this create memory for the board, but it will ensure you feel confident with the process before glue is involved.

After the frame has been finalised, glued and set – it’s onto shaping. Stay tuned for our next blog that covers this exciting part of surfboard crafting.

Our Premium Kit comes with over 40 hrs of video content showing you the step-by-step guide from start to finish of crafting your own wooden surfboard. For the more experienced woodworker, you may be up for our DIY Customised Kit.

View our wide range of boards here – begin your woodworking journey at home and add a unique board to your quiver.