Make a handboard with us!

With a fresh new year in front of us, we are looking to add some more exciting workshops to our calendar of learning. From surfboards to SUP boards, we love making amazing watercraft out of timber and a popular and accessible project is the small but mighty handboard.  

Back in 2023 we had the pleasure of hosting a timber handboard making workshop at the Hobart Wooden Boat Festival. Each session attracted a diverse range of students from kids to adults, all walking away with their very own handboard to enjoy in the surf. 

A handboard is a great way to elevate your bodysurfing ability and experience. Essentially it is a mini-surfboard that fits on your hand, used as a planing device to help you bodysurf with more control and more lift, resulting in faster, longer rides. 

Making a handboard from scratch is a fantastic entry into woodworking, especially if you are an ocean lover. Through such a course, students learn fundamental woodworking principles, honing skills in shaping and sanding. The shape of a handboard often includes a concave bottom to channel water and create lift, similar to the design of a surfboard. 

We make our handboards out of Australian grown paulownia - our tried, tested and go-to timber for all things watercraft. This timber is incredibly light, durable and buoyant. It is easy to shape, sand and finish, offering a beautiful blonde colour with awesome grain. A more eco-friendly option to foam or plastics. 

Handboards (blanks and ready-made) are available for purchase on our site, yet with growing interest for an in-person workshop, it may be a new course we add to our roster.  Located at our workshop in Brisbane, running for 4 hours, such a course would be more than suitable for beginners as well as those who have dabbled in woodwork but are curious about this watercraft. It would also act as a great tester for our 4 day wooden surfboard making course. 

We’d love to hear from you if you are interested and we will aim to fit this new class into our learning calendar of 2024. 

For more information about our handboards please contact us here.