There are a lot of us who owe something to Sways, and I just wanted to write a few things down as I think about this place. I rarely visit these days, but do check in here and there, and am always glad to see what I have been so continuously thankful for:
For the free-flowing access to advice, knowledge, experience, years. Photos, breakdowns, builds, information, interest, encouragement. Everything.
When my interest was first peaked, the topic of surboard building seemed so daunting; Step after step, chemicals, techniques, layers, theories. But Swaylock’s was there as an open arena for ideas, questions, and personal advice that was invaluable. I could find SOMETHING about every step I didn’t understand, and if I couldn’t, I felt safe - after a thorough use of the search function! - asking for help. It would never solve my problem completely, but it would melt away my doubts just enough. I could proceed with new bits of knowledge or encouragement, and go forward at home to learn it by hand.
There is a lot of discussion in here now, almost ten years later, and I am so glad that Swaylocks is alive and healthy. What a wonderful resource!! I know my life would not be the same without such a forum, so for that, an endless THANK YOU, SWAYLOCK’S!
Yeah, gotta jump on board here too. Pretty neat the exchange of materials and ideas. How tos are invaluable. All from an industry with a deep tradition in R. EFFING the competition. This is a unique forum and I hope to heck that someone has made some dough off it.
Cheers Ben, couldnt of done it without the help from you guys on here, special props to thirdshade, mcding, barry synder and all the rest for answering my noobie questions and putting me on the right track. Sometimes I go back and read things I asked (have a laugh at myself) and realise how much I’ve learnt in the past two years working fulltime production. It was always my goal to make boards for a living and i’m super stoked I got there. As of today I just got a new job doing laminating for haydenshapes, which will add to my past two years of sanding, edging and hotcoating for channel islands/misfit. All of these oppurtunities were as a result of time spent in the shed, reading sways and then giving it a crack. So from my point of view sways had a big part in forming the life I wanted to live and assisted me in reaching that goal.