cedar.
I would not use any of the other ones on the list…'cept maybe pine.
the rest are hard, heavy woods.
If you are going very short, for prone only then the heavier woods would be fine, maybe even better under certain surf conditions as the weight can give a lot of momentum to drive through sections and smooth out bumps. In general though, the alaia design really works best w/ the right amount and quality of flex. Those in the know seem to really prefer the paulownia over all other woods
take it to the water… try standing. I personally would hesitate about going under 15 inches. 6 foot board at 16 inches wide should provide ample planing for more enjoyment. Of those woods go with the cedar. UV epoxy for any glue ups.
ok so cedar for the wood.
does the uv stuff have to be epoxy because i just got some fiberglass uv for my skimboard and i have a lot left over?
and finally length lol… is 6 the average or is longer better (i saw a video of a 12’ alaia)? i have read that flex is important. not saying im gonna go build a 12 footer 
Mythbusters might say length is not always a good thing. Extra long gs skis dont work in the moguls well. If you are making an alaia for long large waves the length would be a consideration but for the panhandle think short and light. Thickness at widepoint no more than 3/4 of an inch if your under 200 pounds. Nose and tail thickness can be under 1/2 inch. If wood is plentiful try the cheapest waterproof wood glue you can find and try it or just use the best uv epoxy you can get and forget about it coming unglued.
so ceder
6 feet long
16 inches wide
3/4 inches thick
and its worse than the panhandle i live in naples, its about as south as you can get on the west coast of florida. (no waves until cold fronts or hurricanes)
I don’t think UV epoxy would work on a joint that is butted… the UV light will not reach the inside of the joint…?
Regular epoxy would work just fine, strong and flexable.
I have some paulownia coming soon, It’s drying now… if anyone wants some on the west coast. It should be ready (dry) in time for Swaloholics!
Les
No offense Les, epoxy uv or not will be better than elmers. UV reaches my rear cheeks and they are butted. The best IMO - UV epoxy, use whatever you want.
ok - I thought you knew I referred to west 207 hardener not uv cure.
No… I thought you meant ultra violet (stick it in the sun) cure epoxy. No problem, I agree epoxy is MUCh better than any other glue for wood.
Les
Epoxy is undoubtedly the best but do you really need the best for a pine alaia? Or any alaia? Titebond 3 is low cost and cleans up super easily w/ plain old soap and water. No VOC’s at all, no stink. Probably would not hold up if you just left the board in the water 24/7 but neither would the wood…
Great point, I have seen fifty year old wood boards made of cedar around here. These boards are exposed to the elements outdoors. That is the reason I use the best for an alaia I plan on being around for a while. If I expect less of a lifespan I would certainly consider more convenient adhesive.
Are the 50 year olds laminates or single plank? I would wonder about whether epoxy would be any better than Titebond for long duration like that. Don’t think either has been around that long!
I forget what they are called but there are wicked strong and water proof glues that at least used to be used in wooden water ski laminations. Much more toxic though and require very high clamp pressure to get good bond
tridrles how did you put those concave wells into the bottom of the board?
So true the last sentence. I have other photos of the older exposed planks. This pic is all I have uploaded at the moment.
These boards are 25+yrs, on a west facing exterior wall. They had the paint treatment twice.
Cedar siding and fencing that is still there from fifty years of elements are found with a little looking. It seems there were two basic treatments, a tar type and some other oil paint type of finish. The tar type looks to have lasted around 20-30 years with one coat.
I will get the other shots up if I get around to it. 50 year old south facing cedar houses were a priority when I was considering local wood options last year.
So it would be easier than one imagines to make an Alaia that could be around for a century.
I’d like to try some titebond III, how could I get a bottle?
It’s not solid wood… it’s a balsa composite.
I start off with 1# HD foam, shape it then vacuum bag 3/32" balsa over it. I had to cut and shape the balsa to get the bottom curves.
This one was the first alaia that I made. It’s 1 1/2" thick. Catches waves easy but slides when more than 45 deg. off heading at the beach. The second one is 3/4 to 1" thick. Bottom is slight concave last 1/3. Thinner one is more flexable, harder to catch waves (have to push down on the nose to get it in) but turns MUCH better (almost no slide ass).
Les
very cool can you post a pic of the second one? (thinner one)
very cool can you post a pic of the second one? (thinner one)
very cool can you post a pic of the second one? (thinner one)
very cool can you post a pic of the second one? (thinner one)
I’m at work now. I have to still take pic of the second one.
The differences are…(construction is the same: 1#EPS core, 3/32" balsa top and bottom, 4 oz. glass under and over, 1/4" cherrywood/ 1/2" balsa rails)
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8’x16"x1 1/2", highly contoured last third of bottom (see previous pic), last 1/3 of sides are curved in, surfing it is stiffer makes catching a wave easy, slides ass if turning too sharp.
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8’x16"x1", 1/4" concave last 1/3 of board bottom, top 3/32" concave full length, rails thinned to 1/4", sides (rails) are straight nose to tail. Surfing it’s flexible, have to push the nose down to get into a wave, tuns easy and in control even in trim with the wave.
Pictures this afternoon.
Les