Decided to make a surfboard and neede info so I typed " surfboard construction" or something like that into the Yahoo search engine. Everyone has been helpful and the archives are a rich mine of collective knowledge.
Looking up surfboard construction. Found Swaylocks. Been hooked ever since. Is there a question that has not been answer yet?
Was searching for some hollow surfboard info on Google and the rest is history. Swayaholic ever since.
Looking thru the net for anything about surfboard construction. I don’t remember exactly. Could’nt believe what I stumbled onto. Still can’t. Thank you to all the experts and others.
I stumbled across this site awhile back (maybe indirectly through links via Rod’s Paipo site???) and was immediately hooked. I only wish that the internet and a site like this was around when I first started hacking away at foam! Hardly a day goes by that I don’t check it out and learn something new. Re: “What do moderators do?” Uhhh… I think we’re supposed to be “moderating” or something like that.
It was about a year ago tha I read something about Swaylocks in Surfer’s Journal. Before this it was Anthony’s. Sure glad that we met.
Thanks to Anthony’s Board Building Links. They lead me here and many other interesting places. Thanks Anthony.
Good question - I had been around for a while, alt.surfing mostly, and had seen a number of references now and then. Finally got around to wandering in late last year and…
Dale:
I remember posting on the Bruce Jones site and running into Herb there. Oddly enough I was looking for information on polystyrene and epoxy lams and reviving an old Fish habit. Herb sprinkled some bread crumbs around and I found my way here, some 5 years ago. Cheers to everyone past and present that makes this such a special place.
Tom S.
what do moderators do ? obviously nothing overtly radical they are after all OUR example of moderation…ambrose… acting head of literal department
Dale,
I’m a 60s surfer who rode what I thought was my last wave in 1970 when I moved to Colorado to pursue climbing. I summited my last peak in the Himalaya in Nepal in 1999 at age 51, and a year later moved back to the sea and paddled out to ride my first wave in 30 years. My form is terrible, but few still enjoy the stoke and the water as much as I do. As a furniture maker for 30 years I was talked into crafting a vintage style balsa board about 16 months ago. Never having shaped a board in my life, I guess I was too dumb to know I should not attempt such an endeavor.
My countless hours of research on the internet for information led me to this site. It was as if I had hit a gold vein. I just completed my third balsa board, a 10’2" nose rider with concave nose, flat mid, vee through the tail (thanks J. Phillips), with all the bells and whistles (eight stringers, solid redwood rails, nose and tail blocks). I mention all this at the risk of boring everyone who reads, but my intent is to convey my gratitude for all the pros who unknowingly offered the mass amount of info I studied prior to purchasing my skil planer and letting the first shavings fly.
The info provided by you guys here on Swaylocks along with my woodworking experience took me from a stack of Ecuadorian balsa and California old growth redwood to the final product. The process keeps me connected to the soul of surfing. Thanks again guys.
I’ll post a pic of my new board later tonight in the rare event anyone cares to see it.
Richard -
Mike probably won’t get to board posts for a few days. Maybe add a photo to a post for a preview?
Google…
some variation of ‘build a surfboard’ search.
DB, aka Dave Brown. I watched him shape a board in his garage under a single 60-watt bulb and later told me about Swaylocks. He moved to TX a year later.
well it must have been joel tudor only to realize that it was stu kenson. after looking at the new surfing magazines i realized my arial approach was lacking so i got into riding single fins to think about surfing differently. purchased a tudor good karma board -wasn’t quite what i was looking for-- purchased another - again not quite what i was looking for but the indo swallow is a sick board when the east coast is firing. and then i thought why not try to make my own. instead of a little wider version of the good karma in the nose and tail i figured the hell with single fins i should just make a fish instead. something diffferent apparantly after reading back posts. so i don’t really know with all this rambling. i found this site on a web search . full of great information. i just want to make some different boards. explore the past and future and gain a better understanding of surfing through foam and resin. i worked for con for about one month in 88,and then did some glassing for local shapers around15 years ago in jersey for a bit. so i figured i would need to do some research and here i am.
Have to thank Anthony’s Board Building links that brought me here some 4 yrs ago.
Stumbled on the site a couple years back when I was searching the net for any info I could find to shape my first board. This place was the bomb and even though I had purchased the JC tapes they did not even come close to what this site has been able to teach me. I have made close to 100 boards since then and am still very much a rookie with much to learn so I read swaylocks on a daily basis. I almost had a heart attach when Swaylocks went off the air a while back when the domain name wasn’t updated… talk about withdrawls 
Wanted to build my own board…searched the net for info/products…been almost 3yrs and can’t seem to miss a day…great site. Stoked on my own boards…never thought I would be able to say that…also appreciate other shapes more…peace and waves…
Sean W
I first dipped my toe into the Swaylocks pool of knowledge in June of 2001…
How I found it …???..Most likely (I don’t really remember exactly) was through a search engine…
To me it was and is, a source of inspiration…
The “why not’s” exceed the “you can’t do it that way’s”…
And it just keeps on growing…
my dad told me about it. I looked into it when i wanted to know how much SA to add to resin for a good sand. Then i got a desk job and have ‘read the archives till my eyes bled’ on the down time. I have learned a lot about design, inspired to build some crazy different boards, guided into better materials and equipment, have picked up some GREAT tips, i have been slightly starstruck by some who visit here, and i have been thoroughly entertained. I feel like i could build any type of surfcraft with all the different materials available from reading all the information that has been shared here.