I recently moved to the San Diego area and I am looking for an experienced local shortboard shaper. I would like someone who is willing to really take some time to work with me on design and feedback as I am contiually trying to refine what works best for me. Any sugestions would be greatly appreciated.
You could give Gary Hanel a try I just got a beautiful fish from him and he also makes some nice bonzers as well asthe usual tri fins. All go through moonlight.
Larry Mabile at Kane Garden, Bob Mitzven at Mitzven, oh and there’s that Jim guy up in Encinitas…
Speaking as one of the best surfers in the San Diego area 
I can give you great advice.
But it depends on what you want. For shortboards, there are hundreds of outstanding shapers here. If, on the other hand, you want a longboard, there are hundreds of outstanding shapers here.
San Diego is like a room full of tennis balls for a golden retriever. You’ll go nuts trying to pick the right one.
I know who I would go to for a great shortboard, the lightest polyurethane jobs in all of San Diego come from…well, I better not say publicly. Private message me and I’ll let you know. He is retired, but he’ll still shape a few once in a while. He glasses just as well as he shapes, but his wife doesn’t want him glassing anymore, but he can’t help it because his glass jobs are the lightest. I have to wear a leash while riding his boards or they would float away. He lives and shapes in North County.
Longboards: Holy smokes. Too many to decide. I’d pick Jim Phillips or Dennis Murphy. Just my opinion, but the choices are limitless.
Or, I’ll make you a board. It would be my third, so you KNOW it will be perfect.
Paul Barga, Chirs Borst, MB, Kaysen just to name a few.
I forgot Michael Andrews. My brother lives and works in Oceanside and gets a lot of boards from him and they work great!
I appreciate the recommendations for solid local shapers. Do you have contact info for any of them? I did some internet searches on them, but I was unable to find any contact info. I am especially interested in Paul Barga’s if you have it as his name has come up several times from other sources as well. Thanks again.
amsets,
Why not make your own? All the info you’ll need can be found here and in the archives. For the usual cost of a custom board you can buy the materials and the tools to do the job(pretty close, anyway). If you can make measurements and learn to use tools you can make a board that works well. Plus, the stoke is so much sweeter on a board you made with your own hands. I surfed and bought other’s boards for thirty years thinking I could not make my own. Tried it two years ago and now the only boards I ride are my own shapes. Mike
I can probably get you in contact w/ Paul Barga if you’re willing to wait a week or so. My brother works for the glass shop that does Barga’s boards and as a result is in frequent contact w/ Barga.
In fact, I just got a Barga board and it works great! I asked him to do sort of a knockoff of the Al Merrick M4.
Anyway, my brother is in Mex for the next week so if you’re anxious to get in touch w/ Barga you might try calling Global Glassing and they could probably put you in touch.
Steve Barto at Rusty. He does excellent guns and short boards for bigger guys, and his work is famed in and around La Jolla.