I am a 17 year old aspiring to be a surf board shaper. I would really love to get into it as a profession but it seems to be very hard on getting any info on how to even start. If anyone could be of any assistance it would be very greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Kyle Recker!
start making boards for yourself and your friends. and do it cheap. when you get to the point where your boards would sell if they were on the racks at your local surf shop…congratulations…you’re there. get the word out, stock the shelves, etc…
hey Brandon you wouldnt happen to know where i could get info on how to actually shape the boards…ive made 1 in a caperentry class but it turned out not to ride so well. I did it all from guess work and i was wondering if you knew of any instructional videos or books…
Thank you,
Kyle Recker!
If you’re asking where to learn shaping I recommend buy the Master Glasser/Shaper series. They are a little expensive, but I’ve found them to be extremely benificial. I found that reading everything was not enough to get me started. I needed a visual to develop a mental picture then everything that I read started to make sense. If its getting you boards into shops there was a thread a couple weeks ago that seemed like it would be helpful.
Recker,
There is another shaping video that is better for first time shapers in my opinion. It’s John Carper’s Shaping 101. Get them both if you can afford it. Good advice from Soulstice. Make a board. Ride it. Sell it for the cost of the materials. Make another board, etc. Mike
the videos are very helpful, and can save you from making costly mistakes. if you want to focus more on making shortboards, then start with the JC vids. if you want to do longboards/funshapes, then i’d shell out the extra coin and get the Damascus videos (master shaper, master glasser)…worth every penny.
the archives on swaylocks have the answer to everything you could possibly want to know…somewhere. you just need to find it.
when you’re making boards, pay close attention to all of your mistakes and learn from them. to be perfectly honest, screwing up is the most educating thing there is.
get feedback from everyone who rides your boards and see what needs tweaking. try different stuff until you get it just right.
when i make boards for a friend, i charge 'em $100 over the cost of materials. this covers the wear and tear on my tools, and whoever i’m making the board for gets their own custom shape for cheap. more importantly, from the aspiring pro shaper standpoint, it gets more of your boards out in the water. and if the rider has any talent, people will definitely ask about the board. word of mouth is key.
and when you first get into production, focus on one specific model to stock the shelves with. there’s a local guy down here in south florida that makes an insane amount of this funshape in the 7’0" to 7’6" range. i see them all over the place, and while no one would ever get a board like that for their second board, it’s a great first board for everyone and will certain help them learn the basics before they figure out what direction they want to take their surfing style. so if you want to gain some market foothold, start small. get a funshape like that keyed in just right, and stock the shelves with it. a low price will get it out the door, and then start experimenting with other shapes until you can build yourself a nice catalog.
where are you from? watching shapers shape and glassers glass can really help you learn the process. but no one can point you in the right direction if we don’t know where you’re at. fill out that profile.
Hey Recker823,
Study everything you can on shaping and the archives here.
Go over to a surfboard factory with a broom in your hand and tell them that you’ll sweep up for them and tidy the place up when ever they need you to for free. Prove you’re trustworthy, stay out of the way, express your interest, and watch when you have permission and the rest will take care of itself.
Mahalo, Rich
you can check out my friend shaping on a live web cam. go to www.usedsurf.com and at the top you can click the link that will take you to the web cam. its kinda a birds eye view but you make get some incite.
Howzit Maurice, Is that Midget Smith's shaping bay? If it is one of his nephews just rented the downstairs unit from me, his name is Mike Kenney and he has told me in the past that Midget is his uncle.Aloha,Kokua
Howzit Maurice, Is that Midget Smith’s shaping bay? If it is one of his nephews just rented the downstairs unit from me, his name is Mike Kenney and he has told me in the past that Midget is his uncle.Aloha,Kokua
hence the "disco ball and midgets dancing " comment on another related thread …ah , now it’s becoming clearer !!
ben
be funny australian style humour if ‘Midget’ is a 6’8 , 300+ lbs full blood moke kinda guy , eh ?
“yes , midget, I really LIKE this board , SIR! …no Midget , really , I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it at all…”
hey kokua - good to meet ya. yeah that is good old midget smith’s shaping bay. he shapes in san clemente, ca. i do not know if i have evr met his nephew - i will have to ask him bout that- small world sometimes huh!!!
THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE THAT HELPED!
THANK YOU,
Kyle Recker!
For your first board just try a straight copy of a board you know works for you, first time out you’ll have enough to learn without trying to reinvent the wheel.
If you’re planning on useing your old mans garage, don’t understimate how much mess all that planeing and sanding causes, and just how p****d your Dad can get!
(Both these from bitter experience.)
Good luck…
Here are a couple of great resources:
Step-by-step on building your first with minimal tools:
http://www.surfersteve.com/introduction.htm
Everything from theory to construction with boards specs…etc
http://fundingcashflow.com/surfing/Surfboard_Design_and_Construction_1977.pdf
no worries -good luck!!!