Cruising or Surfing; Build Your Own Wood SUP

Building A SUP for Cruising

Photo of SUP taken by Allison Grappone

Christophe Matson. Photo by Allison Grappone Used with permission

Ultimate freedom is defined as taking to the water in a small craft, or so thinks customer Christophe Matson.  Christophe has a lifelong love of being on the water.  This affinity, combined with his passion for boatbuilding, led him to build one of his now favorite watercraft: the Taal SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard.)

The Taal is 12 feet 6 inches in length and designed as a dispacement hull, rather than as a surf board.  It is optimized for speed, tracking, smoothness of ride and stability on flat water.  Christophe’s completed board weighs in at 30 pounds.

Plans for the Taal are available online from Duckworks.  The instructions have you build the craft from scratch, including the rib structure.  Christophe sourced the lumber, western red cedar and 3mm okoume marine plywood, from Goosebay.

Christophe enjoys the freedom the Taal gives him, whether he is cruising the harbor with his brother near their parents’ Connecticut home, or if he is leisurely exploring the rivers and lakes near his home in New Hampshire.  His wife also enjoys the Taal: She prefers to take her book, paddle about 100 feet from shore, and settle down for a bit of reading and sunbathing.  The venue can’t be beat!

“Everyone who has paddled our Taal has been impressed with its speed and stability. It’s a luxurious platform to paddle on, and it also looks gorgeous on the water. With the gentle curve of the deck meeting the distinctive transom, the sharp stem, and that classic look of wood, the Taal exudes style.” -Christophe Matson

Surfing with a SUP

Photo of Carl Mahlstedt surfing with his SUP

Carl Mahlstedt, Costa Rica, February 2019

Goosebay owner Carl Mahlstedt has a different take on the SUP.  For him, it’s all about the ocean, going fast, and riding the waves.  Surf SUPs have a different design from the cruising SUPs.  They have more rocker at the tail and nose which make them much more surf friendly.

Carl was an avid surfer years ago, but now exclusively surfs with a SUP.   For him, the advantages are many.  The broader and longer SUP allows the rider to stand, versus being supine on a traditional board.  The height advantage allows the rider to see where the best surf is, and to quickly paddle to the area; Traveling distances is much easier with a SUP than on a surf board.

His preference is a shorter board, typically 8-9 feet ,similar in length to a traditional longboard.  The length of the waterline increases the glide of the board.  The wider width gives it stability.  The paddle can even be planted, much like a ski pole, to facilitate quick turns.  When asked why choose to surf with a SUP as opposed to a traditional board, he replied , “Because it’s easier to cover long distances quickly, you’re more apt to catch the best waves using the SUP.  With the paddle, you have more power, everything else being equal.”

Kits to Build a Wood SUP

Carl Mahlstedt posed with his wooden SUP

Carl with his wood SUP built from a kit.

Ready to try your hand at building your own SUP?  Goosebay offers a selection of several suitable marine lumbers.  If you’d like to get a leg up on the construction, we also offer 5 SUP kits.  Each kit includes a pre-cut rib structure, ready to assemble, and complete instructions.  You add the lumber of your choice, epoxy and glass fabric for finishing.

As for which kit you should choose, if you like the idea of a cruising board, the “Clearwater” and “Lake Superior” are designed as flatwater  boards.  The “Orca” is basically the same board as the “Lake Superior”, but with more rocker at each end.  The “Orca,” along with the “Malco,” are designed to work for either surfing or cruising.  The “Stu,” however, is a short SUP built for agility and surfing.

Christophe’s Story: Building the Taal

Christophe Matson on his Taal SUP

Photo by Allison Grappone. Used with permission.

If you’d like to read more about Christophe Matson’s experience building his Taal, his full article, “Taal SUP; A board for touring” can be viewed online as published by Small Boats Monthly.  Many thanks to Christophe for sharing his experience and photos with us.

Supplies for building a SUP

Goosebay stocks the products you need to build your SUP:

Marine Lumber

Marine Plywood

West System Epoxy

Glass Cloth

 

Surfboard Kit Construction PDF Manual

Small Surf Assembly Manual This Manual gives the instructions to construct any of the surfboards from our wood surfboard kits.  It will also give you a list of materials needed to complete the kits, including lumber, epoxy, glass fabric, and tools.

Carl Mahlstedt: On Goosebay, Surfing, and Wood Surfboard Kits

Carl Mahlstedt from the Granite Stoke on Vimeo.

Carl Mahlstedt is the owner of Goosebay Lumber.  He grew up on the ocean – standing and surfing on a 3 foot rubber raft (ya, the squishy kind that the rest of us float and doze on) and later on a longboard – fondly remembered by Carl as “big and orange.”

In the late 1970’s Carl returned to Chichester from Taiwan, where he had been gainfully employed as a commercial diver inspecting oil rigs.  Never having spent time around a sawmill, Carl went to look at a disassembled mill lying rusting and rotted in a cow pasture in nearby Loudon.  He purchased the mill, assembled it here in Chichester, and Goosebay Lumber came into being.

Carl Mahlstedt posed with his wooden SUP

Carl with his wood SUP

We hope you enjoy this short interview – a glimpse into Carl’s enjoyment of the ocean, surfing, and hanging out here at Goosebay.

 

Credits

We would like to extend our special thanks to Dylan Ladds and Ryan Scura, who made this video as part of their Granite Stoke documentary.  Check out their website, their Vimeo page, and the full Granite Stoke documentary

Pawlonia: Tree of the Future?

The Perfect Tree

Imagine the best qualities you could ever hope to find in a species:  Attractive grain, easy to work with, strong, lightweight, rot resistant…..And then add in that it’s one of the world’s fastest growing trees, and what do you get?  I’ve just described what proponents love about Paulownia.

Pawlonia Tree

photo courtesy of Jean Pol Grandmot

So why isn’t this wood readily available?  Why doesn’t every hardwood retailer stock it?  One of its attractive features – its sustainability – has also earned it designation as an invasive species in several states across the southern US.  The trees are native to central China and the lumber is prized in Asia as a wood for musical instruments, furniture, and for smaller, lightweight, watercraft construction.  The trees are found as far north as Montreal, but are mostly found and grown in the warmer southern climates.  One Paulownia tree can produce thousands of seed pods, and each pod can contain up to 20,000 seeds, which are spread with the wind.  You can see how this could get out of control!  In a plantation setting, a Paulownia tree grows about 15 feet the first year, and 20 feet the second year.  At that point it slows down and develops a large canopy.  It is ready to harvest in about 15 years.

Uses for Pawlonia Lumber

Carl Mahlstedt, owner of Goosebay Lumber, riding a Stand Up Paddleboard

Carl Mahlstedt, owner, Goosebay Lumber

Goosebay became interested in – and began stocking- Paulownia when we started stocking wood surfboard kits.  When making a wooden surfboard you need strength, but if you are intending to use the board, you need to be very conscious of the weight of the board.  Paulownia has roughly twice the strength of Balsa wood, and very little additional weight.  Paulownia allows you to construct a strong board that will weigh roughly what a similar glass board might weigh.  It is also a useful wood to use in building smaller boats, where weight is also a consideration, such as in kayak construction.

 

Paulownia Electric Guitar made by Ron Kirn

photo courtesy of Ron Kirn

 

Instrument makers prize Paulownia for its sound qualities, although many are cautious in researching the source of the Pawlownia.  Much of the Paulownia available as lumber is grown in plantations.  Many instrument makers look for forest grown, slower growth wood.

Most of the Paulownia we stock at Goosebay is of a size more suited for marine purposes than for musical instruments.  We have had some electric guitar blank stock.  The feedback from customers who used it was good – they were generally happy with the sound quality.  As Young Carl points out, however, it would make for a pretty light guitar.  He’s not sure he would like the feel as opposed to his current guitar, which has an alder body.

Sources

American Paulownia Association, vol24 no 1, February 2016

A Beautiful Tree That Shows a Sinister Side, NY Times, June 30, 2002, NY Region

http://www.woodsurfboardsupply.com/wood.html

www.ronkirn.com

The Malco 11’0″ SUP

The Malco SurfboardThe ” Malco” 11 foot SUP was designed by Malcolm Schweizer. It has a little concave in the nose and a slight “V” in the tail. Plus the rib design lets you build the rails two different ways (built up solid rails or wood strip hollow rails).

Additional Material Options

The Malco has good hull speed for “flat-out” paddling as well as the ability to plane for surfing. You can paddle fast for long distances, but still be able to easily surf once you are there. Malcolm lives in the Virgin Islands and has a long paddle out to the surf break. He designed the Malco to be easy to paddle and be able to surf once he got there.

Kit Price: $229.00
Availability:
Finished Length: 11’0″
Width: 30 3/4 inches
Nose: 23 3/4 inches
Tail: 19 1/2 inches
Thickness: 4 1/4 inches

The Orca SUP 12’0″

The Orca SUP 12’0″ Stand Up Paddleboard

The Orca was designed for stand up paddling which requires maximum flotation and stability. It’s at home on a lake or in the surf. It has a flat bottom and enough rocker that it is at home paddling into a wave,

Kit Price $229.00
Availability

Finished Length 12’0″
Width 30 1/4 inches
Nose 19 3/4 inches
Tail 17 3/4 inches
Thickness 4 3/4 inches

Additional Material Options
The round rails and high volume make for effortless paddling whether you are catching waves the way the ancient Hawaiians did or simply cruising the bay. Throw away the treadmill, this baby is all the workout you will need!

The Lake Superior SUP 12’0″

The Lake Superior SUP 12’0″ Stand up Paddleboard

The Lake Superior was designed for stand up paddling in lakes and calm water. It has less rocker than its cousin “The Orca” because it doesn’t have to contend with waves.

Kit Price $229.00
Availability

Finished Length 12’0″
Width 30 1/4 inches
Nose 19 3/4 inches
Tail 17 3/4 inches
Thickness 4 3/4 inches

Additional Material Options

The Toad 6’8″

The Toad 6’8″ Wooden Surf Board

The Toad with its multi channel bottom profile, is a challenge to build, but worth the effort. The channels turns you won’t do on any other wood board. The bottom is planked in the usual way but the contoured ribs let you make perfect channels

Kit Price
Availability Call or email for availability

Finished Length 6’8″
Width 25 1/4 inches
Nose 20 inches
Tail 18 inches
Thickness 3 inches

Additional Material Options
This kit contains a frame kit consisting of ribs and main spar and an assembly manual containing over 160 color illustrations on everything from laying out the frame to glassing and installing fins.

The Driftwood Sr 8’1″

The Driftwood 8’0″ Wooden Surf Board

“The 8′ 1″ Driftwood Sr.” is 8-foot performance hybrid that we widened a little for better flotation and stability. Designed for riders in the 200+ pound area. Same sleek
lines and awesome speed and maneuverability as the Driftwood, just floats more. You’ll be cranking turns you never thought possible on a longboard.

Kit Price
Availability Call or Email for Price and Availability

Finished Length 8’1″
Width 24 3/4 inches
Nose 21 1/4 inches
Tail 18 1/4 inches
Thickness 3 1/4 inches

Additional Material Options
This kit contains a frame kit consisting of ribs and main spar and an assembly manual containing over 160 color illustrations on everything from laying out the frame to glassing and installing fins.

The Driftwood 8’0″

The Driftwood 8’0″ Wooden Surf Board

The 8’0″ Driftwood is the performance hybrid. This board has enough volume to easily float riders in the 180 pound neighborhood The driftwood is a longboard that thinks its a shortboard. Its the nose and tail have been narrowed giving sleek lines and awesome speed and maneuverability. You’ll be cranking turns you never thought possible on a longboard.

Kit Price
Availability Call or Email for Price and Availability

Finished Length 8’0″
Width 22 inches
Nose 15 3/4 inches
Tail 16 inches
Thickness 3 inches

Additional Material Options
This kit contains a frame kit consisting of ribs and main spar and an assembly manual containing over 160 color illustrations on everything from laying out the frame to glassing and installing fins.