From wood to wave: Create your own wooden surfboard in 2025

Join a wooden surfboard workshop for an unforgettable hands-on experience where you can create your own beautiful wooden surfboard. Whether you’re a seasoned surfer or a beginner eager to learn a new skill, this wooden surfboard workshop will teach you the art of making a wooden surfboard while giving you the satisfaction of crafting your own ride.
 

What’s Included:

  • All materials needed to craft your surfboard
  • Access to all the required tools, with step-by-step guidance and assistance
  • A wooden surfboard made by you, based on your chosen shape and ready to take to the waves after completion
  • All glassing and finishing of your surfboard after the workshop

Workshop Duration and Schedule: The workshop runs over five days, usually from Monday to Friday. 

No Experience Necessary:  Participants of all skill levels are welcome. If you’ve never worked with wood, this is the perfect place to start. Your workshop will be led by Patrick Burnett, who has 11 years of experience running workshops and is passionate about helping you get the best possible result. Workshops are small (Between 1-3 people), ensuring plenty of one-on-one attention.

Location: Located near Cape Point on the edge of the Cape Point Nature Reserve, you’ll be building your board in a stunning natural environment. The nearby coastal village of Scarborough offers accommodation options for out-of-towners.

More information: More info and pictures of the boards built by previous workshop participants can be found on the workshops page of this website.

How to Sign Up: Ready to get started? Please get in touch as soon as possible, as spaces for 2025 are extremely limited. Contact Patrick on burnett.patrick@gmail.com or 073 232 3043. Or choose your board and book online.

Remaining 2025 dates

If you cannot make the dates below please feel free to get in touch and suggest your own dates.

– 10-14 March 2025  (one spot available)

– 05-09 May 2025  (two spots available)
 
– 04-09 August 2025 (two spots available)
 
– 15-19 September 2025 (two spots available)
 
– 10-14 November 2025 (two spots available)
 
– 8-12 December 2025 (three spots available)
 
Email Patrick to secure your spot or book online.
 
GIFT CARDS ARE AVAILABLE
 
The glassing process for your surfboard, which seals and protects the wood, is not included in the five-day workshop. After completing your workshop, we’ll take care of the glassing to ensure your board reaches its full potential. This is included in the cost. Please note that glass-on fins are included in the cost if you choose them but if you choose box fins, the removable fins are NOT included.
wood surfboard workshop

Why wood?

There are many ways to make a surfboard, and making a hollow wooden surfboard is probably the hardest and most labour intensive way of making a surfboard. This begs the question: why would you want to make a wooden surfboard?

Based on 10 years of experience running workshops, and drawing on feedback from people who have done the workshop, here’s a list of common reasons:

  • It’s an opportunity to work with your hands and put yourself into something that will last for years;
  • It’s a challenge, like running a marathon, or skydiving, or doing something you’ve never done before;
  • It’s an experience in woodworking and craftsmanship, to do something outside your comfort zone;
  • It’s about working with a natural material to make something sustainable, beautiful and connected to the natural environment;
  • It’s an exploration of the design dynamics of surfboards and learning about how rocker, rails, volume and shape effect your surfing experience.

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