Grain Waterlog Surfboard - First Post

A couple of years ago, I was given a copy of Tom Blake: An Uncommon Journey of a Waterman. This book chronicles the life of an amazing man who loved to surf, swim, and save lives (a gross over simplification). Blake, along with his idol, Duke Kahanamoku, was instrumental in popularizing surfing during the early twentieth century. Perhaps Blake's greatest contributions to the sport of surfing were his many innovations related to surfboard design. He is credited with being the first person to build a hollow wooden surfboard and adding a fin to the surfboard for stability. So revolutionary was his hollow wooden surfboard design that he applied for and was granted a patent for the plans. The hollow wooden boards were originally used for surfing, paddle boarding and as life saving vessels.

I was intrigued by Blake's hollow wooden surfboard design. So much so that I thought I would attempt to build a replica. I began researching hollow wooden surfboards and discovered a small company in Portland, Maine that sells both hollow wooden surfboards and hollow wooden surfboard kits. The company is Grain Surfboards and they appear to be carving out a niche in the surfboard industry, capitalizing on the fundamental tenets of Blake's design and a more environmentally friendly approach to building boards. Initially I was going to build a Blake hollow wooden surfboard replica as a fun project that would probably never leave my house nor see that water. After discovering Grain Surfboards kits, however, I thought that this would be a great way to pay homage to Blake's design while making something that I could surf. I also considered Paul Jensen's kits. I really like his designs, building process and the spirit in which he makes boards. I just felt that my lack of woodworking skills, equipment and limited access to the necessary supplies would make the experience frustrating. I plan on building one of his designs after I complete this first board.

I decided to purchase Grain's Waterlog kit because it most closely resembles my favorite surfboard - a Hap Jacobs Classic. My Hap Jacobs is 9'10" long, 23 inches wide, and almost three inches thick. This board was shaped by Hap and is the board I've most enjoyed riding over the years. It's my magic carpet. I've had it for about twelve years and would like to use it a little less than I do to help prolong its life. The Waterlog is ten feet long, 23 inches wide and three inches thick.

I gleaned quite a bit information about the process of building these kits through others who have purchased Grain Surfboards kits and shared their building experiences through blogs. For better or worse, I'm adding to that growing body of blogs in the hope that my experiences will be of some value to others interested in a similar project. As an aside, I've culled an enormous amount of information from the Swaylocks website. For anyone who isn't aware of this site, stop reading this blog and visit Swaylocks immediately. I consider Swaylocks to be one of the most informative sites for surfboard design and construction. There are innumerable talented and creative people sharing their projects, ideas, and experiences. I lurk on the site but am deeply appreciative to all those who post. Another great resource is the Tree to Sea website, started by Rich Blundell who is one of the co-founders of Grain Surfboards.

I ordered the Waterlog kit three weeks ago while Grain was having its hibernation sale (there was a slight discount on the price of the kit). The kits are not inexpensive, but the folks from Grain include everything you will need to build the board, which was a significant selling point for me because I live in a rural area that is several hundred miles from the Pacific coast. Living so far from the ocean, I don't have ready access to many of the key components needed to build a board. I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of the kit and plan on posting regular updates on my progress.