What Are Wooden Surfboards Made Of? The Most Common Woods and Materials
Wooden surfboards have been made from many different timbers since surfing began. The ancient Hawaiians and Peloponnesians often used 'ulu and koa, grown in the native forests close to the breaks where the boards were ridden. Some ancient olos weighed up to 50 kg.
In the early 20th century, before foam was invented, lighter woods became the preference. Tom Blake built the first hollow wooden surfboard in 1929. He nicknamed it 'The Cigar Box', and he wanted a lighter, more manoeuvrable craft.
Today the most common woods in surfboard building are also some of the lightest on earth. Their approximate densities are:
- Agave: 75 kg/m³
- Balsa: 150 kg/m³
- Paulownia: 280 kg/m³
- Cedar: 380 kg/m³
- Spruce: 450 kg/m³
- Redwood: 450 kg/m³
Lightweight timbers are increasingly popular for their strength-to-weight ratio and quick cultivation. Balsa and Paulownia can both be harvested after only six years of cultivated growth.
The two most common woods
1. Paulownia
Many builders regard Paulownia as the best wooden surfboard material. It has a long history in East Asia, where it has been used for furniture, musical instruments, and decorative items. It reached the west in the 19th century as an exotic ornamental tree, and today it is also used to make surfboards.
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Paulownia is used in solid, skinned, and hollow constructions. Companies building with it include FireWire and Sine Surf.
2. Balsa
Balsa is native to South and Central America, where indigenous people first used it for canoes, rafts, and tools. It was later used for shipbuilding in the colonial era and for aircraft in the world wars. Today it is used mainly in the aerospace and marine industries, and in surfboard building. Along with Paulownia, it is one of the two most used woods in surfboards.
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Balsa is used in solid, skinned, and hollow constructions. Solid balsa boards are common on display today, often shaped as guns and longboards. Surfboard companies using balsa include Varuna Surf, Kayu, and Sunova.
Materials in the three wooden surfboard types
1. Solid wooden surfboards
Solid boards are the simplest to make, with a sealed solid wooden core. Agave or balsa gives the lightest solid board, but the wood is very fragile and the board needs sealing with fibreglass and resin. Paulownia and denser woods can be sealed more simply, with natural oils and waxes.
Approximate weights for a 6' (32 L) solid wood surfboard:
- Agave: 3.4 kg (fibreglass sealed)
- Balsa: 5.8 kg (fibreglass sealed)
- Paulownia: 9 kg
- Cedar: 12 kg
- Spruce and redwood: 14 kg
Typical materials, by volume: wood 94%, wood glue 1%, and fibreglass and resin or oils and waxes 5%.
As you can see, solid surfboards can be very heavy, which is why the other two methods are favoured today.
2. Skinned wooden surfboards
Skinned boards are the most common type of wooden surfboard today. A foam core is wrapped in a wood veneer, typically 2 to 3 mm thick, and then wrapped again in fibreglass. They look like wood, but they have little sustainable advantage because petrochemical foams and fibreglass are still used. Some companies, such as Verdure Surf, use smaller amounts of more environmentally responsible resins and cloths.
A skinned wooden surfboard can weigh the same as a foam and fibreglass one.
Typical materials, by volume: foam (polyurethane or polystyrene) 94%, wood 3%, and fibreglass and resin 3%.
Companies using this method include Verdure Surf, FireWire, Aloha, and Sunova.
3. Hollow wooden surfboards
Hollow boards are the most complicated wooden surfboards to make. They typically have a hollow wooden core wrapped in fibreglass. They are among the most sustainable high-performance surfboards on the market, because the hollow core removes the need for petroleum-based foam, and, depending on the wood, less fibreglass and resin can be used.
Weight varies with the skill and precision of the build. A hollow wooden surfboard can weigh the same as a foam and fibreglass one.
Typical materials, by volume: hollow wood core 96%, wood glue 1%, and fibreglass and resin 3%.
Companies making hollow wooden surfboards include Sine Surf, Varuna Surf, and Kayu Surfboards.
