BUILDER SPOTLIGHT: FROM CLAYTON, DELAWARE
When you're new to wood paddle board building and you're building your first board, it's normal for you to face challenges and mistakes along the way. Everyone does, even an experienced woodworker still does. Just enjoy the journey and treat it as a learning experience, that way it will help you to develop your skills and knowledge and in the future will make you a better wood paddle board builder.
We truly admire this builder’s enthusiasm and can’t help but share his story with you! Read on to know his journey of building a wooden SUP.
Board Model:
For this hollow core DIY wood paddle board project he used our San Jacinto 10'8" paddle board plan.
Favorite part and most challenging part of the building process:
My favorite part was glassing. Seeing the wood grain come to life while also knowing I was making something useful was really exciting. The most challenging part of the process was re-sawing cedar 4x4s into more usable boards for the skin. The choices I made in the process of re-sawing led to more issues down the road. Because of a lack of proper tools/technique I ended up with thicker than intended boards and wider than I probably should have used. This resulted in a very heavy board with a much thicker skin than necessary. Plus a ton of extra sanding and planning to attempt to get a smooth surface.
Lesson learned during the process:
Go slow! In my excitement to see the board take shape I took a mentality of "sanding will fix that" which left me with a lot of work post-glue up. If I build another I will definitely refine my techniques around how to glue up. Also, the number of clamps you will need is always one more than you have!
It’s a great build and we hope to see another one soon, Peter!
Are you working on your own paddle board project? We'd love to share your build and your story on our blog. Drop us a note at support@jarvisboards.com or message us on Facebook.
Ready to start your own paddle board build? There are a few ways to start. You can start with our digital or printed paddle board plans or with our pre-cut frame kits. Also, we've got Pre-milled Paulownia wood strips or planks for your board skins.
