Tide X Otter
As part of a workshop to design and make my own surfboard, I worked with Otter Surfboards in Porthtowan, UK to make a wooden surfboard sourced from sustainable woodlands. The board is designed to mix traditional surfboard construction techniques similar to Tom Blake in the 1930's with a modern design aesthetic. This documents the process of the design and preparation as well at the 5 day workshop at Otter Surfboards. The board was then finished and glassed at Diplock Phoenix in Wadebridge, UK.
Strategy | Brand | Industrial Design | Soft Goods
The workshop consisted of 5 days which started with the inside frame of the board, which was glued to the bottom skin. On the second day and third days the rails were built up from a series of strips. By the end of the third day the top was glued on. From there on it was shaping and sanding the rails of the board and blending in the nose and tail. The top and bottom skins and rails are made using Western Red Cedar wrapped over a poplar hollow frame.
Since the board was custom designed, I also wanted to create a bag which not only complemented the design and quality of the board but was also perfectly tailored to fit it and removed extraneous elements of traditional board bags. The bag not only protects the board when travelling with its 10mm padded walls but I wanted to emphasise features such as the fin slot which reflective polyethelene in contrast to the 600 dennier recycled polyester. Extra protection was also added to the nose and tail which is also distinguished with a gloss finish. The board bag was made by Whasup Custom Board Bags.
