Sawdust and seabreezes ...

 Remember our epic road trip to Hobart in 2023 for the Wooden Boat Festival?

What an unforgettable adventure it was!

From hosting our handboard workshops to showcasing our stunning wooden surfboards, we immersed ourselves in the rich maritime culture and explored some of Australia’s most breathtaking landscapes.

 We’re beyond excited to announce that Bywater Design will be back at the 2025 Wooden Boat Festival—this time with not one, but TWO incredible workshops.

Our iconic Hollow Wooden Surfboard Making Workshop and the very popular Boat Festival Wooden Handboard Making workshop.

Whether you're an experienced woodworker or just starting out, these sessions are designed to inspire and engage everyone. Hone in on your bodysurfing technique with your very own mini surfboard or for the ultimate surfing experience create your very own Hollow timber surfboard .

Dive into the world of woodworking with us and create something truly special.

 Stay tuned for more details, and get ready to join us for a unique hands-on experience in beautiful Hobart. See you there!

Our first Winter Surfboard Making workshop for 2023

What better day to start our Surfboard Making workshop than the first day of winter.

Beautiful crisp sunny days provided the perfect backdrop for 4 days of fun and learning with our amazing board students.

Our eager crew were keen to learn the fundamentals of woodworking - delving into the mechanations of how a wooden surfboard is assembled, how to complete the perfect glue up , the importance of shaping your board just so - that it becomes the board you want to in the water and realising that the better you sand your board the better the finish will adhere to it - and everyone wants a shiny glossy board . And what better way to showcase those glorious timber grains than with a premium resin finish.

So after 4 fabulous days in the workshop, our students achieved what they set out to do - to make a beautiful hollow wooden surfboard.

So now, the glassing process begins and those wonderful wooden surfcrafts will take on a beautiful new dimension …

It is our absolute joy to share our love and knowledge of all things woodworking - and well surfing , thats the icing on the cake

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Making your own Wooden Surfboard

Along with various timber combinations and deck patterns we offer in our Wooden Timber Surfboard Classes, we offer the application of personalised decals or motifs to really make your timber surfboard an object of sentimental beauty.

For a myriad of reasons our students wish to add something extra to their board

A wonderul reminder of a treasured fur baby

A personal touch to a student surfboard

Want your nickname immoratised on your favourite board ?

Why not

Love your style Baylz

Love the colour green and are obsessed with manta ray

We can accommodate you

Stand out from the crowd !

Want to ramp up the zen on your timber board

We will only encourage you

Feel the zen

Love a good Hawaiian 50’s vibe (we are a fan !! )

By adding some funky fabric you can create a mood that is just you

You are only limited by your imagination , we will help you anyway we can to achieve your dream board.

So start designing your board now.

Our Wooden Surfboard and SUP Classes a bucket list must do

Get in contact with us to make this a reality !

Designing Wooden Surfboards

There is nothing like first hand experience, and through many a surf, some good sessions some not so good times we have refined and evolved our Wooden Surfboards.

We have curated our boards to encompass the various surf conditions and to accommodate the individual characteristics of the surfboard rider.

The Dawn is a classic all rounder. (so named after the Legendary Dawn Fraser )

The Dawn will simply handle everything that is thrown at it; from the almost non existent wave to the holy grail of a clean six footer.

A good paddling board makes for easy wave catching, great sharp turning and fast trimming

The Dawn is the ultimate package.

Made from Paulownia and Cambia Ash The Dawn is the ultimate package

The Gould (aptly named after the one and only Shane Gould is a cleaned up older board that takes its origins from the 1970’s.

With a single fin its a point and shoot board that behaves like a dream.

Its a low entry rocker with a flat bottom and chimed rails.

The Gould has a fuller nose outline compared to other boards compared to modern boards, but dont let its retro vibe fool you, this board can take all sorts of conditions and is suited to all types of surfers.

But dont take our word, come down to our Woodworking Gallery and see first hand how these boards are designed and made with the utmost care.

Of course you can alway take yourself on a creative journey and make one of these beautiful boards yourself . Here’s how you can do it .

We love the curious types so dont hesitate to contact us with a question on our Bywater Design Surfboards

Our Dawn. Loving the 70’s is a good thing

August Surfboard Making Class ... thats a wrap

Beautiful Winter Sunshiney days provided the perfect backdrop for our August Surfboard Making Class…

An eye for detail

The perfect framework is an essential component

That perfect winterafternoon sunset, casting a wonderful glow

Shaping culminates all the hard work that is done before.

New class member, or new mascot ???

As we begin the latter part of the year, we have only 2 more classes for 2019!

Our September class begins on 26 - 29 and our

final class for the year in November 14 - 17.

If you want to do something amazing for yourself and enjoy the journey of crafting something with your own two hands, please email us and we can make this happen for you!!

Brisbanes Only Hollow Wooden Surfboard Classes for 2015 - At Bywater Design

HOLLOW SURFBOARD CLASSES FOR 2015 Semester One

THE ONLY WOODEN SURFBOARD CLASSES IN BRISBANE

2 day shaping class

This 2 day shaping class is where all the assembly work is done for you.

You come in and shape your board to your individual requirements, rail shaping and fin placement, and it is ready for glassing after the two days.

Of course Bywater Design offers you the choice of timber, deck patterns, and various board sizes from our catalogue so you are still getting the timber board of your dreams; just the messy assembly work is done for you.

Or the classic

Tuesday night surfboard making class

For those that like to take their time we are offering the 8 week course of 3 hours a night each week to build your board from our components supplied,

Of course Bywater design offers you the choice of timber, deck patterns, and various board sizes from our catalogue so you are still getting the timber board of your dreams, and you get to do all the assembly work, the board is then ready to be glassed.

2 DAY SHAPING CLASS

FEBRUARY; 14 AND 15   (SATURDAY AND SUNDAY)

MAY; 16 AND 17 (SATURDAY AND SUNDAY)

CLASSIC WOODEN SURFBOARD MAKING CLASS

MARCH 3 – TUESDAY NIGHTS FOR 8 WEEKS

MAY 26^TH – TUESDAY NIGHTS FOR 8 WEEKS

As your surfboard is custom made prices will vary but the cost will start from $1100 and vary according to timber, and size choices

For more information; including surf pack, timber catalogue choices and detailed pricing please email us on;

surf@bywaterdesign.com.au

Places are strictly limited so best to act now and reserve your

POSITION IN BRISBANE’S ONLY HOLLOW WOODEN SURFBOARD CLASSES.

Wooden Surfboard Fins from Japan

It was a great delight to see in Australia and in Brisbane Nobuhito Ohkawa (aka Nobbby)  who made a special visit to my workshop.

Nobby makes beautiful wooden surfboards and surfboard fins in Chiba City, just outside of Tokyo .

We have become friends over the last few years, sharing experiences, and  I was lucky enough to see his workshop whilst I was in Japan last year, and I was happy to return the hospitality this week when Nobby made  a visit to our Northgate workshop whilst he was in Brisbane .

Nobby personally delivered my custom made fins which are made from walnut , rock maple and purple heart.

I cannot wait to attach these on to one of my boards and test it out in the water