IF YOU WANT QUALITY, YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE!

Artisan Surf Designs
(Falkenau Surfboards & Fins)
(Custom Board Bags by Melissa)
2658 State Street
Carlsbad, CA 92008
(Located on the side of Legends Surf Shop)
info@artisansurfdesigns.com
619-757-0100



Welcome to Artisan Surf Designs

Welcome to my Blog. I created this blog to help fuel my creative hobbies by allowing my friends and viewing public to share in some of my surf designs, my passion for playing music, my art based creations, and updates on what is going on in my humble little world.

GOD, the GREAT SPIRIT, has blessed me with the passion to walk the path of an aspiring artisan and musician. I attribute everything I do to my savior, the good LORD Jesus Christ.

I live my mortal life while free-surfing; designing, refining, and shaping surfboards; designing and foiling fins; designing and framing hollow wood surfboards; making skateboard decks; wood-shedding, writing, recording, mixing, mastering, engineering, and performing my music (Fender Rhodes & Saloon Style Upright Piano, Fender Strat & Tele Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Drums, Bass, Harmonica, Percussion, Vocals, Harmonies); screen writing & writing poetry; compiling footage for my mini-dv and 16mm film music and surfing documentary; woodworking; designing and silver-smithing jewelry; trying hard to be a great husband to my beautiful wife, a devoted and loving father to our three beautiful blessings (Gavin, Bella, and Eden) and one big furry blessing (our dog Nick); and I am aspiring to be a master craftsman and Artisan, like my buddy Skip Frye, and many others (Bill Thrailkill, etc.) who have influenced my surfboard shaping. My ultimate goal in all of this is to find fulfillment in using my gifts to positively influence the lives of people like YOU.

I got into education eighteen years ago in 1995, when I began substitute teaching for the South Bend Community School Corporation, and later with School City of Mishawaka, both in Indiana. I began teaching full time fifteen years ago in 1998, after graduating from Indiana University. I've been employed full time at Harmon Hall Las Americas, Veracruz, Mexico (1 semester); Ross Beatty Jr./Sr. High School, Cassopolis, MI (2.5 years); Fallbrook High School, Fallbrook, CA (1 year); The Army and Navy Academy, Carlsbad, CA (10 years); and Penn High School (1 Year as DEAN OF STUDENTS in 2012-2013).

I got into the Fire Service in 2008 as a First Responder. In 2009, I earned my EMT-B certification through Miramar College, San Diego, CA. Along with being a Professional Educator and Dean of Students, I've been a Firefighter-EMT with Elfin Forest / Harmony Grove Fire Department and the San Diego County Fire Authority, Campo #46 (Cal Fire / SDCFA ACADEMY #14). I earned my DO1A at Miramar College, completed another 12 semester units at Alliant International University and earned another teaching credential - CTEL/TESOL/CLAD - which gives me 21 masters level credits as well. Currently, I am in Paramedic school at the Elkhart General Hospital Health Education Center in Goshen, IN. I am scheduled to graduate on April 12, 2014 with my NREMT-P. I am also earning my Master of Educational Leadership (Admin) through Western Governors University, Indiana.

A college professor and mentor once told me that I am a renaissance man. I liked the "ring" that had to it. So when people ask me what I do for a living, I like to tell them that I've been somewhat of a renaissance man for hire. Now it is time to focus on God, Family, and my job.

When my family lived in O-side, Jerry Ingham and I built a completely portable and removable 8' wide x 16' deep x 9' high surfboard shaping bay; a 16' wide x 16' deep x 9' high wood shop; and a 8' wide x 24' deep x 9' high work shop, complete with fans, filtered ventilation, smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, all designed with safety in mind.

I moved Artisan Surf Designs to State Street, one door behind Legends SUP, in Carlsbad, CA., a space 10.5' x 22' x 9.5' high (owned by the waterman legend Bryan "The Lion" Smith, Jeff Warner of Warner Design Co., and Tom Tople of Legends SUP), to keep my hobby and passion for making surf-craft alive. Cal Schafer shapes his ZEN SURFBOARDS label out of the same bay - kinda like Skip Frye and Hank Warner used to do at Harry's in PB. Cal has mastered the art of shaping and is an amazing fin foiler as well.

I am always trying to work hard towards being environmentally conscious, while keeping the future generations of surfers in mind with everything that I design and build. Our ocean is more polluted and more crowded than it has been in any time in its history. It is our legacy to walk lightly on the path we choose to walk, and take with us whatever we began our journey with, leaving only footprints, and the knowledge we've learned for younger generations apply to their walk.

I DO NOT GLASS OR USE RESIN, EPOXY, OR ANY TOXIC CHEMICALS IN MY SHOP. I work mostly with wood, and if I'm not using U.S. Blanks, I try to use non-TDI surfboard blanks. I dispose of surfboard foam waste at local surfboard manufacturing facilities to assure that my waste is disposed of properly. I also use recycled wood and salvaged wood for my projects. So if you have any wood that you want to get rid of, let me know beforehand! IF MORE MANUFACTURERS OF SURF PRODUCTS WOULD DO THIS, SURFING WOULD HAVE A CLEANER IMAGE!!!!!!!

My overall focus with building surf-craft has always been to learn and master the art of shaping, while refining boards I've made and ridden, so that one day, I will have made that "magic" board -- the one that works exactly the way it was designed to work. I have finally reached the point of shaping 4 "magic" boards (based on feedback from riders and my own experience on two of them). I strive to one day shape fine custom surfboards like my friends Skip Frye, Bill Thrailkill, Josh Hall, and all my other friends, mentors, and influences whom I've had the honor of knowing throughout this journey; to build beautifully crafted hollow wood surfboards, like Paul Jensen, Danny Hess, and all of the wood board artisans on Swaylocks; to design, cut, and foil my own wood fins like Geppy, Hasselgrave, Cherry, McCormack, Marlin Bacon, and Daniel Partch; to design, cut, steam bend, and build skateboard decks to keep the look of the classics alive; all innovated with templates and foils designed with specific rigidity for speed, like Simmons and Thrailkill, or for flex, drive, hold, trim, and glide in various waves and conditions, Like Skip Frye. I also mill my own wood for custom nose and tail blocks, custom wood surfboard racks & board hangers. My wife sews fin covers, board socks, board bags, board straps, and carriers, all custom tailored to fit any surfboard or fin combination.

Feel free to pop in and visit me some time. I'm always up for a good conversation -- and be sure to check out LEGENDS , with the green awning.

If you like guitars, check out Epic Guitars. Kevin Kinear is an awesome person, amazing guitar player, and carries some of the most beautiful guitars that I've ever seen.

Please help support the hand-shaped surfboard market. We are a dying breed, because capitalist kooks with no talent or soul are creating slave labor at alarming rates, creating more boards than our ecosystem or line-ups will ever be able to handle out of more toxic materials and processes than ever before. THEY are the reason hand-shapers can't sell a damn custom hand-shaped surfboard that they poured their own sweat, heart, and soul into for what it's really worth... one board a day... one day at a time, like it used to be.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL HAND-SHAPER!

-- Dave Falkenau, BS, NREMT-B, FF-EMT, DO1A, Teacher, Dean of Students



ORDER YOUR BOARD TODAY BY CALLING 619-757-0100!!!!!!!

Models I currently offer:

"Tadpole"
(This is the ultimate kid's board!)
sizes: 2'0" to 4'7" 4'8" 4'9" 4'10" 4'11" 5'0" 5'1" 5'2" 5'3" to 5'9"
Blank: U.S. Blanks 5'9"P
I originally shaped this model for my son, Gavin Cole Miller as a beginner board when he was 8 years old. ...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $450
on up

"Hagan Fish"
(This fish is unlike any other!)
sizes: 5'2" 5'3" 5'4" 5'5" 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10"
This was an experimental fish designed in collaboration with one of my students, Delco Hagan. I made this one 21" wide, with a wider nose for easy paddling and wave entry, and pulled in the rear end to 9" butt crack between the two pins...moved the fins up and in...with rounded rails.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600
on up

"The Seed"
(This is the fastest fish I've ridden!)
sizes: 5'3" 5'4" 5'5" 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11"
This is a streamlined high performance fish foiled to perfection originally for Raymond Turnipseed of Carlsbad / Oceanside, CA. This has a definite "MEZ" influence from Kauai. I actually used a 5'7" Richard Gomez knee-board / fish template for this board... I rode one of these (5'7") on a huge winter swell double to triple overhead, and went faster than any board I've ever ridden. It blew my mind.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600 on up

"Johnson Summer Hybrid Quad"
(NEW MODEL FOR SUMMER 2008!!!)
sizes: 5'4" 5'5" 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0"
The Johnson Summer Hybrid Quad is a model I designed and shaped with John "Jodasch" Johnson. It is a Hybrid-Fish Swallow Tail Quad. John's is 5' 8" and has a modified fish template where the curve bends around to allow 8" between the pins, with a 2" deep swallow tail. It's 19 1/2" wide and 2 3/8" thick. The board is completely foiled out with streamlined rails and a nice single to double barrel concave flowing out through the fins and tail... Call me up if you want to order one for yourself. I can make 'em in any size and / or according to your favorite dimensions.
Designed as a Quad with Futures, but...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600 on up

"El Pescado"
(A fish with a classic feel!)
sizes: 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0" 6'1" 6'2"
This is a classic fish template foiled out and completely dialed for a variety of wave sizes and conditions in San Diego and North County.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600 on up

"Divine Design" Fish
(This board is amazing!)
sizes: 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0" 6'1" 6'2"
This is modeled and designed after my own 5'10" Skip Frye fish that Skip shaped me for one of my birthdays, which is foiled out and simply amazing... I made a template of it and started shaping them, as a cross between they way Skip made mine, and some tweaks that I put into it to compliment my own surfing style. It works best with twin keels or as a quad.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600 on up


"Destroyer Twin" / BT Arc Fish / Broom Fish / Grouper Fish
(This board goes like a scorched ape!)
sizes:
5'2"-8'4"
Blanks: U.S. Blanks 5'10" RP (with Classic Frye or Small Frye rocker); 6'2" A; 6'5" A; 6'8" RP
(with Classic Frye or Small Frye rocker); 6'10" A; 7'3" A; 7'5" A; 7'7" A; 7'9"H; 8'0"H; 8'1" EA; 8'2"A; 8'3"H; 8'4" SP (closest to the Clark 8'3"E)
This board was designed with the help of Bill Thrailkill of the "Surf Systems" fame. Bill is the originator of the "twin fin", the use of the "D" and reverse "D" fin, the "widow-maker", stabilizers, and corner fins. He was riding his "twin-symmetrically-foiled-fin" set-ups 2" off center back in the late 60's at Pipeline, before anyone else ever thought about anything but the single fin. He designed big wave boards that looked like large short boards, which could out-surf anything out there. His theory was that you can always slow a board down, but you can't get a slow board to go fast! He was built for speed, and his boards are the fastest in the water, even today. Typically the tails are 10" - 10.5" and set-up with the "twin" or "widow-maker" set up.
...available as a quad, twin or widow-maker, Fins Unlimited Boxes and Brewer or Thrailkill Fins ONLY!....$675 on up

"Newshape Quad"
(BT Arc Fish / Broom Fish / Grouper Fish)
It works best as a 5'10", 6'0", 6'8", or 6'9"
Blanks: 5'10RP with Classic Frye or Small Frye Rocker; 5'8"RP with Classic Frye or Small Frye Rocker; 8'4"SP (closest to the Clark 8'3"E that was originally used for the 6'0" and 6'9")
This board is very similar to the Thrailkill Twin or Destroyer Twin. However, it is set-up as a quad instead of a Thrailkill Twin. The 6'0" and 6'9" were made with both options (quad and twin boxes). This board has been ridden by Jeff Warner at Legends, Brad Whann, myself, and others. Jeff thought it was very fun and had a good "Frye-like" feel to it. Brad told me in his 30 years of surfing and tesing boards for Bill Johnson and others, that this board "magic". He had me shape him one, and has asked me if he can rep them for me. We have collectively decided that there is definitely something magic about this board. I shaped it out of a Clark Foam 8'3"E Eaton Blank to get the flattest rocker possible. It has a hulled nose, flat bottom, into some vee out the tail with Frye-roll on the bottom rails, and foiled from the top down to the apex of the rails. There is a lot going on in this board. The original Bill Thrailkill Newshape template is 6'0", and that is exactly what this board is... Bill helped me template this one. The Back fins are up 4 3/4" from the tail, in 1 7/8" from the rail at the trailing edge, and towed in 2 7/8" from the rail at the leading edge. The Front fins are up 10 1/8" from the tail, in 1 1/8" - 1 1/4" from the rail at the trailing edge and towed in 2 1/8" - 2 1/4" from the rail at the leading edge. I use Futures Vector II FSG1 415's in the front, and Futures Quad 340's in the back.... this is exactly how you'll get it... $675

"Aaron Pallasch Model"
(This is THE ANSWER to the modern shortboard!)
sizes: 5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0" 6'1" 6'2" 6'3" 6'4" 6'5"
This is an amazing little ripper, originally designed with a little thicker body for taller or heavier surfers 145 lbs. on up who like a shorter board for heavy ripping, aerial maneuvers, and high performance pro-level surfing.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600

"Magic Sam" (not to be confused with the Nat Young Magic Sam...completely different)
(This is the ultimate "Big Guy" short board!)
sizes: 6'4" 6'5" 6'6" 6'7" 6'8" 6'9" 6'10" 6'11" 7'0"
At 20 1/2" Wide x 2 3/8" Thick, this baby can hold up to the heavies...double barrel...serious vee... killer!

...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600

"Fryed Fish" / Long Fish / Long Fish Simmons
(A "Long" Fish for the "Big" days!)
sizes: 6'5" 6'6" 6'7" 6'8" 6'9" 6'10" 6'11" 7'0" 7'1" 7'2" 7'3"
T
his board is another one of my attempts at trying to emulate the Master himself... it was modeled and designed after another one of my longer Skip Frye fish that Skip recently finished for a belated Christmas gift, which is foiled out and simply amazing... After studying Skip's and Josh's Long Fish Simmons and Josh's Fish Simmons Quads, I had to put my skills to the test and see if I could make one... don't want to disappoint the Skipper!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600


"Modified Displacement Hull"
sizes: 5'1" on up to whatever you want!
My hull journey started when I dropped everything I was doing in my shop, took a few months to do extensive research, and learned everything I could about the hull surfboard. I studied Diffenderfer's boards, e-mailed Greg Liddle, talked to George Greenough, read everything I could on the internet and Swaylocks, and studied boards that were considered "magic". This led to me shaping a 7'0" "Freak of Laminar Flow", which is now in the collection of Dan Salimone. I'm currently experimenting with these, even though we don't have ideal conditions in Carsbad for a board like this. You really need a nice clean wide open face for one of these. They are super fun and ride completely different from any other surfboard. You are really burying your entire rail and relying on your flex fin on your bottom turn, transitions back up into the face, and your backside turns. If you've read the Surfer's Journal Articles "Stubbies" or "Displacement" or have heard of Bob Simmons, George Greenough, Clark "Greg" Liddle, Ryan Gerard, Dan Salimone, Brian Hilbers, Kirk Putnam, Mark Andreini, Steve Krajkowski, Klaus, Kopps, Kit, McMalibu (sways), Queequeg (sways), Fineline Surfboards, or the Hull Tribe up North, they are the ones who started it all. They are the masters of the whole hull riding experience.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600-$850

"Classic 70's Diamond Tail Diff/Seed Model"
(Originally designed by Mike Diffenderfer for Raymond Turnipseed)
sizes:
6'4" 6'5" 6'6" 6'7" 6'8" 6'9" 6'10" 6'11" 7'0"
This is a classic 1970's wide point forward single-fin, diamond tail down railer, designed by master shaper Mike Diffenderfer for master surfer Raymond Turnipseed!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600


"PB Point Section Connector (mini)"
(This is my mini version of the ultimate all-in-one Point Model)
sizes: 6'10" 6'11" 7'0 7'1 7'2" 7'3" 7'4" 7'5" 7'6"
This board needs a pretty flat, Fryeish rocker to work right. I designed this after years of living in San Diego, surfing PB Point in San Diego County. I studied boards that Skip Frye made for the point as well as personal riders that Jade and Glen from Star Surf had in their personal collections. My mini point model is all of those boards I studied, wrapped up into one nice little package, ready to deliver a memorable session at any point or reef!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600


"Classic 70's Pin Tail"
(Originally designed by Mike Slingerland @ Surfboards Hawaii)
sizes: 7'0" 7'1" 7'2" 7'3" 7'4" 7'5" 7'6" 7'7" 7'8"
This is another 1970's wide point forward single-fin, pin tail down railer designed after my own personal Mike Slingerland Surfboards Hawaii... I can catch anything on this baby in waves of any size. Talk about a smooth ride... This is it!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600

"The Middle Man"
(This is my answer to the mid-length and hybrid surfboards out there... trust me, you'll want one!)
sizes: 7'7" 7'8" 7'9" 7'10" 7'11" 8'0" 8'1" 8'2" 8'3"
This is a mid-length board that can be shaped any way you like it.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $600

"One Board Quiver"
This is shaped from a Bill Thrailkill Planshape and rocker Template.
Sizes: 7'10" - 8'10"
This
is your answer to the "quiver" question. This is the only board you'll need, for just about anywhere. This template and rocker are based on tested and proven boards that Bill Thrailkill made and has ridden, or has made for others who have ridden them in California, Hawaii, France, etc. It was carefully designed to handle the smallest waves up to about 20'.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $675

"Fish Simmons"
(I didn't design this board so I won't change the name
. It was designed by Skip Frye)
sizes: 8'8" 8'9" 8'10" 8'11" 9'0" 9'1" 9'2" 9'3" 9'4"
This is a really neat board if you've never tried one. Skip makes them down in PB and they are surfed at the point and at the cliffs mostly. My friend Josh Hall comes about as close to a Skip Frye Fish Simmons as a shaper can get. This is my attempt. It is made to be ridden as a 3 finned board, but...
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $675 - $850

"The Glide"
(This is a classic Double-Ender like a Skip Frye Double Eagle)
sizes: 8'10 8'11" 9'0" 9'1" 9'2" 9'3" 9'4" 9'5" 9'6"
The first one I shaped was a (2+1) FCS & Fins Unlimited / Bahne Box set up - Skip Frye Eagle Template with the center box 6 5/8" - 7" up from the pintail; Magic Pin Tail Template; Inspired by Skip Frye Eagle / Magic; Red White & Blue Resin Swirl; Glossed & Polished Finish; glassed on fin-panel Leash Loop... but I can make it any way you prefer!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons...
$675 - $850

"The Oceanslider"
(This baby was made for speed and glide... As we all know speed + glide = slide... and slidin' in trim in the upper 3rd of the wave is what she's all about!)
sizes: 8'10 8'11" 9'0" 9'1" 9'2" 9'3" 9'4" 9'5" 9'6"
This was originally shaped for Wayne as a Christmas gift from Dan at Hill Street Cafe, Oceanside, CA.
I shaped this one with hard down rails all the way around for speed. This one has little bit of roll in first 3rd, goes harder in the middle third, and the last 3rd is hardest, with the last 12" - 18" sharp as a straight razor. I love pintails, so I went with a pintail. This one will get an 8" box 7" up from the tail. However it works best as a Bill Thrailkill set-up with two 10" boxes sunk 2" off center.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons...
$675 - $850


"The Perch" / "Surf Perch"
(This is my nose rider... aptly named because you'll be perchin' all ten little toesies up on da nose!)
sizes: 9'7" 9'8" 9'9" 9'10" 9'11" 10'0" 10'1" 10'2" 10'3"
This log was designed specifically for nose riding in mind. It was originally designed for my great friend and fellow surf buddy, Tom Morgan of Atlantic Beach, FL. He's about 6'5", and needed a special board to get him to the nose, and this is what we came up with.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons...
$675 - $850


"Rhino Racer"
(Step into the realm of cross country surfing!)
sizes: 11'5" 11'6" 11'7" 11'8" 11'9" 11'10" 11'11" 12'0" 12'1"
This board has hard down rails for fast drops, driving down the line, and making all the connections, from the first wave on the outside, all the way to the beach!
...
available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons... $850

"Tyrannosaurus Tandem"
(Experience the ultimate in Tandem Surfing)
sizes: 12'2" 12'3" 12'4" 12'5" 12'6" 12'7" 12'8" 12'9" 12'10"
This board was made for Tandem Surfing in a variety of wave sizes. It has the rocker a pair of tandem surfers' need to make critical drops and keep the nose up in critical sections.
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons...
$850

"Mommy's Little Monster"
(Ah... the modern OLO!)
sizes: 13'1" 13'2" 13'3" 13'4" 13'5" 13'6" 13'7" 13'8" 13'9"
This board is beautiful, with smooth lines, and the wide point in the aft section for easier maneuverability. Surprisingly, you can handle this board with relative ease. Catch waves from 6" to Sunset or Waimea on this baby!
...available in any fin combination, boxes or glass-ons...$1,310 - $1,390

I can shape anything you have in mind, grom, short, fish, fun, egg, hull, long, nose-rider, log, glider, or all in-between, and cross-country boards as large as you can find a blank for!

I MAKE CUSTOM NOSE BLOCKS, TAIL BLOCKS, AND WOOD FINS TOO!!!!!

God Love The Fish!

The "FISH" design is by far my favorite. If you look back at what Steve Lis invented back in his kneeboarding days, you'd find that this design was before its time, especially after Jeff Chin took it out and stood up on it for the first time, drew his line high, and flew faster than his friends on the shore had ever seen. The Fish and Quad Fish are in a realm of their own. This is one of my specialties.

I have recently expanded my "Fish" template quiver toward the "Arc Tail" or "Broom Tail" or "10-10 1/2 inch" Square Tail Realm with the Thrailkill array of fin set-ups (Twin foils set 2" off center; Widow-makers; Edge Fins; Trailers; Stabilizers; etc.). I am putting 3 of them to the test up here in Carlsbad -- a 5'10"; a 6'0"; and a 6'9". So far, these things have exceded my highest expectations... they go like a scorched ape! I am calling this board the "Destroyer Twin" because it just destroys any other twin design out there as far as performance is concerned.

I have a surfboard history in my template collection dating from early Olo boards to the Duke Kahanamoku, Tom Blake, Bob Simmons, Phil Edwards, Dale Velzy, Dewey Weber, Greg and Jed Noll, Donald Takayama, Skip Frye, Sam Hawk, Jerry Ingham, Bobby Sakoda, Tommy Maus, George Greenough, Rich "Toby" Pavel, Richard "Dick" Brewer, Joel Tudor, David Nuuhiwa, Mike Diffenderfer, Topper Driggs, Ryan Gerard, Bob Pearson, Drew Marquis, Paul Jensen, Bill Thrailkill, Bing Copeland, Rich Harbour, Clubber, Surfboards Hawaii, Mike Slingerland, Surfboards Australia, Wayne Lynch, Hawaiian Style, Island Influence, Eddie Guitierrez, Richard Gomez, Eggs, Section Connectors, Fish, Quads, Twinzers, Speed Dialers, and the list goes on.

I throw a huge shaka of thanks and gratitude at all of the shapers who have influenced my shaping and my style. Without my former mentors and template originators, I would have been riding a much trickier and harder wave of R&D, than the one I have been gliding on developing my own shapes, designs, and templates. I cannot thank you guys enough -- Especially Skip Frye and Bill Thrailkill -- You have simplified my learning curve exponentially!

Aloha & Mahalo,

-- David Falkenau
, BS, NREMT-B

This is exactly what it costs ME to make YOU a custom hand-shaped surfboard...

YOUR COST BREAKDOWN - just so you know exactly what you are paying for:

My hand-shaped boards start at $475 and go up from there.

Hollow Wood Boards average $1200 - $3500

Keep in mind that most retail shops take a 25% minimum mark-up on the boards you are buying from them!

You automatically save 25% by ordering a board through me or any other local hand-shaper!

If you want me to shape you a board, this is how it works:

1) Look at the blank catalog and choose the blank you want me to make your board out of. Pick one that is as close to the final shape as possible, unless I have specified a specific blank for a specific shape or model.

2) Go buy the blank and bring it to me (or send me the money and I'll pick the blank up at Mitch's in Solana beach for an added fee of $10-$25 to cover my gas and my time).

3) Send me half of the total board price so I can get started on your board (I do 1/2 down deposit and 1/2 remaining balance upon pickup):

Legends Surf Shop

c/o David Falkenau, BS, NREMT-B, FF-EMT, Teacher

2658 State Street

Carlsbad, CA 92008

4) Tell me if you want a Traditional Polyester Resin Glass job by Luiz Masuzzo or Mauricio Avila or a Keahana Epoxy Resin Glass job (see the bottom of this section for Keahana's pricing).

5) I'll contact Luiz Masuzzo or Maurico Avila (my glassers) to confirm your price, and will get back to you to confirm... same process if it is done at Keahana... I will just have to confirm with Raul Espinosa, and then give you a call.

6) Once we (you and I) dial in all the details I will shape your board and send it off to the glasser.

7) When your board is complete, you can pick it up at my shop or at Legends, and you can pay me the remaining balance (1/2 of the total price). If your board requires shipping, you are responsible for any added costs that go into the packaging, insurance, shipping, and handling of your new board... your choice of carrier!


BLANKS:

I use U.S. Blanks exclusively!

Click here to see the catalog!

The Prices quoted are from Mitch's in Solana Beach!

Contact them for blank pricing:

Mitch's Solana Beach

363 North Hwy 101
Solana Beach, CA 92075
858-481-1354


SHAPING:

While considering my Shaping Fee, keep in mind, I put my heart, sweat, and soul into the shaping of your board. It is a passion and a love affair between my desire to design and build a work of functional art, my eyes, my planer, my hands, and the blank. I am a proponent of the Great American Dream... so help keep this dream alive and please don't ask me for a "Bro-deal".

$190-$266... 0’0” up to 6’11”

$267-$342... 7’0” up to 8’11”

$343-$380... 9’0” up to 9’11”

$381-$418... 10’0” up to 10’11”

$418-456... 11’0” up to 11’11”

$457-$494... 12’0” up to 12’11”

$495-$532... 13’0” up to 13’11”

Glassing:

Up to 6’11”………………………………………$200

7’0” to 7’11”……………………………………$225

8’0” to 8’11”……………………………………$250

9’0” to 9’11”……………………………………$275

10’0” to 10’11”…………………………………$300

11’0” to 11’11”…………………………………$325

12’0” to 12’11”…………………………………$350

13’0” to 13’11”…………………………………$375

Base Glassing Price (above) Includes:

1) Lamination with “E” or “D” cloth (1 layer 4 or 6 oz. bottom and 2 layer 4 or 6 oz. deck

2) Logos

3) Hot Coat

4) Sanded Hot Coat Finish

5) Leash Plug; or Leash Loop; or ½ Moon Cut Fin Panel Glass-on Leash Attachment

6) Fin Systems: FCS (fins included) $20 add on cost for BASIC stock fins

Future Fins (fins included) $20 add on cost for BASIC stock fins

Lok Box (fins included) $20 add on cost for BASIC stock fins

$10-$25 added Cost for 8” Single Box; 10.5” box or Stinger Box!

2+1 Combo (add $25)

Quads (add $40)

C5 (add $40 - $50 depending on brand and set-up)

Glass-ons ($10 - $50)

*Carbon Fiber Fins, Fiberglass fins, Longboard Center Fins and Special Order Fins are an extra cost per quote.

Glassing Alternative Options:

7.5 oz. – 10 oz. Volan (add $30 per side)

“S” cloth ($5 per yard) or ($15 per layer under 7’ and $25 per layer over 7’)

Fee for Glassing Channels and difficult contours (add $25 each)

Epoxy is additional (based on board length and epoxy brand)

Color Options:

Airbrush ($20 minimum, contingent upon specific work, priced per quote)

Tints & Pigments:

$35 for basic coloring per side up to 7’11” and $60 for 8’0” +

$45 for abstracts / acid splash / swirls per side up to 7’11” and $65 for 8’0” +

Inlay color on deck or bottom ($30)

Pin Lines ($25 on up depending on amount detail)

Finish Options:

Acrylic Finish ($10)

Polished Acrylic ($25)

Sanded Gloss

$35 - $45 under 8’0”

$50 over 8’0”

Gloss & Polish

$45 - $55 for boards under 8’0”

$60 for boards 8’0” up to 10’0”

ADD $5 per 6” over 10’

California Residents add 7.75% sales tax to your overall board cost! I shape under Warner Enterprises / Legends Surf Shop's license.

As of October 2009, my polyester boards are glassed by Luis Masuzzo at M&M, in Oceanside!!!!!!!

I also use KEAHANA Triaxial EPS Epoxy Systems if you want EPOXY:

- Shortboard Epoxy Glass Job... $300

(Keahana Blank & Glass Job...$375)

- Fun boards and boards up to 8'0"... $375

(Keahana Blank & Glass Job...$475)

- Longboards and boards up to 10'0"... $450

(Keahana Blank & Glass Job...$575)

All Keahana boards are priced with hot coat and gloss.


Saturday, October 27, 2007

The Magic of Danny Hess

Danny Hess Surfboards


Danny Hess is a green carpenter who turned his attention to hollow wood surfboards a few years ago. His professional woodworking skill and his skill as a top-level surfer at Ocean Beach were combined into a new craft. I've been fortunate to be able to watch some of the refining of his craft as he reached his current level of expertise, where he is making shortboards that weigh 8 pounds out of wood and epoxy. It is unquestionable that you will be amazed at the quality of the workmanship. As to the shapes, he has one of the best testers in the state in his own two feet. If you are at all interested, give him an email or ring, and check out some of his work.

The Making of a Custom Surfboard

A look at how a veteran craftsman builds a board with materials chosen to minimize environmental impact

By Jeffrey Gangemi

For the past eight years, Danny Hess, 31, a veteran surfboard shaper based in San Francisco, has been making surfboards out of natural materials to minimize their impact on the environment without sacrificing performance or aesthetics. Hess is one of a small but growing number of independent shapers finding increasing demand for these "cleaner" boards. In fact, a year and a half ago, Hess closed his environmental design firm and took on board-making full-time. Today, he uses wood harvested from forests that are then replanted, and a kind of recyclable foam called EPS, in a hand-built construction process that he says makes his boards last for "generations, instead of a few months." The starting price is $1,100, compared to $400 for a low-end commercial model.


Built to Last

Each Danny Hess surfboard is built using wood, such as poplar, which he chooses because it is grown locally and replanted. Hess says his boards have a lifespan far longer than a conventional surfboard-as long as 10 years as opposed to a few months-because the wood does not fatigue and break down the way the foam in a traditional board does.


Making the Mold

The first step in the process is building what Hess calls the perimeter frame. Each perimeter frame is constructed using a system of molds and templates, which creates the board's rail outline, foil, and rocker. Using pneumatic pressure, Hess creates molds that become the board's outline, and glues cork and wood into the mold that creates the frame.


Trade Secrets

The second step is fashioning the interior frame, which is made from pieces of EPS foam. The process of making a Hess interior frame is proprietary, but it involves shaping the top and bottom contours of the board, and inserting pieces of foam to fill out the open spaces between the perimeter frame.


Serious Recycling

Since Hess uses foam in pieces as opposed to a single blank, he often has extra pieces of foam, which he sends back to the EPS foam company to be recycled and used in future foam blanks.


Giving It Shape

Hess puts all the pieces of the interior and perimeter frame together. He shapes the whole board to create the deck and bottom contours, using a plane and vices.


Organic Outerwear

Next, Hess creates a wood skin for the deck and bottom of the board out of a lightweight, strong wood such as poplar, birch, or vertical grain fir.


In a Vacuum

Hess then bonds the wood skin to the EPS foam and perimeter frame to create a strong, unified structure. The bonding process takes about an hour, and occurs within a vacuum bag, which helps bond the thin wood skin to the interior and external frames. The process of creating a Hess "blank" takes about five times longer than the traditional method.


Hand Shaping

Next, Hess shapes the wooden rails. This is the point in the process where the specific shape of the board is created. It's considered the most critical step for creating a board with optimal performance. The rail-shaping process takes Hess between one and two hours, depending on the shape and size of the board.


Final Steps

Hess sends the board to a local laminator (referred to in the trade as a "glasser") to be coated in a strong, epoxy-based resin. Hess uses epoxy because it emits low volatile organic compounds and doesn't require solvents for cleanup. After it has been glassed, the board is finished and sent to its new owner, who will pay between $1,100 and $1,500 on average.

Hess Surfboards

Hess Surfboards

Danny Hess is a master woodworker and native Californian. He makes beautiful boards from sustainable materials including Poplar, EPS and Cork.


Daniel Hess is a true craftsman who designs and builds beautiful, strong, high performance surfboards. His use of recyclable and sustainable materials alongside a design methodology emphasizing the strength and longevity of each surfboard, results in a process that has far less environmental impact than that of a conventional polyurethane / polyester surfboard.

Integrated into the design of each board are materials with a lower environmental impact such as sustainably harvested wood, cork - a renewable resource, EPS foam which is the only recyclable surfboard foam and an epoxy which emits very low Volatile Organic Compounds and does not require solvents for clean up.

Each Hess board uses one half the fibreglass of a conventional surfboard, while remaining far stronger due to its design, the materials used and its construction. And, the use of wood in Hess boards avoids the more rapid fatigue and break down that conventional foam boards suffer, ensuring that each Hess board has a long and useful life.

Hess Pacheco Quad

Hess Pacheco Quad

Pacheco Quad - Beautifully crafted by Danny and inspired by the outlines of Rich Pavel and Manny. Made with sustainable materials.

Hess Pacheco Quad

HESS SURFBOARDS - PACHECO QUAD

Inspired by the beautiful outlines of Rich Pavel and Manuel Caro of Mandala, this quad fin outline utilizes streamlined curves, pronounced hip through the tail, and a more progressive foil and entry/tail rocker. These elements work together to create a board that responds to a full range of surf and really comes to life in ever changing beach break conditions

Rails: Poplar/Cork

Skin: Birch

Fins: Vector/Quad/Twin/Keel

Dimensions: n/a
Weight: n/a


The Bite


Wanna listen to the other flock of seagulls? Grab your graphic-print skinny tie, and head to the beach. But first, paddle on over to SF surfboard shaper Danny Hess. This eco-conscious surfer creates sleek-looking, custom-made boards by hand from reclaimed and sustainably-harvested wood, renewable cork, recyclable foam, and epoxy that doesn't off-gas VOCs. Set up a meeting, and he'll design a board from scratch that fits your needs - shapes range from traditional twin keel fish to maverick guns. And while prices run a few hundred bucks more than your average board, epoxy boards can last up to five times longer than conventional ones, meaning fewer surfboards end up landfills. They're also nontoxic, so you'll be riding new waves without polluting them.

Year Built: 2006
Dimensions: 5'6
Shaper:
Daniel Hess
Manufacturer: Hess Surfboards
Location: San Francisco Ca.

Here is my most recent Hollow wood/ EPS interior frame fish. A sleeker outline working with the vector quad fin setup to create a high performance board.Single Concave bottom. Poplar/ cork rails, poplar skin and a 1lb. Eps frame. This one comes in at 7.5 lbs.




Hess Surfboards

Danny Hess surfs Ocean Beach, San Francisco. A beach break with a reputation for holding a swell up to whatever size you can Hess Surfboardspersonally manage and making even the strongest surfers sulk all the way home. It’s a fast hollow wave. On big days most people are lucky to even make it outside. There are stories of Ocean Beach locals running stairs and doing pull-ups in preparation for the cold and unforgiving winter swells. It’s here that Danny has proven that his hollow wood boards are not just a throwback to traditional shapes but future-sleds, boards capable of speeding around sections and drawing clean lines before disappearing into the cavernous beach break barrels, boards that will do so year after year and then eventually turn back to dust.

Danny is not new to green construction methods. As a green building contractor in the Bay Area Danny was familiar with the ins and outs of sustainability. A passion for surfing and woodworking eventually launched him into a full-fledged board building lifestyle. Danny combines perimeter rail technology with EPS spine and ribs and wraps the boards in Epoxy. His boards look like fine furniture. But how do they work? The photos on his site and the ones provided here for us by Erin Kunkle are the proof. From cold Ocean Beach barrels to blue Indonesian perfection, Danny’s boards seem to fit, fly and flex perfectly.

Hess Surfboards - Indo testing

One striking aspect of Hess’s approach is his outright commitment to making a product with environmental ethics in mind. He is clear about the materials he uses and makes sure that longevity is part of his surfboard’s characteristics. One of the first people to respond to our request for an interview, Danny was stoked about our plans to explore sustainably minded surf products. After some time we finally bring you this interview. Check out his boards at www.hesssurfboards.com

Also check the new blog at www.hesssurfboards.blogspot.com

Q. Please tell us a little about yourself and how Hess Surfboards came to be.

A. First off let me thank you for starting this website and inviting me to participate. The evolution of Hess Surfboards has been a pretty organic process. I began making my own boards when I was around 16 and have become more and more committed to it since. My original motivation for making boards is the same now as it was when I began- to make a stronger, longer lasting, more functional surfboard.

My first 30 or so boards were made from traditional PU/PE materials, but when I began making a living as a green builder/ designer about 8 years ago and moving towards a more sustainable way of living, I became very motivated to build a surfboard with far less environmental impact. I spent just about all of my free time when I wasn’t surfing or working on clients homes developing the fundamentals of my technology and method for building these boards. I never doubted that wood was the best material to use. I was very familiar with it, nothing can do what it does and I had established a lot of great sources for sustainably harvested wood through the work I was already doing. The first board took me over 160 hrs to build, and each generation since has taken far less time, been far lighter, and much stronger. It has been a continuous process of trying many different ways of putting all of the elements together to get better results.

Tuning the rails with a spokeshaveThe last couple years I feel that I’ve come to a refined point where I am no longer making these dramatic changes in the construction of each board. I feel very confident that the makeup of each board, as they are now, is what I’ve been working towards for these years. It never occurred to me in the beginning that I would be building these boards for a living. My motivation has always been a personal one. At first I began building these boards for a few local Ocean Beach surfers that were interested and over the last seven years it has slowly evolved in to building boards for people all over the world and it’s how I now make a living.

Q. In some of my research on surfing forums I have encountered surfers who think of the idea of green surfing as being “hippy lovin, tree huggin, soy drinking” rubbish. Essentially the kind of lackadaisical attitude that mass media assigns the surf world. How do you think this point of view can change? Have you experienced this kind of banter in your work?

A. “Go shape a pickle if you want a green surfboard”. That was always my favorite comment when I first began posting my “green” surfboards and ideas online. A lot of people seem to think that you need to sacrifice a boards’ performance to build a board that has less environmental impact. I think the opposite is true. It is totally possible to build a healthier surfboard that lasts far longer and performs far better than the conventional boards that the majority of surfers are riding today. This has been my main motivation in building and developing the technology that goes into each of my boards.

Pacheco QuadWhen I began selling my wood surfboards for a living, unfortunately clients were not coming to me because they wanted a surfboard that was better for the environment. Now that is the motivation behind a large number of the orders I get. I do think there is a growing level of awareness in the surfing world. Clark’s closure forced people think about where their surfboards come from. Patagonia and the Malloy brothers are certainly having a positive impact, and websites like this one are now finding audiences where there wasn’t before. I truly feel that we are at the beginning of a larger acceptance and awareness by the surfing population that the idea of living in a more sustainable way is good and maybe even cool. I believe it is inevitable for each surfer to, at some point, to look at their very close relationship with the ocean and draw the conclusion that it is something that they need to actively protect.

Q. Part of beginning a dialog about sustainability involves understanding what the concept is exactly and how it relates to surfing. What does sustainability mean to you and how do you apply it in your work?

A. My definition of true sustainability is the unaltered natural environment functioning in perfect balance as nature intended it to be. Examples of this are certainly rare in today’s world, and becoming rarer each day. In my everyday life I try to look at it as an ongoing process of moving towards a greater balance. Actively finding ways to decrease my negative environmental impact in all areas of my life and being thoughtful about the resources I use.

Q. It seems to me that maybe we need a new aesthetic. Your boards are hand crafted and finished beautifully. And the work that goes into them is a lot different than say, buying a close tolerance blank and shaping the rails. Do think that there is a renaissance of craftsmanship and artistry in surfing right now?

Danny HessA. There have certainly always been truly great craftsman building surfboards from all sorts of materials and not caring about how much money they will make or how long it will take to make a board. I think that rather than just a renaissance of craftsmanship we are seeing the evolution of the surfboard really beginning to accelerate again. The vacuum caused by Clark’s closure has really allowed for craftsman building alternative, non-mainstream, types of surfboards to come out of their caves, receive a bit more acceptance from the surfing world, and really explore the possibilities of what they are building. On top of that there seems to be a growing number of surfers that are open to trying alternative shapes and fin setups, as well as valuing and appreciating a surfboard that is made by hand. The combination of these things makes for a really exciting time in surfing and the evolution of the surfboard.

Q. Thanks so much for your time Danny. Any last words or thoughts you’d like to leave our readers with?

A. A wise friend and mentor said to me that a truly great surfboard is one that seamlessly blends art with science. The point where the two become blurred is what I love about a well built hand made surfboard. It is the thing that makes a magic board and what makes a well crafted, hand made surfboard something beyond a product or widget. It is definitely what keeps me motivated to continue improving and developing the boards I am building. Many thanks.

Hess Rail Blend


Future classic: Surfing legend Dan Malloy calls his 5-foot-10 Danny Hess surfboard “the fastest I’ve ever ridden.” And not only is it fast, it’s politically correct: Hess, an Ocean Beach regular, is making a fine art of creating high-performance, environmentally sound boards. Instead of fragile, toxic fiberglass, he works with sustainably harvested wood and cork and recyclable foam. His fishes, quads, and guns have the life span of the old balsa single-fins and the speed and agility of modern shapes. “They’ll last about 20 years,” says Hess. “The only place I don’t guarantee them is Mavericks.”

Danny Hess, of Hess Surfboards, has been using wood, expanded polystyrene (EPS), which is recyclable, and an epoxy resin that releases 80 percent fewer VOCs into the air than the standard polyester resin, to make boards for six years. EPS is the most widely used alternative to polyurethane foam, and it is similar to the Styrofoam used to make beach coolers. The boards are as light and even stronger than traditional ones, but some surfers have complained that EPS boards aren’t as responsive to their movements. Hess’s boards are encased in sustainably-harvested or reclaimed wood. “The combination of the materials I use produce the strongest, most functional and environmentally-conscious surfboard I can build right now,” says Hess. While it is an improvement on conventional board-making methods, it’s petroleum-based, so it won’t become a long-term solution. “Chemicals are still involved, and I’m always searching for better alternatives that release fewer toxins into the atmosphere,” Hess says. “What I really want to see is a bio-based, EPS-quality foam.”

Some other woodsmiths and master craftsmen worth checking out…

· Dick Brewer; "Plumeria Surfboards", Hanalei, Hawaii; www.plumeriasurfboards.com

· David Falkenau; “Artisan Surf Designs: Falkenau Surfboards & Fins”, Carlsbad, CA next to Legends Surf Shop on State Street; www.artisansurfdesigns.blogspot.com

· Daniel Hess; “Hess Surfboards”, San Francisco, California; www.hesssurfboards.com

· Paul Jensen; “Surfboards by Paul Jensen”, Lacey, WA; www.hollowsurfboards.com

· Dirk Langer; “Vintage Wooden Surfboards”, Cayucos, CA;www.vintagewoodensurfboards.com

· Roy Stewart; "Power Surfboards"; New Zealand; www.olosurfer.com

· Tom Wegener; “Wegener Surfboards”, Noosa, Queensland, Australia; www.tomwegenersurfboards.com