In the world of the over-analyzed, technical to a fault, surfboard brainstorming culture it can be easy to get overwhelmed with all of the mis-information out there about going custom.
Keyboard rippers will tell you one thing, your buddies will tell you another, but you just wanna buy a sick board made just for you and not screw it up. Well, we decided to air out some common surfboard custom mystifications to put your mind at ease.
MYTH #1
Straying From Stock Dims.
One of the biggest questions we hear is: How far is too far when going custom on your dimensions? Well, the truth of the matter is that there really is no perfect set of dims. From body shape to skill to the waves you surf, everybody is different. Stock dims are a great place to start, and do fit most average-sized people, but don't be afraid to tweak something to your liking.
If you want a 6'0" that's 1/2" thicker than stock because that's the only way to get you to your ideal float, then go for it. You can add a little width to compensate. It’s 100% better to get a board with the appropriate width and thickness for your metrics than to take something too small or too big.
Color a little outside the lines using our Custom Board Builder below; you just might make something magical.
MYTH #2
Custom Dims Are Always Better.
Almost as an inverse to Myth #1, another misconception is that you need to tweak one or more parts of the dims to get a magic board. There is nothing wrong with trying a board in its stock dimensions and simply going custom on your glassing and art to make the board personal to you.
We've encountered customers who feel like they need to tweak something here or there since they are ordering a custom. If the board looks close to what you like or you don't have prior experience on that type of board, then feel free to try it stock.
MYTH #3
Liters or Dims: What's More Important?
Liters came onto the scene like some new blonde-haired, cigarette-smoking senior in high school and quickly captured the attention of the entire class. It seemed to have it all, the perfect encapsulation of flotation that anyone could use to quickly decipher, at least roughly, how a board is going to sit in flat water. It combined all three dims in a special formula to give you a more digestible number.
And just like the new kid on the block, people quickly dropped their reliable old metrics for a chance to sit at the lunch table and soon found themselves close enough to see the lack of depth behind those pretty blue eyes. Volume is great at face value, but thickness and width still need loving too. Take the time to remember what width and thickness you like on certain types of boards, as that can have just as much of an effect on how a board feels.
MYTH #4
Heavy Glass or Light?
Should you opt for more glass, or less? 4oz S-cloth or 4oz standard E or Warp?
Our standard glassing is two 4oz layers of glass on the deck, and a single 4oz layer of glass on the bottom. This covers ~80% of boards sold.
For customers who want a lighter board but more stiffness or protection against pressure or compression damage, S-cloth is an excellent addition to your new custom.
If you surf choppy conditions, or want the overall durability of your board to increase, you can opt for a heavier layer of glass and go for a 6oz layer on the deck, bottom, or both. Not enough? Add another 6oz layer on the deck. Still not enough? You're a maniac, that’s definitely enough.
See the full rundown on glassing, here.
MYTH #5
Art Adds Significant Time to Your Custom.
This is another common question we get from customers who understandably want their boards right away. Art goes a long way in making the board feel personal to you, and out of our standard 5-7 week timeline, a custom airbrush will typically add around 3-4 days of production time.
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We hope that this article helped you to clear out some of the noise that reverberates around your head as you get close to ordering your custom.
The biggest takeaways from this article should be to try new things out, get excited about a new feeling, and don't sweat trying to perfect everything.
Check out our Custom Board Builder and see if something tickles your fancy today.
If you are still unsure about anything, feel free to contact us through our Livechat feature on the website or call us at one of our Factory Locations and talk to a specialist.
