Sharkboy Paulownia Handplane

A few years ago, a good friend and very modest east coast prone surfing legend Dennis @magicbeanbuyer15 had been experimenting with food trays for body surfing and found something special in a reasonably priced Skegness 24 x 32 cm piece of plastic.
He generously bought more of these food trays for me and fellow local prone surfing enthusiast Ross @mabomiler to share his stoke.

I have always loved that plastic tray and wanted to experiment further.

My version is a buoyant Paulownia wood handplane with checkerboard cloth inlay, formed in a press to give a gentle concave hull.

I had some pure beeswax in the workshop, which I melted and applied to cotton checkerboard fabric to make a waterproof waxed velcro hand strap. This is attached to the board with brass fittings.

Approximate dimensions (not including fins) are 24cm length, 32cm width, 1.5cm thick.

Board hulls are finished with Danish oil and beeswax. (Care instructions included)

ABOUT SHARKBOY BELLYBOARDS:

My love of the sea started with sailing, as kids my brother and I did some windsurfing and dinghy sailing courses with the RYA in the summer holidays and were both hooked.
I went on to work as a GRP boat builder, first at yacht builders Colvic craft in Earls Colne, where we made some interesting craft including the kevlar reinforced Millennium Farr 65 round the world yachts. I then worked at White Formula in Brightlingsea for Olympic sailor Rob White mainly building Dart 18 catamarans.

All Sharkboy Bellyboards are handmade from responsibly sourced, Forest Friendly wood.