Hollow Surfboard Design – Rib and Neck Construction

Many people see wooden surfboards at the beach or at the local surf shop and think that they are made of solid wood or pieces of wood laminated to form a solid surfboard. While it’s true that long ago surfboards were built with solid wood, modern surfboards are built much lighter with hollow or tubed designs.

The general description of the design on a hollow wood surfboard is ribs and stringers similar to a fish skeleton with ribs and backbone. The design is exactly like the construction of a modern aircraft wing where the skin acts as an integral part of the structural design, including the deliberate contribution to the strength of the surfboard. While this process of making individual ribs and attaching these ribs to the stringer can be tedious and time consuming, one must take the time to make precise cuts and glue the structure with particular attention to a flat drying surface. Initial thought will be that the frame won’t be strong enough to ride even average waves, but the rails and skin cover will provide more than enough structural integrity for the hand built surfboard. The rails are normally attached to the ribs and are constructed of laminated lumber. A special block of wood will be required to attach the fin to the hollow surfboard to provide additional strength.

Special concern will need to be taken to eliminate future problems with expansion and contraction due to the change in air temperature inside the hollow surfboard compared to the outside of the surfboard. This temperature change could easily occur when the surfboard is left in direct sunlight for a reasonably short period of time. A vent will need to be installed to allow air pressure to equalize when not in use.