Questions on Making Boards

What is the right Alaia for me? 

Hi Tom

I am writing from Germany. I have read a lot about you making alaias. I love experimenting and want to make an alaia. I am now thinking about what lengths and widths would make sense for me. I am 178cm tall and weigh 63kg. Not great, but a decent and passionate surfer. What do you suggest? I would like to ride it prone and standing up.

Cheers, Flo

Hi Flo,

Thank you for your question. The quick answer is 5’6 long x 15 1/2” wide x 3/4” thick. This is assuming you are using paulownia wood and it has been milled into a quality blank. The template is the elongated tomb stone shape. This makes for good prone surfing as well as for standing on. Concave helps in catching waves but the board will crack easier than a board with a rolled bottom. A bit of flex in the board helps with turning and control, especially when riding prone. This is what I would make for you.

Generally, the volume of the wood in an alaia works against you. More volume of wood makes it harder to paddle due to the weight of the wood. This is why I try to make custom alaias as small as I can for the surfer. It is the opposite with foam. However, please see the article Understanding the Energy of a Wave, with reference to how Papua New Guinea kids catch waves with heavy alaia style boards. This is something that very few western surfers have experimented with.

With foam alaias, I made a board called the Albacore. It is flexible and easy to control. My favourite length is the 4’11, not the longer 5’6.

Have fun!

Tom