How wide is an alaia surfboard?

The ideal width of an Alaia is 16-17″. Any wider and it becomes very slippery, any thinner and it’s too hard to paddle.

What is the average width of a surfboard?

Surfing a funboard / hybrid / minimal less than 1 day per week

How do you shape an alaia board?

Use a block plane (and electric hand planer if available) to shape your board. For optimum flex and to reduce weight, try to maintain about half an inch throughout entire center and start tapering down to a quarter inch along the rails.

What kind of wood is used for alaia surfboards?

“Ancient Hawaiians made their boards out of local woods–’ulu, and koa.” Modern Alaia boards are made of many types of wood, including Redwood, Cedar, Pine and Balsa. Typically, commercially sold alaia boards are made of paulownia.

How do I surf Alaia?

Make sure you distribute your weight correctly (this is key to catching waves). When paddling around, angle the board so that the tip of the nose pops out a bit when leaning slightly back. Now when the wave comes, push your chest down just as you start picking up speed and the wave will lift you up.

What is a Paipo board?

PAIPO, BRIEF HISTORY For those of you new to the term, a Paipo is a small surfboard designed for riding waves whilst lying on your belly. These unique wave riding crafts are also known as belly boards and many experts believe they originated in Hawai’i’.

Are Wider surfboards faster?

In most cases, inch for inch, they are actually faster. Shorter, wider boards, once planning, are far more efficient and ultimately capable of achieving higher speeds than longer, sleeker looking foils.

Can surfboards be too big?

If the waves are too big for the beginner, likely he/she would end up pearling (nosediving) too much. However, this would happen on a shorter board as well. The fault is in the waves, not the board. In short, there is no “too large” a surfboard once your out in the water as long as you can physically paddle it.

How thick is an Alaia?

Alaias can vary in size, but they are usually made between five feet to ten feet in length. Alaias are thin boards and they never go over two inches in thickness. An alaia has hard rails, which allows it to bite into the wave even without fins.

What does Alaia mean in Hawaiian?

Alaula – girls name of Hawaiian origin meaning Light of Dawn or Sunset Glow.

How did ancient Hawaiians make surfboards?

Boards were shaped with a stone adz first, then smoothed with coral or rough stone abraders. The root of the ti plant or pounded kukui tree bark was used as a finishing stain, giving the board a durable, glossy, water resistant black surface. Hawaiians used two main types of boards.

How big should the bottom of an alaia surfboard be?

The flex in the board is phenomenal and you can feel it under your feet as you turn on the wave. The ideal width of an Alaia is 16-17″. Any wider and it becomes very slippery, any thinner and it’s too hard to paddle. The classic bottom is a entry hull to single concave.

What kind of wood is Paulownia surfboard made of?

Paulownia is an incredibly light hardwood with great water and rot-resistant qualities. The blank is glued up with waterproof glue, hand shaped and then oiled with mix based on linseed oil.

What’s the best way to shape a surfboard?

1. Glue the Blank (optional): glue the stringers and three or more thin planks, and let them dry overnight. Alternatively, you can buy a single plank of wood and skip to step 2; 2. Draw and Cut the Outline: follow the classic shape, and start cutting, but make sure you don’t cut inside the lines; 3.