A while back, while watching YouTube videos, I randomly stumbled upon people having fun on these things called stand up paddleboards. It was fascinating. I wanted to do it too. Then I discovered that some of these people build their own boards out of wood. Right then and there I decided to build my own.
I went to the local hardware store and bought :
a jig saw
angle grinder
belt sander
hand saw
block plane
wood glue
3 squeeze clamps
3 F clamps
Cedar made specifically for building fences
That's right. I built my first sup, with very minimal tools. I even cut and shaped fence pickets to construct the board. Needless to say, I was unable to reduce the thickness of the boards unless I spent hours shaving them with my small block plane. In hindsight, a power hand planner would have been beneficial. After everything was put together, I realized that I had created a barge! This first board must have weighed 50lbs at least! It was only 10' long and 30" across.
The pros and cons of that first board
Pro:
Heavier weight = more momentum
Thicker rails = strength
The fin was glassed in. Sturdy and long. For a VERY stable board.
Con:
It was too heavy to carry for long distances with one person
It was not aesthetically pleasing too look at
I had poor ventilation
Glassed in fin is difficult to replace
This first board was not just a project. This was a learning process. I learned much more in the months I spent building this than I could have learned from watching a lifetime of YouTube videos. I learned how to use all of my tools. I also discovered that there are no wrong or right ways to do something but you can always find a better way. You can always improve upon your last design, build, or modification.
“The separation of talent and skill is one of the greatest misunderstood concepts for people who are trying to excel, who have dreams, who want to do things. Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft.”
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