Jay Novak Surfboards - Surfing since '65 - Shaping since '75 -
Jay Novak Surfboards - Surfing since '65 - Shaping since '75 -
Jay Novak Surfboards
I’ve been doing this for a long time. Shaping for my own 2 labels, private label boards for San Diego’s premier Surf Shops, and working for some big names in the local area. Nothing I’d rather do than make your new board.
I have created an entire line of board designs to meet the performance goals for locals, and international riders alike. These designs are updated frequently and my greatest virtue is the ability to design boards to meet an individual’s specific needs. I want to share the stoke you feel when picking up and riding your new board! My mission is to provide customers with a great board at a fair price. Up-to-date current model surfboards are delivered usually within 6 to 8 weeks. I use around 30 proven files; everything from various fish shapes, shortboards, and unique longboard models. With me, you deal directly with the owner/ shaper and this personal touch ensures that you will get the best board for your needs.
I have seen quite a lot in my years in the surfboard industry, and offer my experience to ensure your complete satisfaction. I first started using CNC technology with cutting blanks around 20 years ago. It has proven itself to be a big help in duplicating and re-sizing my designs. However, I still shape close to 50% of the boards by hand! Why? First, I never want to lose the skill of working with hand tools. Second, a custom board is not just choosing dimensions, color, and fin type for your new stick. I enjoy the one-to-one dialog determining just what the customer wants. If possible, I look at their old board, ask questions, and go from there. Forty five years of hand shaping will ensure your new board will exceed expectations.
Jay's Origins -
I started surfing in 1965 and started shaping & glassing in 1975. When I was just learning, there were no shortboards. I weighed 100 pounds and my 9’2” log weighed 35 pounds! It took years to learn, mostly because I could only get to the beach a couple times a month. Thankfully, skateboarding got me thru in between beach visits.
The same can be said about my shaping and designing. Trial and error was the way boards transitioned through the “shortboard revolution” of 1968-1970. I enjoyed the challenge and kept at it, finally quitting my “real” job to concentrate on my new business.
I have had the good fortune to live near the coast for most my life - and surfed all the time. Some years, I surfed 300+ days. I did the math and realized that I have logged around 6000 days of surfing, and probably more than that in the shaping room! I have shaped for World Tour surfers, beginners, and everyone in between. I have also shaped for some large industry names that you would recognize. Perhaps my favorite aspect of shaping is the one-to-one interaction between myself and the client, and to make sure you get the board you want. And if you are a shop, maybe I can be the one to fill an order for your shop this season!
To learn more about Jay, check out his story here:
