For all those who've expressed interest in these boards lately here is a bit about Treehouse Surfboards. Please send me a private message if you'd like to know more or get in touch with Dave...
David Porter is a 27 year old surfer/shaper driven by a simple ideology:
'To craft beautiful surfboards that they can be enjoyed for a lifetime, while carefully considering the resources that he uses.
David first began building polyester boards when he was 15 years old. In those days, the passion behind building boards stemmed from the need for a new quiver each season and for a 15 year old, the cheapest way to get a new quiver was to build one. Numerous boards on; numerous snapped and dented boards on, it became apparent that the polyurethane/polyester combination that has been standard (and marketed) for so long may not be the best method for constructing a lightweight/modern surfboard. A growing concern for the impact of the materials going into each surfboard also necessitated a re-think of surfboard construction.
Inspired by respected craftsmen such as Gary Young, Burt Berger, Danny Hess, Chris Garrett and David Franks, David began testing Australian timber laminates, glass-less boards, organic sealing methods, alternative low impact glues,low VOC epoxies and extruded polystyrene foams. Borrowing techniques that have been around since the 70's and by combining these with modern materials, boards started to emerge that were not only equisite to look at but also perfomed beautifully in terms of strength, durability, speed and projection. Achieving this required building strength and flex memory into the core of the board rather than solely relying on the monocoque skin. This means that all blanks are made by hand and pre-stressed with custom stringers. By utilising an alternative method to finish the glass/timber composite skin, the amount
of resin used has been reduced to less than a quarter of that required to manufacture conventional boards. What this means is an increased strength to weight ratio, improved flex characteristics and reduced environmental impact. David's boards do not take in water due to the closed-cell XPS foam used and do not pressure dent.
Experimentation and creativity lie at the heart of both surfing and shaping surfboards. David will continue to develop these beautiful boards with the help of like-minded surfers and continually reflect upon resource usage as more sustainable materials and processes become available. David's boards will always remain uniquely Australian and embody true surfing spirit.
...
The board featured in the photos is a 6ft 5 x 20 1/2 x 2 1/2 Quad Egg. The fins are Speed Dialers designed by Rich Pavel. This is my latest toy, and I'm just stoked on it. Besides it looking great, its proving to be really fun to ride in typical Perth waves.
Cheers.
Why do I have to wait for it to be sanded and sealed? I want to surf it NOW.
5'5" long, 20" wide, 2 3/8" thick. Canard quad fin setup. Will be a loose speed machine!
$990 for the board.
$97 for the fins (Lokbox Speed-dialler cutaways mailed from USA http://rainbowfins.com/surf/a_lb_quad.php?id=2)
$? for postage. The board is being crafted in Sydney.
The board is my own design and was originally going to be shaped on a CNC router (see pics). Ended up that it would take too long to organise the CNC shaping, and was going to cost more, so Dave just printed out the design to full scale and used it as a template.
picasaweb.google.com/daniel.rm.lie/Surfboards for full size pictures.
When it's finished and in Perth, I'll pm you if you want to have a shot on it.
Going to take it down the Goldie / North NSW coast when it's finished in 2 weeks time
The board is finished and it looks and surfs awesome!
Went really well on those super fat east coast point breaks.
The Treehouse website is up and running. Check it out at:
www.treehouseboards.com/
Send me a private message if you want to demo the 6ft 5in quad egg as featured on the website.
Cheers.
Hey DL was that you in the water Sunday at the xxxxxxx xxxxx?
I was on the Hot Tomale fish! Was thinking your board looked perfect for my daughter...
Yep, that was me! How good was the surf.
My mate had a shot on it (he's 6'1" and 90kegs) and surprisingly it seemed fine for someone his size. He didn't want to give the board back though:) Makes his thruster seem like a slug.
If you go to SUPER SECRET SPOT X often, I'll probably see you there again and your daughter can have a shot.
Not looking too crash hot this weekend though :(
Hey Doggie,
The laminate is Australian plantation hoop pine.
The tail inserts are recycled Australian hardwoods (jarrah and rosewood I think).
Looks sweet!
Cheers.
Im thinking about ordering a single fin, they realy look the part like a 6,6 would be the go I recon mmmmmmmmmm single fin aaaagggggagggg..........