Dream Golf Job: Glen D'Arcy Surfboard Manufacturer

I took a break from the golf scene today to have a look at what else the Kouga area has to offer. Jeffreys Bay is a surfing hotspot on the world stage with the best right hand break in the world!

Glen took some time out to show me how surfboards are made.

Step 1: Shaping

Surfboards are constructed from high density polyurethane foam which is the core of surfboards. This is shaped into different surfboard designs to suit each persons personal preferences and surfing capability

Step 2: Spray Painting

The design is then sprayed onto the foam using masking tape and either a water base paint or duco. Once the design is sprayed onto the high density shaped blank the board then goes to have the fibre glass and polyester resin applied.

Step 3: Glassing/Laminating

The glassing process is done by laying up layers of fibre glass and applying polyester resin with a rubber squeegie. The fibre glass is saturated with resin and the excess is removed with the squeegie. Once the board has been glassed the plugs for the fins and leash attachment are inserted. The board then get's sanded and a finish coat get's applied with a brush.

Step 4: Finishing

Once the resin is hard the board then get's water papered with 3 different grits: 220, 600 and 1200. Then finally the board get's polished using a fine grit polish and burnishing compound.