How to Make Your Own Bodyboard

Bodyboards are half the size of surfboards and longboards.

Ride the ocean waves on a bodyboard that you lie down on. Bodyboards are short versions of surfboards that are not intended for standing up. Rather than balancing on a bodyboard, you can ride it comfortably from the prone position. Make your bodyboard stand out on the beach by building and designing it yourself. A custom-made bodyboard must be constructed out of the proper materials so the board is buoyant, which is important so you do not sink.

Things You'll Need

• Polystyrene foam
• Measuring tape
• Marker
• Disk sander with number 50 disk
• Spray paint or airbrush
• Fiber cloth
• Scissors
• Tape
• Resin
• Paintbrush
• Medium-grade sandpaper

Instructions

1. Shape the polystyrene foam into the shape of a bodyboard. Determine the length of the board based on your height. For instance; if you are 5 feet and 3 inches tall, you want a 40-inch long bodyboard. If you are 6 feet tall, you should have a bodyboard 42 inches long. The width of the board should be as wide as your shoulders. Use a measuring tape to find the accurate dimensions and trace an outline of the board into the polystyrene foam.

2. Use an electric disk sander with a number 50 disk to shape the foam board. This type of sander works effectively and efficiently on polystyrene foam, an ideal material for a lightweight and buoyant board. Hold the sander in your hand and carve out the edges of the board you traced. The disk can also be used to smooth out rough edges once you are finished shaping the board.

3. Spray paint or airbrush color onto the board over the foam. Bodyboards can be as colorful as the designer wants. If you wish to design the board with intricate patterns and details, use an airbrush with stencils to get the look you are after.

4. Cover the underside of the bodyboard with fiber cloth. Fit the fiber cloth so it is the same length and width as the board. Cut the fiber cloth with scissors and tape it to the underside of the board. The fiber cloth is a protective coating against the foam blank you created.

5. Paint resin over the top of the fiber cloth with a paintbrush. The resin acts as a shellac that keeps the fiber cloth in place and provides a glass-like coating. Allow it to dry for 24 hours. When it is dry, move onto the top portion of the bodyboard. Apply the fiber cloth, tape it down, and paint resin over it. Give it another 24 hours to dry.

6. Glass the entire board. Glassing the board refers to the process of coating the entire board with resin once more. This extra coating solidifies the board and ensures it is well-coated to float easily on the water.

7. Buff out any rough edges with medium-grade sandpaper.

References

• How to Build Your First Surfboard; Stephen Pirsch; 2003
• Bodyboards: Bodyboard Sizing