Custom vs Stock

When boards are produced at that scale, consistency often replaces care. The focus shifts toward keeping racks full rather than making sure each board leaving the factory is something worth standing behind. Time and attention aren’t always part of the equation.

Custom vs Stock - A clearer way to look at it.

A clearer way to look at it.

The way custom and stock boards are positioned across much of the surf industry today don't sit quite right with us.

Walk into most shops and you’ll see racks filled with boards in every common size. 5’8”, 5’10” 6’0” all lined up and ready to go. The idea is simple. Immediate access to your “perfect literage," no waiting, no friction.

When boards are produced at that scale, consistency often replaces care. The focus shifts toward keeping racks full rather than making sure each board leaving the factory is something worth standing behind. Time and attention aren’t always part of the equation.

We’ve never approached it that way.

We release stock boards in a manner that suits the season. If we’re heading into a run of good waves, we’ll build step-ups. If the USA looks like they are coming into a few months of good swell, we’ll do a small batch to suit.

Built Slower, Built Better

At Simon Jones Designs, stock boards and custom boards come from the same place. Same materials. Same hands. Same level of attention.

There’s no “production line version” and then a “premium version.”

Every board is built properly. That’s the baseline. -H3

Stock boards for us are not filler for racks. They’re boards we’ve already committed to. Designs we believe in, built with the same intent as anything we make to order. Finished as close to perfect as we can get them.

Because at the end of the day, if it’s not something we’re proud of, it doesn’t leave the factory.

One Board, Different Surfers

Another thing that often gets overlooked is how adaptable a well designed board can be.

Not everything needs to be hyper specific. This doesn’t apply to all models, and it shouldn’t be taken as gospel, but it’s worth thinking about.

Take something like a Massive at 7'2". Two completely different surfers can ride that same board and get entirely different experiences out of it.

A surfer at 6'2", 90kg might lean into it, push it hard, turn it tight, surf it with intent.

Someone at 5'6", 60kg might take that exact same board into smaller conditions, use the glide, draw longer lines, and treat it more like a traditional midlength.

Same board. Different approach.

That’s what good design does. It leaves room for interpretation.

Not every model allows for that, but when it does, it opens things up. It means you don’t always need something made specifically for you to get something that works.

Where Custom Comes In

Custom boards are where things shift from choosing to creating.

It starts with a conversation, usually over the phone, with Simon or myself (Dash, Simon’s son).

We talk through everything. Where you surf. What you’re riding now. What feels right, what doesn’t. The kind of lines you want to draw.

From there, the board takes shape.

Foam gets moved. Rails adjusted. Rocker refined. Small, deliberate changes that bring the board closer to what you’re actually chasing.

Then it gets detailed.

Custom colour work, mixed specifically for your board
Glassing schedule dialled to how you surf
Stringer configuration
Blank selection
Rail volume and distribution

Everything is considered.

The board is logged into your own file with us. Order forms are built out. Colour sheets created. Nothing is guessed.

Once it moves into production, we keep an eye on it the whole way through. From shaping to glassing to sanding. Every stage.

When it’s finished, it’s packed properly and documented. A build sheet, a record of what it is and how it came together. Sometimes even an image from along the way.

Then it gets sent out, ready to be surfed.

Think of it like a hand-tailored suit, built for you from the ground up.

The Difference, As We See It

Stock boards are built with intention.
Custom boards are built with you.

Both matter. Both are done the same way. The difference is how far you want to go into the process.

Some people want something proven and ready to go.
Others want to be part of the build.

We’re set up for both, without compromising either.

Because whether it’s sitting on a rack or shaped specifically for your name, the outcome should feel the same.

A board you trust.
A board you keep.
A board that earns its place over time.

Our System — Series I, II, III

Series I - Stock Boards

Ready to Surf.

These are boards we’ve already built. Not to fill racks, but because we believe in them.

Each one is shaped, glassed, and finished the same way we would a custom. Same materials. Same time. Same care.

They’re based on our core models. Dimensions and curves that have been refined over years in the water.

No changes, no adjustments. What you see is exactly what you get.

Built and ready for immediate delivery
Proven designs and dimensions
Same construction as every board we make
No wait time

This is the simplest way into what we do.

Pick a board. Take it surfing.

Series II — Custom (Stock Features Only)

Our designs, dialled to your size.

Series II sits in the middle.

You’re choosing one of our existing models, but instead of taking it off the rack, we build it for you.

The key thing here is that the design stays intact.

We don’t change rocker, outline, or the fundamental characteristics of the board. Those have already been worked out and proven.

What you can do is select the size that fits you properly within that model and personalise the finish.

Choose your model
Dial in your dimensions within our proven range
Select colour
Built to order

It’s a way to get something that fits you better, without moving away from what makes the board work in the first place. This is what we recommend if you know what you want and don't want to wait for our next stock drop or custom order opening.