There’s something strange happening in the world right now.

Everything is getting faster. Easier to replace. Easier to forget.

Mass produced products fill almost every part of life now. Built quickly. Sold quickly. Thrown away quickly.

Surfing hasn’t escaped it either.

But a surfboard was never supposed to be disposable.

Many of us surfers have a story of the first board we ever rode being pulled out from underneath the house, or the back shed. Glassed heavy, and probably just heavy in general. A thick layer of what was once fresh smelling tacky wax now turned into a greasy mess across the deck. Pressure dents through the middle. Maybe a yellow rail or a crooked old repair job.

But it still worked.

To us, a good board should feel more like a well worn rain jacket, an old pair of hiking boots or a trusted axe sitting in the back of a truck after years of use. A tool. Something dependable. Something that helps you spend more time outdoors doing the things you love.

I’m not saying a board should feel like that stick from the ’60s under the house. Not at all. Rather, it should feel like a board that can stay with you for years.

Built properly.

It becomes part of your life. Part of your routine. Part of your memories.

That’s why custom surfboards still matter to us. Not because they are flashy or complicated. Usually it’s the opposite. Simpler outlines. Proven curves. Equipment built carefully for a specific purpose and a specific person.

One surfer.

One conversation.

One board at a time.

At Simon Jones Designs, every custom still starts the same way it always has. Talking through waves, equipment, frustrations, travel plans, favourite boards from the past and what you really want to feel under your feet.

Then Dad (Simon) disappears into the bay and starts shaping.

No factories pushing volume.

No chasing trends.

Just decades of refinement and careful craftsmanship.

The end goal is simple.

Build equipment that helps people spend more time in the ocean.

Because really, that is the whole point of it all.

We want to foster people spending more time in the great outdoors. Because time outside fosters care for nature, awareness of the world around you and often awareness in yourself too.

Surfing can be described as a selfish activity really. Hours exploring coastlines, driving dirt roads, hiking headlands or paddling into spots only to find the wind is on it or the swell direction isn’t quite right. Entire days can disappear chasing waves that never really show up.

But maybe that kind of selfishness is important.

Time with yourself in this busy world is becoming rare.

"When you're surfing you're not thinking about where you parked the car or what you're going to do when you grow up... you're just there. You're in the moment. And I think in a contemporary world, that's a rare privilege." - Tim Winton

So walk that extra mile. Paddle to the next break. Take the longer road home along the coast. Your next best ride is waiting there somewhere.

Good equipment still matters.

And so does the time spent using it.

We spend hours chasing seconds... 

Built by hand since 1983. Can You Hear The Drums?