My story is a pretty simple but defining one. I never had a surfboard as a kid, only borrowing a friend's occassionally and mostly just flopping around on it, but the very first thing I did after I got my license when I turned 17 was went to a surf shop and bought a used, cheap, beat up shortboard. So I was still young when I learned to surf, but I didn't grow up knowing how to surf, so having the right board I would learn really made a massive difference in my surfing. I taught myself how to surf when I could but found more time to do so when I was in college. I studied Biological Oceanography with my research in underwater robotics and Physical Oceanopgrahy. I spent a summer abroad for research credits in Australia, and up until that point I had only bought used boards that (1) never really worked great for me despite the marketing videos and (2) were not durable. So I decided to buy my first full-price brand new board to bring on my summer abroad with hopes of surfing as much as possible. I was so excited for it, but it quickly ended up being the same experience as all the used boards I had bought up until then.
I started doing some more research on surfboards and decided to attempt building my own board once I got home after that summer to try to create the things in surfing that I was missing: boards that made surfing fun, relatively easy & able to progress quickly and that were durable. I built that first board start-to-finish myself in 2012, and I am beyond proud to say that every single board I've built since then has been built start-to-finish in its entirety by me.
I'm a firm believer that the best surfboards on planet Earth are made by career-long start-to-finish board builders. There's something special ascertained that's greater than the sum of its parts by being dedicated to mastering each & every step of the surfboard building process. You learn how each step interplays with all the other compounding steps, and you become much more in tune with how & why a board is surfing the way it is, understanding its feel, flex, durability...every aspect. Now I'm not saying that being a start-to-finish board builder automatically makes one best-in-class, but I think it offers the highest ceiling when you find the right board builder. Your board never changes hands, never has a different person doing different stages of the build process from board to board. For me, that's vitally important because I recognize that I personally & solely am accountable for absolutely everything that goes into your surfboard. That has served to elevate & motivate me increasingly with every single board I've build since that first one I built in 2012.
For you, the surfer & customer, what's realized & delivered is accuracy, precision, consistency & ultimately having your full expectations met.
I started DaveySKY Surfboards because I’m a total gearhead about all the gear I use - for surfing, snowboarding, splitboarding, fly fishing, guitar, etc - and whenever I’m purchasing a new piece of gear I do extensive researching to find what will truly give me the very best experience & performance, the most enrichment & enjoyment, and be something I’m proud to own & support.
After years of struggling to find that gear in surfing for myself, I felt there was an opportunity & a need to create surfboards to the extremely high standards I hold for all of my own gear. And I continue to hold those impeccable standards for every single one of my boards & customers. Beyond just building surfboards, I'm here to be an open & honest resource for surfers of all abilities to educate themselves to make an informed decision on their board purchases to create the best & most enjoyable surfing possible. I hope you’re as proud to own my boards as I am to own them & build them for you.
