Burnett Wood Surfboards

Burnett Wood Surfboards Handcrafted, one-of-a-kind eco-friendly wooden surfboards. Sharing the experience with workshops where you build your own. Southern tip of Africa. Since 2007.

Burnett Wood Surfboards builds wood surfboards and related surf craft. I share the craft through workshops where participants build their own wood surfboard. The mission and commitment is to build environmentally responsible surfcraft.

Made this set of Alaia boards for a corporate client…These boards are always so interesting to shape. Starting with a so...
05/05/2026

Made this set of Alaia boards for a corporate client…

These boards are always so interesting to shape. Starting with a solid block of wood it feels a lot like you’re shaping a blade. The blend of concave, belly and edges always fascinate me because it’s not a stretch to see all of these features in what is the modern surfboard, and feel like the original surfers had a lot figured out hundreds of years ago.

A spot the wood for the trees kind of thing…🌲🏄‍♂️This was a 5’.10” shape made on a workshop a few weeks back.
04/03/2026

A spot the wood for the trees kind of thing…🌲🏄‍♂️

This was a 5’.10” shape made on a workshop a few weeks back.

Enjoyed shaping this beaut bodysurfing handplane and seeing the grain show itself. This one is based on a favourite hand...
27/02/2026

Enjoyed shaping this beaut bodysurfing handplane and seeing the grain show itself.

This one is based on a favourite handplane made about a decade ago and that goes amazingly well. Looking at this one makes me want to take it for a surf but it’s off to its new owner.

A 7’9” custom that left the shed this week.       surfing
20/02/2026

A 7’9” custom that left the shed this week.

surfing

Epic to have had Ollie, 14,  in the workshop shaping his own wooden surfboard. Here he is adding the finishing touches t...
18/02/2026

Epic to have had Ollie, 14, in the workshop shaping his own wooden surfboard. Here he is adding the finishing touches to a 5’.11” thruster.

I’m always amazed at seeing how people engage with making a hollow wooden surfboard. From Ollie to all ages up to 85, the oldest ever workshop maker, there’s one thing in common: The pure stoke of working with your hands, shaping a beautiful natural material into a surfboard.

Well done Ollie!

To book a workshop space to make your own ride in 2026 feel free to get in touch. It takes five days but there are also 1-2 day shaping workshops available.

Two hollow wooden surfboards made on a workshop a few weeks ago, grazing in their natural environment just before being ...
12/02/2026

Two hollow wooden surfboards made on a workshop a few weeks ago, grazing in their natural environment just before being picked up by their makers.

Hot. Dry. Windy. Flat. Dusty, in my case. One really shouldn’t be thinking of winter swells right now but the mind does ...
07/02/2026

Hot. Dry. Windy. Flat. Dusty, in my case. One really shouldn’t be thinking of winter swells right now but the mind does wander to days like these when the swells roll in and the wooden 9’.6” can come down from the ceiling.
📷

This 8’ hollow wood board took a crazy amount of time, but I just let it flow at its own pace and tried not to rush. Sto...
05/02/2026

This 8’ hollow wood board took a crazy amount of time, but I just let it flow at its own pace and tried not to rush. Stoked with the end result.

capetown

Creative clamping on the fish shape from the last post…
03/02/2026

Creative clamping on the fish shape from the last post…

New board order on the go…making a wooden surfboard is a combination of thousands of steps (ok, I’ve never counted them ...
29/01/2026

New board order on the go…making a wooden surfboard is a combination of thousands of steps (ok, I’ve never counted them but that’s in the ballpark, surely).

All those steps have taught me to lean into every single one, even the mundane ones. There’s beauty in every step.

Great to have got the 2026 wooden surfboard workshop programme off to a start with Rob and Derek last week. They both ma...
26/01/2026

Great to have got the 2026 wooden surfboard workshop programme off to a start with Rob and Derek last week.

They both made their own wooden surfboards starting from a pile of planks through to the final wooden surfboard.

Amazingly, I’ve now been doing these workshops for 13 years! If you want to make something remarkable in 2026 visit my website through the link in bio or DM me for details so you can book yourself one of the limited spots available. 🌳🏄‍♂️🏄‍♂️

Address

Good Hope Nursery, Plateau Road
Cape Town
7975

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Burnett Wood Surfboards posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Burnett Wood Surfboards:

Share