How to Build a Skimboard

Skimboarding is an activity whereby a person pitches a small flat board into the spot on a beach where the surf meets wet sand and then rides the board into an oncoming wave. Skimboarding is fun and easy to learn. A skimboard itself is little more than a specially designed piece of smooth board, and can be made at home with a few basic tools.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Smooth, blemish-free plywood
Wood saw
Construction paper
Pencil
Sandpaper

Step 1

Design the skimboard on your construction paper. A skimboard roughly resembles a giant teardrop, or a very compact surfboard. A medium-sized skimboard, for someone 130 to 160 lbs., will be about 43 inches from tip to bottom and 19 inches at its greatest width. For someone over 160 lbs., add 2 inches to the length and 1 inch to the width.
Using these points, draw a shape that resembles a teardrop. The shape will be rounded at the bottom, flare out at its widest points, and taper at the tip.

Step 2

Cut half the design out from the construction paper. This "half" will be half the skimboard from tip to base. This will serve as your template.

Step 3

Trace your template onto a piece of plywood. Turn over your template and trace it a second time, joining the two halves of your drawing. This will ensure that opposite edges of your skimboard are equidistant to the center.

Step 4

Place the plywood onto a proper work surface, such as a pair of sawhorses. Using a saw, cut the skimboard design free of the wood.

Step 5

Round the edges of your skimboard with sandpaper, creating a smooth finish. Sandpaper any rough surfaces or blemishes from the rest of the board

Tips & Warnings

Paint your skimboard to give it a unique finish

Article Written By Matthew Ferguson

Matthew Ferguson is a writer living in Savannah, Ga. He has been writing for over 10 years and his work has appeared on various online publications. A collection of his short stories was published in spring 2010. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University.

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