Made in Bali: Hollow Balsa Surfboards by Vince

For the next post in the Made in Bali series, I wanted to mix surfing with an eco-friendly product made in Bali, hence Vince's hollow balsa surfboards seemed like a perfect fit!

Vince Surfboards

 Vince Surfboards are made in Bali using sustainable woods such as balsa and teak with the waste products from the process (wood chippings and offcuts) going into a compost heap which is later used to fertilise new trees - a full cycle and a refreshing change from the highly toxic standard polyurethane (PU) surfboards that are the standard in the surf industry.

Contact Vince Surfboards on Facebook 

Vince, who hails from France but has lived in Bali on and off for the last 35 years, has a technical background in both the aeronautical industry and the world of catamarans - but it is surfing, and the crafting of hollow wooden boards, which has attracted his attention in recent years.

Vince's hollow balsa and teak surfboards are made by using strips of wood sandwiched together which is lighter and stronger than using the skeleton structure that some shapers of wooden surfboards employ.

The other day I finally got a chance to ride one at Nusa Dua and it went great! I rode the Rawit model which is a 6'2 shortboard - it has a quite a lot of volume and reminded me of my first surfboard from the early 90s - it went really well and felt very nice on the water.

These wooden surfboards look and feel great and come with a lifetime warranty against snaps. As Vince himself assures me, a customer of his is "a customer for life" and he will gladly repair the boards should his customers have any problems while in Bali. He also says that minor repairs are easily fixed due to the wooden composition of the board - if you are good with your hands, you should be able to do it yourself but if in doubt, a carpenter or furniture makers would know exactly what to do!

Visit Vince Surfboards' Facebook Page or Email Vince Surfboards 

One of Vince's shortboards
@ Nusa Store, Bukit, Bali

Having been up and running for 3 years, Vince and his team have a select range of surfboards - including longboards, SUPs, shortboards, retro boards and alaias - but can also make different,  custom shapes upon request.

Vince Surfboards are available direct from Vince himself, but you can also have a look at a range of Vince's hollow wooden boards at the Nusa Surfwear store on the Bukit (near Dreamland),where you can also try out a demo board with a minimum 300,000 Rp purchase, the  Betel Nut Cafe in Canggu or the Soul Surf Project's eco-friendly surf store on Jalan Nakula in Legian

Contact Vince Surfboards on Facebook Or, alternatively fill out your details to contact him directly from this page (and yes, your details are safe with us - they go directly from the webmaster to Vince and no-one else!)

Life in Bali Facebook Page