Getting a board personally shaped for you is a feeling of excitement different to any other. It’s like designing an extension for your body. An extension that will allow you to get into waves easy and manoeuvre to the best of your abilities and beyond.

Custom surfboards showcase exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail. This makes them not just functional tools but also unique works of art that reflect your personality and taste.

In Costa Rica, there are a handful of epic local shapers that would be more than happy to help you find your magic board. Even some that will guide you in shaping a blade yourself!

House of Somos

Located in the heart of Santa Teresa, an old fishing town turned surf community, is SOMOS. Off the beaten track and originally a surf camp, SOMOS works with professional shapers to build custom surfboards for guests, as well as shape boards to add to the rental quiver at the camp.

Taking place in an all wooden and glass shaping room, building a custom board at SOMOS is an intimate experience that will allow you to collaborate closely with your shaper, ensuring the design, dimensions, and materials of your board align with your specific needs and style.

Monkey Wrench Surfboards at Pedro’s Surf Shop

If you’re looking for a hand-made surfboard shaped by Costa Rican legends, Monkey Wrench Surfboards at Pedro’s Surf Shop is the place to check out. Here, their motto is “encourage every kid to surf”, and they have a very heavy focus on supporting and maintaining the connection between Costa Ricans, the ocean, and surfing.

Shaping out of Tamarindo, this establishment shapes boards for you, and can also work with you as you learn to shape your own board. If you’re looking to get your hands dirty whilst learning the craft of board making, Monkey Wrench Surfboards is your custom surfboard brand to talk to.

Magic Mushroom Surfboards

Magic Mushroom Surfboards is the ultimate combination of high performance surfing and art. Hand-shaped, designed and glassed locally in Costa Rica, Magic Mushroom Surfboards is a fluid and creative custom surfboard brand taking on any board project from shortboard thrusters, twinnies, fun mid-lengths, and elegant longboards.

With their head quarters at Jaco Beach, and outlets at Nosara Surf School and Dominical Surf School, there will be many opportunities to check out their selection of magic carpets. Projecting high quality with vibrant and unique artwork, Magic Mushroom Surfboards is made for the fun-loving alternative surfers travelling Costa Rica.

Carton Surfboards

And finally, producing vintage, professional and modern boards, Carton Surfboards is the longest standing surfboard factory in Costa Rica, shaping absolute weapons since 1986.

Based in Jaco, Carton Surfboards has the largest selection of high performance stock boards in the country, and also provides custom shapes for the frothing surfer.

Collaborating with skilled local shapers against a backdrop of breathtaking Costa Rican coastlines, allows you to craft a board perfectly attuned to your personal preferences and also to the region's diverse breaks and conditions.

The artistry and craftsmanship involved in creating a bespoke surfboard in Costa Rica also make it a unique memento, blending functionality with the spirit of Pura Vida.

Embarking on this journey contributes to the vibrant local surf culture, and also fosters a connection with both the ocean and the talented artisans who bring these personalised boards to life. So, for those seeking waves and a board as unique as the Costa Rican surf scene, the decision to go custom is a wave-riding adventure like no other.

Written by Kayli Wouters

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