“Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful”
William Morris (1834 – 1896)

Since we opened our Woolacombe factory in 1993 almost 10,000 surfers worldwide have bought and ridden our boards. All are members of a relatively small but special community of surfers who have helped support our pursuit for excellence in the art and craft of custom board building.

Over the past two decades our record as professional board builders speaks for itself. We believe that great surfboards don’t just have to perform at the highest level they also have to be beautifully made. To achieve this you need a combination of highly skilled craftsmen, a healthy knowledge of the origins of board design and a lot of time testing the boards in the ocean.

 That’s why Jools, our shaper, was voted Best Fish Shaper in the UK and Ireland in the Carve Peer Poll and why our staff use the finest techniques in resin detailing and finishing. But don’t take our word for it, take a look at the boards on this website or pop into our Braunton shop to see for yourself.

Or ask pro surfer Andrew Cotton about how our boards perform. He will tell you that as he faded his bottom turn into the bowl at Prowlers this winter, that his 5’.11” Gulf Stream tow board helped him push the envelope of surfings possibilities. You’ll find the article and pictures to prove it on the home page.

However, not all boards are made like this. Almost all mainstream board brands are now owned by large corporate groups. Their business model dictates their priorities. That is to turn a profit by replicating and distributing vast quantities of product from remote factories to the surfing masses.

None of that should matter, yet somehow it does. The truth is that surfing never really sits comfortably in the mainstream. Line-ups may be more crowded these days but the art of wave riding remains a simple act. It’s just about you, the ocean, and your board. It’s still special to be a surfer.

That’s why at Gulf Stream we offer a first class custom board order service. So from the artwork to the dimensions we can make a board tailored specifically for you. It’s a service that is at the very heart of surfing. It’s simple to do, you can order via this site, come into the shop or factory or give us a call.

Don’t forget that our Online Store has a comprehensive range of boards in stock and ready for next day delivery anywhere in the UK or 2-3 days anywhere in Europe.