Ocean Magic Surfboards

Nigel Semmens has been shaping boards since the beginning and has witnessed many changes spear heading British board manufacture through the years on both the national and international levels. So if you know someone who knows what he knows then he knows Nigel probably knows best.

Nigel now concentrates his efforts on what he believes is the future of surfboard shaping and production. We popped down the factory for a chat and a quick hit of that distinctive surfboard factory aroma.
We find Nigel some how still covered in surfboard dust in front of a computer screen with a mouse in his hand. As out beyond a glass screen a machine looking more like a torture device out of a James Bond movie finishes off the rails of a 6’ 2’’ hybrid.

The APS3000 as far as shaping machines go, its ‘the dogs nuts’ costing over £50,000 and able to shape 20 boards per day or 3 an hour.

However as Nigel himself, explains this machine is not for mass production. ‘’The machine allows me to provide a more professional shaping service with an incredible high level of accuracy’’.

Indeed the APS3000 is a custom shaping machine not a cloning machine. It differs to other machines, which are designed to set up for a single shape and size board then knock them out all day.

These other machines only provide a rough template and still require time in the shaping bay.

The machine at Nigel’s factory with an incredible level of accuracy (we are talking infer-red lasers) shapes each individual board to near completion with rocker, concaves and rails, all they require is a quick once over with sand paper and it’s off to be glassed.
Curious, we asked how easy it is to shape a board using the machine. Does it mean anybody with the money can start knocking out boards?

The machine does not create the design of the board.

This is for the user to do, so if you don’t know your concaves, curves, rocker, lengths and how altering them affects a boards performance then it is still very tricky shaping a board even with the machine. ‘’You still need to be able to understand board design and shape’’ says Nigel. Is this, the future? For Nigel, ‘’the machine is like my new planner…I’ll never shape a board by hand again’’.

Nigel believes the machine is an extension to the service he can offer and is not a case of pressing a button and knocking out hundreds of surfboards at a time.
Extracts form Pitpilot Surfmag