Sustainable Wooden Surfboard Shapes: The 7’2 Coaster

The above video shot just after the first ever Coaster was made, features James’s personal surfboard, which he still surfs regularly to this day.

7’2” x 21½” x 2¾” – 46.4 l

Background:

The Coaster came about back in 2015 when James, Mat, Chris and our friend Gideon asked themselves the question over a cup of tea in the workshop, “If we could only travel and surf with one board, what would it be?”

It’s a departure from the other mid-length boards that we produce in that it’s less rounded and definitely aimed more towards high performance in as wide a range of waves as possible, rather than erring towards stability or ease of use.

The wide point is slightly forwards of centre to aid paddling and planing speed and works well with a pulled in rounded pin tail that retains great control when the waves get a bit bigger and naturally finds smooth, classic lines on the wave.

Specs:

A 7’2” midlength tracker with a refined, pulled in, template and a rounded pintail. The Coaster is designed to shine in anything from waist-high peelers to overhead points and reefs. At 21½” wide and 2¾” thick it’s fast to paddle, handling “meatier” waves with ease, and the drawn out tail smooths turns and holds in well on steeper waves or small hollow runners. This board is fast, tight, and a joy to ride whether you’re cruising in true summer style or rolling into some thicker autumn swells.

The Coaster has featured heavily in a lot of the imagery we produce, not just because it is a classic style of surfboard but also because it is so versatile, suiting a wide range of conditions and the variety of waves we get at beaches on the North Coast of Cornwall.

Available as a custom order, you can also make your own 7’2 Coaster during one of our guided 5 day workshops, something that Gavin did back in 2023, here’s his ride report from a recent trip to France:

“On the first day I was greeted with a punchy, overhead, long-period swell. There was initially some apprehension about taking my beautiful work of art out into the maelstrom, but I’d made the board to be surfed, so I dived in.

My “local” conditions in England necessitate a lot of surfing on longboards but paddling out on the Coaster I didn’t notice a huge difference in paddle power with the added bonus of being easy to duck dive, despite the volume. These were fairly challenging conditions (for me at least) but I was amazed how easy it was to get out the back. I didn’t catch many good waves that day, but the board was confidence inspiring on some steep drops and I really enjoyed the momentum of the wooden shape.

What followed was a great run of waves during my stay in France which gave me the opportunity to use the Coaster in a variety of beach break conditions, from waist high to overhead. The board performed across the range, paddling well, nimble in the cutback and always steady under-foot. The wooden construction has a lovely feel and easily cuts through any chop or imperfections in the wave.”

Gavin 2024

If you would like to order your own custom 7’2 Coaster wooden surfboard, click here

If you would like to join us like Gavin did to make your own wooden surfboard, click here

If you would like any more information about Otter Surfboards or which surfboard might be best for you, just give us a shout!