Are you in the market to buy a new hand board in the Byron Bay area? The right-hand plane can up your bodysurfing game and ensure that you have a more enjoyable experience. If you are learning the ropes of bodysurfing, the right hand board can also result in a less steep learning curve. The question is, what constitutes the ‘right hand board’ for your situation?

About Ecto Handplanes

At Ecto Handplanes, we are proud to sell carefully designed fibreglass and wood hand planes to bodysurfers in Byron Bay. We have been on the hand plane design scene since 2012, and in that time, we have won numerous national and international awards for our hand board designs and quality. Our boards have a carefully crafted design—including deliberately chosen shape, volume and strap systems—that maximise both speed and lift when bodysurfing.

In addition to selling complete hand boards in an extensive range of designs, Ecto Handplanes also carries DIY kits for bodysurfers who want to learn to build their own boards in a self guided workshop.

Wood or Fibreglass? What to Consider When You Buy Hand Boards in Byron Bay

If you are ready to buy hand boards in Bryon Bay—whether as finished products or DIY kits—you need to know whether wood or fibreglass is the right route for you.

First, it’s good to know that Ecto Handplanes carries both wood and fibreglass hand planes. We believe that both types of board can be used to achieve incredible bodysurfing experiences. However, it’s also worth noting that those experiences will be different. Ecto’s fibreglass boards typically provide more buoyancy and float, which helps them slide with a bit more life during bodysurfing rides. These factors, along with the lightweight nature of fibreglass, means that a glass hand board will usually perform better in a wider array of water and weather conditions than wood. They also mean that fibreglass boards lend themselves to be suitable for learners

With that said, there are also benefits to be gained from choosing wood hand planes for your Byron Bay bodysurfing adventures. Ecto’s wooden boards are meticulously hand crafted from Paulownia timber, an Australian-grown wood that is both extremely sustainable and incredibly durable. Our wooden boards also have sharper rail edges than our glass boards, which means they handle well in big waves and other tough surf conditions. This factor means that just about every die-hard bodysurfer needs at least one wooden board. If you want to take on rougher, more challenging waves, or expand your surfing opportunities beyond mild summer surf, you want one of Ecto’s sustaintably designed wooden hand boards.

The other main factor to consider is filming. If you want to capture your bodysurf runs with a GoPro, you will need to buy a fibreglass hand board in Byron Bay. Ecto Handplanes has strived to create the thinnest design possible with our wooden boards, which means there is no way to attach a GoPro or any other action camera. Our fibreglass boards have a built-in nose plug mount that makes it easy and secure to mount a GoPro.

Are you interested in learning more about Ecto Handplanes and our various board designs and types? Give us a call today.