Agave Funshape Versatile 8'6 Blank

Yes, we are sharing our many years of experience with you on our YouTube channel. For more information on agave shaping, we also have different types of workshops available. Please visit our workshops page for more information.

Grow Blanks is based in Kenya, on one of the worlds’ largest sisal agave farms. Have a look on Instagram and YouTube to get more insights.

The agave plant is not a tree but actually a succulent. At the end of the plant's life span the plant produces a pole. Depending on the plant's variety and ecological conditions this only happens once in 6-10 years. Grow Blanks harvest these poles, dry them, and cut them into pieces that form the blanks. The blanks are glued together under no tension using non-toxic wood glue. These blanks are uniquely crafted as similar densities are separated to form a consistency in the blank that makes it easier to shape and perform better as a final product. Each blank is hand-made and unique!

Our standard is about 100-300g heavier than a standard PU foam if we dont hollow it out, otherwise it could be the same. It is important to note that there is more to the weight of a finished surfboard than just the core material. We’ve got 14 different sizes and for every size, 3 different densities:

• 50-65 kg/m3
• 60-80 kg/m3
• 80-95 kg/m3

The Agave Blanks are manufactured using standard wood glue, which is a mixture of melamine, urea, phenol and formaldehyde. The glue is solvent free (VOC free), organic and 100% biodegradable. As it is pH neutral, there is no discolouration with difficult woods. The wood glue is diluted with ⅔ water and then applied very thinly so that the glued surface is not felt when sanding.

There are several ways and materials to make a surfboard waterproof. Unfortunately, in our opinion, none of them are 100% ecological. However, we are always open to progress and have tried many things over the years, which we will discuss in more detail in future videos. Personally, we have always opted for bio-epoxy glassing because the best sustainable solution is not only about the materials used, but also the longevity of the end product. We support any current method that moves in the direction of progress and will continue to share our knowledge with you so that you know what to look for when buying your next surfboard or shaping it.

Agave behaves like any other wood when exposed to water. As long as it can dry out well, there are no problems. Similar to certain types of foam, the structure of agave is absorbent. We therefore recommend that you use one of our primers before laminating or covering the board with other woods. If you do get a ding, we recommend either using our quick fix tape to continue surfing or allowing the board to dry out properly and to seal it again.

Agave is a very foam-like material and surf similarly. A fundamental aspect that other types of wood do not really offer is the flex that agave, like foam, allows.

After we have discussed which material and which constructions you would like to have for your surfboard, we design your dream board together on the computer to get the right dimensions for you. Then you create your real board together with us, this can take about 3-7 days depending on the construction and material you choose. You will get more information on our workshop page.

We offer surfboard shaping workshops in which we explain the individual work steps in detail. If you want to try it all yourself, we offer different kits that give you everything you need to build your own eco surfboard.

If you are not from Europe, you are welcome to order your blanks directly from Grow Blanks. Feel free to drop them a message.