stoke > words from riders
Words of stoke from riders of Vernor Surfboards and Wake Surfboards
1981 first thruster
1989 moved to Hawaii
1997 back to California
1998 first Vernor Surfboard
2001 David makes me a suspension three fin.This is where it all begins.Just when I thought my best years of surfing were behind me, sections that previously would pass me by I was keeping up with. The speed of these boards was unlike anything I had ever encountered.
2006 epoxy quads-everything the tri-fins can do and more. If it wasn’t for Dave and the boards he has made me I would be another 43 year old on a longboard. You know me, I’m that guy on the green Vernor who just picked off a set wave, again.
Kevin Heldt , Aptos
I've known Vern for 28 years, ever since 3rd grade. He says its 1st grade, but I dispute that. I've been riding Vern's surfboards of and on since High School. Some of my fondest surfing memories have happened with David, long before he ever shaped his first surfboard. I remember riding our bikes to Cow Pie in the morning and literally spending the entire day at the beach. We would also ride our bikes to the Lane at 5:30 am on school days and sit on the point until it got light enough to get in the water. That was before they even had a rail at the Lane. You get the idea. I've known Vern for a very long time.
Vern's surfboards have not always been the finely tuned surf vehicles that you see today. My first surfboard from Vernor had rails as crooked as the cliffs at the Lane. I don't even want to mention the garage glass job that was so bumpy and sharp that it would cut you if you ran your hand over it. As Vernor famously says, "It floats!" Vern has come a long way from his first surfboard that had a hand painted logo and said Kemit Surfboards.
Vern is the master of reinventing himself. He has transformed his back yard shaping into a pioneering business in hand crafted EPS/Suspension design. David arguably makes one of the finest surfboards in Santa Cruz and probably is one of the top 5 shapers in California. David continues to expand his business outside of Santa Cruz, across California and to the East Coast. Vernor is one of the hardest working people, let alone shapers that I know. He is truly committed to the art of surfboard design and craftsmanship.
I was probably one of the last people I know to try an EPS board. I am a traditionalist when it comes to surfboards. I know what I like and up to this point, it has been a polyurethane board. I finally broke down in December and ordered an EPS board. IT IS SICK! I'm riding a 6'5" rounded pin that goes so well. I've surfed it in 10" Lane and 3" Ocean Beach and it works great in all conditions. My next board is going to be a 6'2" copy of my favorite board that is sitting in my garage. I can't wait! Vern, I love you (not in a gay way), "Keep surfing and have a nice day." - Matt Levine
See Matt in our customer surfing photos here.
I have worked with Dave Vernor for 8 years, and I have never worked with a shaper that turns around such consistent boards in such a short turnaround time. I have been able to confidently tell customers that their custom boards will be delivered to the shop in three weeks. Sometimes waiting for a custom board can take forever, which is not the case with Vernor surfboards. Somehow Dave hand shapes all his orders, does custom art and glass in-house and delivers the boards himself. This quick and consistent turnaround of custom surfboards has made many of our customers extremely happy, and often they come back to order another Vernor.
Dave is very helpful to customers. He takes his time and uses his shaping experience to answer all the customers' questions, in the end producing the right shape for the customer and the conditions they surf in. We are very happy with the hand-made in Santa Cruz CA surfboards we get from Dave Vernor. - Aleks of Aqua Surf Shop
See Aleks in our customer surfing photos here.
I feel very fortunate to have Dave Vernor as a shaper and friend. Having shaped about 100 boards myself, I am very passionate about surfboard design. Dave shares that passion. I have ordered custom boards from some of the top shapers in the world and none of them take the time to discuss the design ideas the way Dave does. He has built some incredible boards for me in the past few years, the mot recent a 6-1 round tail thruster that absolutely goes off! I'm looking forward to many more "freshies" from Dave and I would encourage anyone in the market for a new board to do the same. You will appreciate his professionalism, fair pricing, listening ability, and board knowledge. And of course, you will love your next board. - Dan Nordin
I absolutely love the board I never use any of the other boards anymore I' m mainly
working on airs at the moment , starting to get them done. - Rebecca Ort - Switzerland
See Rebecca in our wake surfing photos here.
My Vernor Surfboards work insane! They not only perform extremely well, but they are also very strong. They hold a lot of drive through all of my turns from beginning to end. This allows me to really surf top to bottom. I don’t have to fight to get speed because the speed is there. I have been searching a long time for boards that work this well.
Having a local shaper is great. I like the fact that I can drive down to Watsonville, watch my board get shaped and give my input during the process. This allows me to have the board shaped exactly how I want. Additionally the glass jobs are top notch and the airbrushes are sharp. The crew at Vernor really knows how to build surfboards. Riding these well constructed Vernor surfboards in contests has completely boosted my confidence.
If anyone has any questions or wants to discuss the quality of Vernor Surfboards hit me up and send me an email at
. - Danny Hart, Santa Cruz, CA, Vernor Surfboards Team Rider
See Damien in our team rider surfing photos here.
I met David about 5 years ago after Aqua Surf Shop recommended him for my first custom surfboard. Being that I was brand new to the sport, David was there to guide me every step of the way. He would evaluate my progression and shape me a board that pushes me to the next level. Not to mention that every time we went surfing, he would scream at me to get into the bowl and drop into waves that I most likely wouldn't if I was surfing by myself. Now, 5 years and 6 boards later, I consider David as a great friend who truly cares about the quality of his work and is relentless in spreading the stoke. - Cindy Yang
I am a 37 year old adrenaline junkie and have been surfing for the past 23 years. About 5 years ago I hit a crossroads in my overall physical abilities and began to plateau in my surfing. Dave stepped up immediately and made me my first suspension board. I instantly felt a new type of drive in the water and it rekindled the stoke that I had been slowly losing. The board loads up all the energy you absorb from the take off and then allows you to release it up the face where you want to. The board does not twist in tail and therefore you do not lose speed when changing rails in between maneuvers. The suspension technology coupled with the new EPS foam has allowed me to get back to thinner, lighter, more performance boards and has definitely brought the stoke of surfing back into my life. If you have become out of shape, slow from age, or just bored with surfing call Dave and get him to build you a new passion and get off the couch! - Tim “Rasta” Sykes, San Francisco, CA
See Tim in our team rider surfing photos here.
Thanks Dave, you are the best shaper on this planet! It was great to share what I like in a surfboard. For spending the time getting to know my surfing needs before you started your next masterpiece. This is my second Vernor surfboard I bought. I recommend Vernor Boards to anyone who wants to have a serious, fun time surfing. - Kevin, Math/Science Teacher
I'm turned 50 last year and Dave has been working with me on finding the "perfect" board to meet my needs over the last 10 years. When Dave and I first met, I was buying off the rack boards which really were not working for me. I'm 6'1" and 185 lbs (200+ with wet suit); no off the rack board is built for the older short board rider. I have every style board Dave makes from the pre-suspension models to his latest suspension rounded pin tail. My quiver includes 6'2" Swallow Tail suspension, 6'7" Diamond Tail Quad suspension, 6'8" Rounded Pin Quad suspension & an 8'0" for when Middle Peak or OB is working. Dave's latest Quad creations are the fastest most responsive boards I have ever ridden. I can really feel the board rocket off bottom turns enabling me to make sections that I would not have even attempted before. With all the extra speed, cutbacks have become a chance to throw some spray! Dave's boards have knocked 20 years off my chronological age in the water. If you are a bit older and not ready to move on to Stand Up Paddle boards, I can assure you that Dave's Quads with suspension are the closest thing to the fountain of youth you can find! - Peter Nunan, Santa Cruz, CA
See Peter in our customer surfing photos here.
"I have been riding Vernor Surfboards for over 15 years. Why? He listens. And, he shapes the exact board that I request. We work together to create boards that fit my style of surfing. And, since he knows my surfing style, when new stuff comes along that he thinks might work for my style I trust his judgement. Before meeting David I had a lot of custom boards from various well know and not so well known shapers touting what they think I should ride and not listening or trying to understand my particular needs. David listens and shapes the boards to fit my needs an I apreciate it with my loyalty as a customer for 15 years." - Dustin, Santa Cruz, CA
"I am a 30-something wave-riding addict. Surfing has become the major past time of my life, so much so that I chose the teaching career primarily for the time off to be able to travel in the summer and surf the world. None of this would be possible without Vernor Surfboards. I have a unique drop-knee stance that was developed because of being extremely tall and trying to learn on boards that did not work for me that I would sink and bury the rail every time I tried to ride them. By meeting David and talking with him about my particular needs he was able to point me in the direction of his fun shape, and all of a sudden I was having fun! It became a life passion! But it did not end there, as my surfing progressed, my shapes from Vernor began to morph into what I needed to continue to progress. Now I have a board that I worship with personalized art and all the nuances I need to keep loving what I love to do best. Thank you David and Vernor Surfboards for helping me reach my goals of improving my surfing ability." - Raphael Harris, Santa Barbara, CA