Shaping
“Every Surfboard I make is 100% custom-made & hand shaped for every customer.” Six outlines to start from, then rails, tail, rocker and colour are yours.
Choose your outline
Surfboard shaping know-how.
One workshop.
Shaping, glassing, colour work, fins and repairs all happen in Joe's workshop in Currumbin Waters. Here is everything he does by hand, how he keeps testing new ideas, and every guide we have written.
“I want it to feel like their board.”
Joe brings an Architectural Design background to every board: clean lines, considered curves, and a focus on why something works. The same hands shape your custom and fix your ding.
“Every repair is completed by me, right here in our Currumbin Waters workshop using professional materials and techniques built to last.”
Start here
I want a custom board
I need a repair
I want to know how it's made
Boards, repairs and paint
Eight things Joe does by hand, all under one roof. All services
Carbon Fiber
On the entire range, in plain weave, Innegra hex and Aztec, double bias and twill, plus hemp, basalt and flax.
Compare the cloths
Colour
Solid colour laps are included. Beyond that: resin tints, swirls, custom sprays, gold leaf and pin lines, all mixed by hand.
Try the palette
Inlays
Pressed flowers, shells, feathers or your own photos, set under the glass so they become part of the board.
See the inlays
Custom fins
Fibreglass fin panels laid up in-house, tinted to Pantone, then cut, foiled and signed by hand. Glassed-in and wooden fins too.
How the fins are made
Surf repairs
Dings, snaps, delams, fin boxes and pressure dents, colour matched to the original, through to full restorations.
Get a repair quote
Boat, Jet Ski & SLSC
Boats, Jet Skis, surf lifesaving craft, soft tops and carbon fibre, including insurance repairs. Almost anything built from composite materials.
Boat repairs
Paint & resprays
Custom sprays, full resprays and colour matching for surfboards, boats, Jet Skis and other craft, done in house.
Paint & resprays
Innovation: always testing
Joe keeps experimenting with new materials and new ways of building, then refines each design with feedback from the surfers he works with. Some experiments become part of the range. This is what has come out of the workshop so far.
Carbon on every board
“We now offer Carbon Fibre on our entire surfboard range.” Plus Innegra hex and Aztec weaves, and hemp, basalt and flax. The cloths
38-layer fin panels
Joe lays up his own fibreglass panels (“That's what 38 layers looks like”) and matches each tint to Pantone before cutting and foiling. Custom fins
Open water paddling fins
A growing collection for open water paddlers. @allpaddling on one batch: “The R&D never stops... The best in the business.” Paddling fins
Duo | Mid, Mk.6
Six versions of one earlier mid-length. The last, the Mk.6, is 6'4" x 19 9/16" x 2 3/8", 32.1L. The Mk.6 story
Recycled foam SUPs
Stand up paddle boards made from reformed recycled polystyrene (SLR), including a Performance SUP. Ask Joe about a SUP
EPS and PU
Both foams in the range, so the core can suit the board and the surfer, not the other way round. EPS or PU?
Built with the surfers he works with
Every board goes back into the next one. Joe shapes it, a surfer rides it, they talk it through, and the outline is refined. The team riders and repeat customers are part of that loop.
Zac Martens
Team free surfer, “our newest free surfer to join the cross-team”. Rides the Blade, Duo, Fish and Nude.
Kobe Martens
On the first Blade Joe published, 5'7" x 17 1/2" x 2", and in the bay to watch his new board take shape.
Repeat customers
One surfer on his third custom had Joe refine the size and volume of the new Blade around him.
The workshop and the people
Joe's story
A Bachelor of Architecture from Bond University, and years as an alpine ski racer for the England National Ski Team, tuning his own skis before every race.
The new factory
Keys collected in June 2026, with Joe's daughter Cove by his side. Walk-ins welcome at 2/14 Nuban St: go say G'day.
Press
Junkyard Surf's “Shaper of the Week”, the Blade launch film and the LAYR exhibition board.
Every guide, in one place
Choosing a board
Construction and finish
Repairs
Also from the workshop, not on the site yet: stand up paddle boards, hand shaped, including a Performance SUP, from reformed recycled polystyrene; custom paddles (“Each paddle is custom made for every customers height.”); Cd fins and Sex Wax on the rack at the factory (fins); and boards for the ‘Guided By Nature’ surfboard art series. Ask Joe.
In good hands
★★★★★
Joe was kind enough to give me some insight into his process, and seeing the precision and passion he puts into his custom boards and repairs was awesome. You can tell immediately that he isn’t cutting corners. He’s an artist who respects the craft.
Whether you need a professional-grade repair or you're looking to get a custom board shaped by someone who actually cares, Joe is your man.
★★★★★
Looking for someone to trust with your sacred surf board? If you’re like me your board is a part of you. It’s like a pet, it’s family. Not everyone can be trusted with something so dear to you. Well, look no further. You’ve found Joe at Cross Design. The man exudes passion for surfing and craftsmanship. Every fine detail is poured over. Every board is treated as if it’s his own. Every worry you may have is put to ease with his skill set and experience.
Plus, ya know, you get to support local. So get into the shop asap. Anything from dings to the brand new thing. Joe’s got your board and he’s got your back.
Thanks Joe!
★★★★★
Amazing service from Joe! I sent a text about repairing a hole in our son’s Race One fibreglass nipper board whilst on holidays and he responded straight away. He managed to get it fixed within the tight timeframe we had before our flight home, which we really appreciated. The repair looks fantastic and the colour match is spot on. Great workmanship, quick turnaround and really easy to deal with. Highly recommend!
Bring it to Nuban St
A new board or a board that needs fixing, it starts with a chat. Free consultations and free repair quotes. Shop open Monday to Friday 9am to 4:30pm, Saturday 9am to 12pm. Contact 24/7, 7 days a week.
