Workshops · São Vicente, Madeira
Your board.
Your hands.
Learn to make a surfboard in a working factory on Madeira's north coast. An afternoon to see how it's done, six to ten private days to build your own board and leave with it, or a repair course to keep every board you own watertight.
Coming from abroad? Workshop + accommodation at Fajã Lodges →
01
Introduction
Shaping & repairs, 3 hours
See the whole process, planer to CNC, and learn to fix a ding.
02
Build your own board
CNC · 6 days · private
Design it in ShaperLab Pro, mill it, finish it by hand, glass it.
03
Handshape your own board
Planer · 10 days · private
Template, planer and sanding blocks, the traditional way, then glass it.
04
Surfboard repairs
Course · private
Assess, rebuild, patch and finish a ding so it stays watertight for good.
01 · Introduction
Basics of shaping & repairs.
An afternoon in the workshop: how a surfboard is designed, how our CNC cuts it, how a shaper works a blank by hand, where the fins go and why — and how to repair a ding so it never leaks again. Hosted in English.
3 h
3:30–6:30 pm
2
guests max
18+
age
01
Design fundamentals
The basics of surfboard design: outline, rocker, rails, volume, and how to choose the right blank.
02
CNC technology
See a board designed in 3D software, a simulated cut on screen, and our CNC machine up close.
03
Hand-shaping demo
Watch a shaper work a blank with planer and sanding blocks, and learn what each tool does.
04
Fin configuration
Mark fin positions and learn how thruster, twin and quad setups change the way a board surfs.
05
Repair techniques
See a ding repaired step by step with polyester and epoxy resin, and learn to fix your own boards.
06
Conclusion
Wrap up with a coffee, ask anything, and get advice on the right board for your surfing.
02 · Private CNC surfboard workshop
Build your own board.
Six days, one-to-one, in a working surfboard factory. You design it, cut it, shape it, glass it — and leave with a board you made. A file in the morning. A board by the end of the week.
6
days
1:1
private
1
board, yours
The week
Day
01
Design + CNC
Day
02
Sanding + fin boxes / spray tint
Day
03
Bottom lam / resin tint
Day
04
Deck lam
Day
05
Hotcoat
Day
06
Sand + polish
Indicative schedule. Tint: spray tint (day 2) or resin tint (day 3).
Three blocks. One complete board.
Block 01
Digital design & CNC
- Board design in ShaperLab Pro
- Rocker, rails, volume, dimensions
- Choosing the right foam blank
- G-code output and CNC milling
Block 02
Sanding & fin boxes
- Clean-up of the milled blank
- Hand-sanding and rail refinement
- Fin placement, routing, install
- Spray tint option, prep for glassing
Block 03
Lamination & finish
- Fiberglass and resin fundamentals
- Bottom lamination / resin tint
- Deck lamination and hotcoat
- Final sanding, polishing demo
03 · Private handshape workshop
Handshape your own board.
Ten days, without the machine. Draw the template, skin the blank with a planer, find the outline, the rocker and the rails with your own hands — then glass and finish it. The traditional way, one-to-one, at the pace shaping by hand needs.
10
days
1:1
private
1
board, yours
The week
Day
01
Design + template
Day
02
Marking out + skinning the blank
Day
03
Outline + rocker
Day
04
Foiling + thickness
Day
05
Rails + bottom contours
Day
06
Screen finish + fin boxes / spray tint
Day
07
Bottom lam / resin tint
Day
08
Deck lam
Day
09
Hotcoat
Day
10
Sand + polish
Indicative schedule. Tint: spray tint (day 6) or resin tint (day 7).
Three blocks. One complete board.
Block 01
Design & template
- Board design: outline, rocker, rails, volume
- Choosing the right foam blank
- Drawing and cutting the 1:1 template
- Marking out the blank
Block 02
Shaping by hand
- Planer: skinning and foiling the blank
- Outline and rocker with saw and sanding blocks
- Rail bands, bottom contours, screen finish
- Fin placement, routing, install
Block 03
Lamination & finish
- Fiberglass and resin fundamentals
- Bottom lamination / resin tint
- Deck lamination and hotcoat
- Final sanding, polishing demo
04 · Repair course
Surfboard repairs.
A course on its own. Bring a damaged board — or use one of ours — and learn to fix it properly, with polyester and epoxy resin, so it stays watertight for good. Private, in the workshop.
01
Assess
Damage assessment and preparation
02
Rebuild
Foam reconstruction and fiberglass patching
03
Finish
Resin, sanding and waterproof finishing
Need a repair rather than a lesson? Surfboard repairs in Madeira →
Workshop + accommodation
Fajã Lodges. Steps from the Atlantic.
Fajã Lodges is our accommodation in Fajã da Areia, São Vicente — two minutes' walk from the surf break and run by the same team as the workshop. Book your workshop and your accommodation together in one message.
01
Introduction + accommodation
3 h workshop
A few days of surf in São Vicente, with one afternoon in the workshop to see how a board is made.
02
CNC week + accommodation
6 days · private
Build your own board on the CNC, with accommodation for the whole week. You leave with the board.
03
Handshape + accommodation
10 days · private
Shape a board by hand from template to polish, with accommodation for the whole workshop.
Workshop FAQ
Do I need any experience?+
No. Both the introduction and the private workshops start from zero, and they are one-to-one, so the pace is yours.
What board do I make?+
The board you want to surf — we help you choose a shape that suits you and works as a first build. On the CNC workshop it is designed in ShaperLab Pro and milled; on the handshape workshop it is drawn from a template and shaped with a planer. Both are glassed and finished by you.
Do I take the board home?+
Yes. The board you build is yours. If you are flying, we can advise on packing it, or you can leave it with us in Madeira for your next trip.
How many people?+
The six- and ten-day workshops are private, one participant with direct guidance. The three-hour introduction takes up to two guests.
When do they run?+
The private workshops are scheduled around the workshop's production, so message us with your dates and we will find a week. The introduction runs in the afternoon, 3:30–6:30 pm.
Is there accommodation?+
Yes. Fajã Lodges (fajalodges.com) is our accommodation in Fajã da Areia, São Vicente, two minutes' walk from the surf break. We can book your workshop and your accommodation together as one package — message us with the workshop and your dates.
How much does it cost?+
Message us on WhatsApp with the workshop and your dates and we will send you the price and availability.
Private · 6 or 10 days · Madeira
Your board.
Your hands.
One-to-one tuition combining CNC technology with traditional shaping and glassing.