How to Make a Plywood Kiteboard

Manufactured kite surfing boards or kiteboards are pricey and aren't custom made for you. Making your own plywood kiteboard gives you the freedom to choose any design you want while creating a board to suit your body. These boards are durable and much less expensive than commercial boards.

Things You'll Need

  • ¾-inch Marine-grade plywood sheet
  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Jig saw or router
  • 200 grit sandpaper
  • Epoxy
  • Decals or graphics
  • Closed-cell foam sheet
  • Rubber cement
  • Drill
  • Straps
  • 4 galvanized steel bolts with nuts
  • Eye bolt
  • Polypropylene rope and clip
  • Paintbrush
  • Rag
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose a design for the board. Kiteboards come in a variety of sizes and shapes. The most common sized board ranges from 54 by 16 inches to 64 by 16 inches. Draw the design with the dimensions on paper first. Make any adjustments before you start on the board.

    • 2

      Lay the plywood out on a large table or sawhorses and draw the design on the plywood. Use the tape measure to make sure the dimensions are correct. Draw it freehand if you are good at freehand drawing. You can use an overhead projector or a computer to enlarge a small design to the dimensions needed.

    • 3

      Cut the design out of the plywood. If you are not comfortable with a saw go lightly outside the lines. It is much easier to trim down too much board than to fix a board cut too narrow. Cut with the direction of the grain. Sand the sides of the plywood until the edges are smooth.

    • 4

      Place the board on the floor and stand in the middle of the board with your feet shoulder-width apart. Mark the distance between your feet and the outside edges of your feet. Drill a hole for the galvanized steel bolts 1 inch from the outside edge and inside edge of each foot.

    • 5

      Put the board back on the table or sawhorses and apply a coat of epoxy over the top and bottom of the boards with the paintbrush. Allow the epoxy to dry overnight.

    • 6

      Gently sand the board and wipe away any debris with a rag. Apply decals or paint designs on the board to make it your own.

    • 7

      Apply a second coat of epoxy over the board. Brush the epoxy over the entire board and decals. Allow the epoxy to dry overnight. Measure your feet and cut out foot pads from the closed-cell foam sheet. The pads should have at least 1 inch added to each side. Some people make designs like large feet or flowers for the foot pads.

    • 8

      Coat the back of the pads with rubber cement and press them hard onto the board where they should go. Measure and cut the tightly woven material straps so that a foot will slide into each strap with 2 inches on each side. These straps will be the foot straps that you will attach later. Backpack straps, seat belts and truck tie-down straps are commonly used for foot straps. Cut a small hole in the strap from the bolt to go through.

    • 9

      Place the bolts into the holes on the bottom of the board, through the foot pad and through the hole in the foot strap. Screw the nut on the end bolt as tightly as possible.

    • 10

      Screw the eye screw into the board 2 inches from the end of the board. Tie the polypropylene rope to the end of the eye screw. This is the safety cord that prevents the board from floating away if you "wipe out."