Brian Rude shapes custom surfboards out of a garage on California's Central Coast — foam-to-fin, one board at a time, alongside custom fins and repairs.
Brian Rude has been surfing for the better part of his life and shaping boards for the last several years — turning a longtime obsession with wave-riding into custom work built one blank at a time.
Born and raised in Baltimore, well before there was any coastline like this one nearby.
Served in the Marines — the discipline and attention to detail from that chapter still show up in every board that leaves the shaping bay.
Lived and surfed in South Carolina, logging time in the water and getting serious about the craft of riding — and eventually building — boards.
Now based on the Central Coast, splitting time between an engineering role at SpaceX and building custom surfboards for the local lineup — chasing swells and precision in equal measure.
Every board starts with a conversation — your height, weight, wave type, and what you actually want out of a session. Reach out for current lead times and pricing.
Hand-shaped shortboards, fish, and mid-lengths, designed around your local breaks and the way you actually ride. Foam, glassing, and fin setup all dialed in together.
From consultation Start a build →Dings, delams, snapped tails, and pressure cracks — fixed and re-glassed so the repair holds up, not just patched to get you through one more swell.
Quoted per repair Send a photo →Hand-finished fins shaped and glassed to match your board's rocker and your preferred feel — from loose and playful to locked-in and drivey.
Sold individually or as sets Ask about fins →Small-batch resin pieces poured with the same materials used to glass boards — coasters, trays, and keepsakes with wave patterns swirled in by hand.
Ready to ship Browse gifts →Photos of finished boards, works in progress, and resin pours are added here as they leave the shop — check back often.
Real-time swell, wind, and tide for the Central Coast lineup lives on Surfline — this is just where Brian checks it too.
For live swell height, period, wind, and tide charts, pull up Surfline's Central California region before you paddle out.
Open Surfline →Central Coast, California
Custom boards are built in small batches around a day job — ask for current turnaround when you reach out.
New shapes, repairs, and resin pours get posted as they come off the rack.
@rudesurfboards