Byron Bay has always been more than just a surf town. It's where shapers experiment with new materials, refine old designs, and build boards that work in the specific conditions we get here. You can find anything from a performance shortboard to a mellow midlength or a sustainably made fish.
We've talked to locals, tested boards, and visited shaping bays around the Byron Shire to put together this guide. These five shapers are doing solid work in 2026, from established names to newer talents worth knowing about if you're thinking of getting a custom board made in Byron.
1. Dave Rastovich | Soul Craft
Dave Rasta has been shaping in Byron for over thirty years. He builds performance shortboards and fish designs focused on speed and flow, boards that feel right under your feet. His shapes get ridden by locals who know every break from The Pass to Wategos, and they're made for the punchy, hollow waves Byron serves up when conditions align.
Rasta doesn't chase trends. While other shapers shift with whatever's popular online, he sticks with what he knows works: clean lines, subtle concaves, rocker profiles he's refined across thousands of boards. His shortboards usually fall between 5'8" and 6'2" for most surfers, with enough volume to catch Byron's softer waves but enough bite to carve when it gets steep.
A custom shortboard runs $900 to $1,200 AUD depending on materials and artwork. Turnaround is usually 6-8 weeks, though he's been known to rush jobs for locals who snap a board during a good swell.
Best for: Intermediate to advanced surfers who want a high-performance shortboard built for East Coast conditions.
2. Bing Surfboards Australia | The Heritage Revival
If you're into midlengths, you know Bing. The Australian branch of the Californian heritage brand opened a shaping bay in Byron in 2024, bringing their Dharma, Cleanline, and Collector models to local waters. The shapers here work under license but have adapted the classic Bing templates for Australian waves, adding more rocker for steeper drops and adjusting rail profiles for East Coast conditions.
Bing boards are about style. They're not performance machines built for aggressive surfing. They're made for long, smooth lines, noserides, and making average days look good. The 7'0" to 8'0" Dharma is popular with surfers stepping up from shortboards or anyone who wants a board that works in gutless summer surf.
Prices start at $1,100 AUD for a standard polyurethane midlength. Premium options like tinted resin, custom artwork, or Volan glass push closer to $1,500. Stock models are available off the rack, but custom orders take 8-10 weeks.
Best for: Surfers wanting a stylish midlength for small-to-medium East Coast surf. Works for beginners transitioning from a foamie or experienced surfers after a cruiser.
3. Grace Surfboards | Eco-First Performance
Grace Surfboards is doing the most interesting work on sustainable shaping in Byron. Founded in 2019 by local shaper Tom Grace, the brand builds performance boards using bio-resin, recycled EPS foam, and sustainably sourced timber for stringers and fins. The thing is, these boards actually perform. Grace shapes hold up against traditional polyurethane sticks.
Tom's background is in high-performance shortboards, and that's where Grace does best. His signature model, the Offset, is a 5'10" thruster with a single-to-double concave and a pulled-in tail. It's built for critical surfing in punchy, hollow waves, and it's surprisingly tough. The bio-resin doesn't yellow like traditional polyester, and the EPS core is lighter and more responsive than PU.
Custom boards run $1,000 to $1,400 AUD depending on construction. Grace also offers repair service for eco-boards, which is rare. Turnaround is 6-8 weeks, and Tom's usually happy to talk about materials and construction if you visit the shaping bay in Suffolk Park.
Best for: Environmentally conscious surfers who don't want to give up performance. Good for intermediate to advanced surfers.
4. Haydenshapes Byron | Modern Performance
Haydenshapes has a global reputation, but the Byron shaping facility keeps things local. Hayden Cox's designs focus on innovation: FutureFlex construction, hydrodynamic hulls, boards that perform across a wide range of conditions. The Byron team shapes custom orders and small-batch production runs, so you can get Hayden's latest designs without waiting for international shipping.
The Hypto Krypto is the brand's most popular model, and it makes sense why. It's a high-volume, pulled-in-tail design that paddles like a midlength but surfs like a performance shortboard. Locals ride it in everything from knee-high slop at Wategos to overhead days at The Wreck. Sizes run from 5'6" to 6'6", with most surfers going 2-4 inches shorter than their standard shortboard.
FutureFlex construction (carbon fibre rails, PU core) runs $1,200 to $1,600 AUD for a custom. Standard PU/PE builds start at $950. Haydenshapes also stocks off-the-rack boards, so if you need something fast, you can walk out with a Hypto Krypto the same day.
Best for: Surfers looking for a modern, versatile performance board that handles different conditions. Good for intermediate surfers wanting to improve.
5. Stu Kennedy | Local Knowledge
Stu Kennedy grew up surfing Byron's points and banks, and that local knowledge shows in every board he shapes. Stu's range covers everything from high-performance thrusters to retro fish, but he specializes in boards for Byron's specific conditions: soft, peaky beach breaks in summer, punchy, hollow reef breaks in winter.
His 5'10" twin fish stands out. It's a flat-rockered, wide-tailed design that generates speed in weak surf but still holds a line when the swell picks up. Stu shapes with a bit more volume than most performance shapers, which makes his boards accessible to intermediate surfers without losing performance for advanced riders.
Custom boards run $850 to $1,100 AUD, making Stu one of the more affordable shapers on this list without cutting quality. Turnaround is typically 4-6 weeks, and he's known for being responsive during the design process. He'll meet you at the beach, watch you surf, and build a board that suits how you actually ride.
Best for: Intermediate surfers looking for a fish or groveler. Also good for locals who want a shaper with deep knowledge of Byron's waves.
How to Choose the Right Shaper
Getting a custom board shaped is about more than picking a name off a list. Here's what to think about:
- Your skill level: Be honest. A high-performance shortboard won't help if you're still learning to generate speed and link turns. Intermediate surfers should look at higher-volume designs or midlengths.
- The waves you surf most: Byron's summer surf is soft and mushy. Winter brings more punch. If you're surfing mainly beach breaks, you want something different than someone who's charging The Pass or Tallows on a solid swell.
- Budget: Custom boards in Byron range from $850 to $1,600 AUD. Don't stretch beyond your budget. A well-shaped $900 board will outperform a $1,500 board you can't afford to ding.
- Turnaround time: Most shapers quote 6-8 weeks, but that can stretch during busy periods (pre-summer, pre-winter swells). Order early if you have a trip or event coming up.
Getting the Most Out of Your Custom Order
Once you've chosen a shaper, here's how to approach the design process:
- Be specific about your current board: Bring dimensions, or better yet, bring the board itself. Tell the shaper what you like and what you'd change.
- Describe your surfing, not your aspirations: Don't ask for a board that surfs like Mick Fanning unless you surf like Mick Fanning. Be realistic about your ability and the waves you ride.
- Trust the shaper's recommendations: If they suggest more volume or a different tail shape, listen. They've shaped hundreds of boards and know what works.
- Ask about materials: PU/PE is standard, but epoxy, EPS, and bio-resin all have different characteristics. If you're unsure, ask.
- Budget for a cover and maintenance: A custom board is an investment. Protect it with a decent cover and get dings repaired right away.
Why Byron for a Custom Board?
You could get a board shaped anywhere, but Byron has something going for it: a concentration of talent, a culture that values craftsmanship, and waves that test every design. Shapers here aren't just following trends. They're responding to actual conditions, real surfers, and feedback from one of Australia's most wave-rich coastlines.
There's also something to be said for riding a board shaped in the same town where you surf it. Every shaper on this list knows The Pass, The Wreck, Tallows, and Wategos. They've surfed those waves thousands of times, and that knowledge goes into every board they make.
If you're serious about your surfing and ready to invest in a custom stick, Byron Bay in 2026 is a solid place to do it. Pick a shaper, book a consultation, and get something made that's actually yours.
