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Custom Board Prices$250-
Most any length, width, tail shape, color, rail color, vinyl top or
foam top, and up to 2 1/2" thick and up to 48" length
includes a stiffening plate that
makes your board stiffer and is a must with our superior water resistant
beaded polypro cores- which is all we have! If you want cheap
flexible polyethylene cores- you will have to go elsewhere.
Free channels if you want them- limited time offer ( turn harder, more
control, deeper carves on the wave)
add $25 for
2 installed fin boxes
ultimate hard turning, for a more in
controllable board on larger waves-
custom fiberglass screw in 4" or 5" fins are available for about $35 each.
Go to
accessories
for the fins, leashes, handles.
*thicker boards up to 4" thick and most any length (up to 48" length) and
width cost
$325 on up. Shipping
See
Pay + shipping
policies for more info on your shipping-usually around $60 (USPS)
for regular boards (less than 108" girth) to continental USA and more for real big boards..
Secure shopping cart |
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Did you know?
Ken worked at Turbo Surf Hawaii from 1983 til 2006 as production
manager.
If you have an old Turbo board---Ken probably made it.
Does anybody remember his brother- Russ "Captain Turbo" Brown? |
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Welcome to KenuHawaii.com- your headquarters for unique
custom surf designs made in Hawaii- and now sold securely
through Paypal. Call 808-234-8899 to order.
See some
really, really old custom boards that would be good for design ideas
here
What is
this "carbon fiber look" vinyl Ken likes so much?
See it
here.
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Free PDF Surf
Map of Oahu
PDF bodyboard
order form
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Kenu Custom Boards
I'm 6'4" tall and weigh 223 lbs. See
Who is KenuHawaii?
I take a lot of pride in making quality boards that last for many
years. I specialize in making unique vinyl top custom boards available nowhere
else-usually for the bigger rider who wants something special that
goes fast and will last! Here's some of my latest creations.
See custom prices on left side of this page. |
Go to the accessories page to put these fins in your
shopping cart. |
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 NEW! Big guy Ray Starbuck
went all the way---. A custom retro hand painted stripe, handle, and
leash. Board is 48" and has a tapered normal thinness nose and tail, but
the center thickness is close to 3" thick for max paddling ability- he'll
be able to catch tons of waves. And of course the wrap rail technology is
used for long life and no rash on your arms from worn out rail foam. |
Ray's bottom has full race channels and believe it
or not- 3 fin boxes that have been grinded to conform to the channel's
curves-really trick. He has 3 top quality Island Fin 5" blue fins
that allow him to cover all the bases:
1. no fins- use channels only
2. One center fin only
3. twin fin set up
4. Tri fin set up for those special days.
RAY--My daughter came home this weekend and we finally found some time to
go surfing this morning. I love how the board performs. I got some of the
longest, most controlled rides of my life this morning. The board is fast
and floats me very well. I actually paddled out and caught TWO waves
BEFORE getting my hair (what's left of it) completely wet. I was in full
control and got out without getting pounded. I also didn't pearl dive; not
once! Thanks again, man; this is one cool tool.
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New! Customer Boards |
Bob- Morro
Bay
3 fins, big grooves,
custom top design. |
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Gino- Oahu,
Hawaii
41 1/2" with 2 5/8"
thickness
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Shaun, he's my son.See his real cool Christmas present--a surfboard bodyboard. |
Ken's Toy 7-1-08
--SOLD
This is my new thick 5 foot long board I just made for myself to go
surf Makapuu with. I standup, kneeboard and prone ride with it- all
with no fins! Read all about it and see a bigger better picture of it
here.
Email Us
News Flash-
this board was sold to Wally who lives on the North Shore. He is going
to get a lot of stares and questions when he shows up at the beach
with this awesome one of a kind strong board! |
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Al
10/24/08
Al from the Big Island of Hawaii is a big guy who
weighs 320 lbs. Even my standard 48" board looks small for him-he
needed something special.
This board is 48" long, has a 12 inch wide nose, 19 inch
tail, is 24 inches wide and is 2 3/4" thick. Top is
"white carbon fiber look" vinyl with red rails and red Kenu logo
print.
Built super strong with a slight kick in the
nose. Note that he ordered the leash plug to be installed in the tail
area where he will attach a short surfboard leash. Guaranteed to float him like a king!
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Jeff 4/14/09
Here's a real cool scoop nose design for Jeff in Tacoma, Washington. About 20
years ago I made hundreds of these type boards with this type nose
design. Jeff is a trend setter who knows what he wants. This board
comes with 3 four inch custom fiberglass fins for the boxes. This
board is 45" long and a little less than 2 1/2" thick. Of course it is
very stiff too with just a slight amount of nose kick. Beautiful!
Jeff Email:
The "eagle" has landed and it is beyond my expectations. Hope to get
it wet this weekend. Photos to follow. |
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Girl Power
NEW! Laurie is a big girl
from the Big Island who is 5 feet tall.
She wanted a 40 inch board
that would float her good and make sure she caught waves instead of
sinking. What to do?
I made the board thicker in the center section and in the tail area.
The nose is standard thickness to be sure she can grip it and to make
sure you can put the leash plug in it. Then I deeply scooped out the
rear area so she will stay centered and won't roll off. Has
a nice soft top with
the "carbon fiber" grippy but not rashy vinyl. Has the standard
polypro core with super stiffening added,
and channels on the bottom.
Super strong and built to last. |
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NEW! Here's a new 42"
board that is available for immediate delivery. It has a yellow vinyl
skin and a special splatter design I did that I call "Cherry Blossom."
Has regular foam rails and 2 channels.
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Kenu 42" Cherry Blossom
$295 plus shipping and tax
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 Here's
a 48" Diego red vinyl board I made for myself with plenty of Kenu logos, and
two fin boxes!! It is in lightly used condition.
SOLD to Dwight
Ken,
I couldn't be more impressed with this board and your workmanship!
As soon as I can I'll give you a report after riding it!
Now I need to find some fins for it!
Note: Dwight liked the board so much he made a super cool Kenu cartoon
drawing for me-- click
here
to see it. Thanks Dwight!
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Here's another 48" board I made for myself with
plenty of Kenu logos, spliced foam rails, channels, and one fin
box!!
Awesome! I can catch anything with this board.
SOLD to Nicole
Dec.11-07-- Hello Ken, I received the bodyboard
today. It is exactly as you represented it! Thank you so much! I will
(weather permitting) get it in the water tomorrow. It is a beautiful
graceful shape, and sure makes my old board look clunky by
comparison!---Nicole
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Here's a custom 42" board for Glenn in Chula Vista, He
also went for 2 installed fin boxes and the two top quality Island Fin
fiberglass fins.
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Aloha Ken, The board you made for me rides really
good. The difference in thichness and width makes it a lot more
responsive than the original board. Will definitly spead the word. Good
luck with KENU Bodyboards. Much mahalo dino
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2007--Here's a nice 48" Kenu board made for
Dino on Oahu.. It has the new black carbon fiber look vinyl which is grippy
and cool looking. Remember that vinyl doesn't give you rash like other
boards- but you can and should wax it in the areas where you need a better
grip.
Note hand grooves-and you can barely
see the top plastic stiffening plate under the vinyl and comfort pad.
This board has a beautiful upward kick in the nose so there is less chance
of pearl diving.The stiffening plate makes it super
strong and the vinyl makes it super long lasting!! Vinyl is final.The bottom is a special plastic with something you won't
see anywhere!!!!--- real fin boxes in the channels. How's that
for craftsmanship. The boxes are hand tooled to get them to
conform with the channel's contours. With a good set of fins
about 4" to 6" long- this board won't spin out or lose it's
edge or speed on a big bomber wave- you can crank it and
go!!!
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What is a wrap rail?
Instead of foam rails, I wrap the vinyl all the way around
to the plastic bottom
and use a special technique
to seal it. There is less arm rash because vinyl is way smoother and
less seams-less chance for water to get in.
No extra charge |
What about a foam rail?
Foam is fine and is the industry standard. Also provides a
contrasting color to your deck. We have yellow, red, and blue
rail foam. |
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What is a fin box?There are several types on the market, but we like using this 6 3/4" type that
is big enough so
it won't get loose in your board after a hard turn,
and
allows you to easily unscrew and try different
fins-we recommend you use
about 6" fins or less.
The fin boxes
actually strengthen the rear of your board too. They are held in the board
by special hot glue and technique that creates a bumper around the box that
isolates the box and fin to avoid damage if you were to hit a coral head or
something-it won't tear the whole bottom of the board! Proven in 20 years of
service. |
 Skegs on a bodyboard-
Still available-
the boxes and the
skegs add cost to the board, but are unbeatable if you want a board that
will handle any hard turn. |
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The paragraphs below are dedicated to my favorite type of board- one that I
have been making for 20 years and that still impresses me with it's strength
and durability- the Kenu vinyl top board.
The Kenu vinyl board is different than boards you are used to. Most
boards look the way they do because they are made of materials that are optimized for
efficient heat lamination production. Most boards have surlyn bottoms, because it's easy
to laminate. We all know what happens to a surlyn bottom board if you are a radical rider,
or you are big- it creases!
The Kenu bottom is made of
special 1/16" white plastic- what type of plastic and
where do you get it?- I'm not going to say- I for one don't feel like giving
away my secrets to competitors.
This is a special material guys, and is my dream come true as a production manager and
retail seller. Why?, because it 1. won't crack or crease. 2. Is nice and
shiny 3. Doesn't yellow
Notice the top skin on most of these boards, it is not foam,
it is marine vinyl. Unlike foam, vinyl is final- it doesn't wear out or absorb
water like foam. You can also print or paint on it and it doesn't give you rash like
foam. The problem is that these boards last for years, and if you buy one , that's the
last we'll see of you for a looooong time. Can you say that about the boards you are
buying now?
In the past 17 years I have built or helped built at least 20,000
boards, and the thousands I have built recently are my favorites- because
I make them all by myself.
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1997--Here is my own board that I made for riding at Makapuu. I am 6'4'' 220 lbs, and I standup
ride this board using no fins, with a
leg leash. I'm competing for waves with young local
guys with fins. Makapuu rules
are no surfboards allowed and that a bodyboard
can't be more than 48" long. This one is 52"(don't tell), so I cheat a little. It is almost 4"
thick
with features such as 1. deep channels 2. thumb grips 3. comfort chest pad 4. spoon
nose
bottom concave 5. my "wrap rail" technology 6. special
plastic bottom 7. a thin
plastic
stiffening
plate under the pad. 8. kick nose |
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Measure your favorite boards dimensions and
compare them to other boards you like.
If you are not sure what to order or have
questions, please-
Email
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Tails |
Unless you have a specific
tail design in mind, stick with the standard crescent tail design. The crescent tail acts
like 2 pintails on either side of you and the crescent locks you in so you don't slip
around. I can do any other type tail that you want, but from my experience the guys who
try different tails usually want me to modify their boards back to the standard crescent
tail. Wide tails for big heavy people, narrower tails for lighter people. |
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Length |
If you are big, you need a
longer board unless you are only surfing fast, short, shore breaks. The cool length I've
noticed lately for most people is about 42". If you are smaller, the board should
come up a little above your belly button. The first thing you should do is measure the
length on your old board, and decide if it is too short or what. |
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Rails |
Stick with 60/40 rails
unless you are surfing really big waves. If your rail is lower like 50/50 (diamond rails),
your board might not be able to do smooth 360 turns because the rail will be catching. |
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Channels |
Small channels don't do much, but
deeper channels do help you hold your turn on big waves- check out my personal board
above. On smaller waves, deep channels may stop you from doing clean 360 spinners. |
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Nose |
You don't ride the nose, but the
standard rule of thumb is if you are prone riding-wide nose. If you are drop knee-narrow
nose. |
Bottom
material
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I like to use
special plastic
for everybody because it's really strong and fast. |
Thickness |
If
you are under 150 lbs. I'll make it thinner. If over 220 lbs. I'll make it thicker.
Almost all custom boards come with a call to you by Ken to make sure the
board you ordered is the one you need, and to clarify any questions or
details. |
All products proudly made in Hawaii by KenuHawaii LLC. All text and
images copyrighted by Kenu 3/2/07.
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