A powerful Atlantic wave forming in cold blue water.

Custom surfboards, repairs, experiences and recycled pieces.

Whitburn Studio is James Bailey's workshop near Winchester, shaping custom surfboards, repairing composite equipment, running shaping days and turning production offcuts into Hold fins, furniture and homeware.

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Find your way around the workshop.

Handmade Nudibranch surfboard by Whitburn Studio.

Custom surfboards

Start with a stock shape, a board you know, or a rough idea. Built specifically for you by hand.

Start a board brief

A damaged surfboard before repair by Whitburn Studio.

Repairs

Send photos of any damaged equipment to receive an estimate. All work undertaken and colour matching available.

Start your repair

A surfboard shaping experience in the Whitburn Studio workshop.

Shaping experiences

Spend a day in the workshop shaping a board with James, then collect it once the glassing and finish are complete.

Explore shaping days

Hold fins

Single and twin fins made with British sheep's wool and upcycled fibreglass offcuts. Strong, light and visibly striking.

Explore fins

Round table made from surfboard fibreglass offcuts and resin.

Recycled pieces

Tables and smaller objects made from usable fibreglass, resin and workshop offcuts.

See recycled pieces

James Bailey working on a surfboard in the Whitburn Studio workshop.

James Bailey, shaper and maker.

Whitburn Studio is a surfboard and recycled goods workshop in the south of the UK. James shapes custom surfboards, repairs surfboards, SUPs and composite crafts, runs one-to-one shaping experience days, and keeps usable production offcuts in circulation through Hold fins and unique recycled pieces.

Meet James Start a custom board

Explore the Whitburn shapes

Made, repaired and ridden.

“The Eggspiracy is honestly the best board in the quiver. The Kernel has to be the funnest board I own.”

“James' boards are something else! I have a 6'6 Eggspiracy and it's honestly the best board in the quiver. I ended up selling my LoveMachine FM as I always seem to pick the Eggspiracy over it. At this length for me, the board turns like a shortboard but smoother. Super easy to duck dive, goes excellent with the BMT twins. I recently picked up the Kernel 5'3. I've been hunting for a fun summer board for such a long time and this has finally filled that spot. This has to be the funnest board I own and have ever surfed. Excited to try more.”

Mario B

Custom boards

“The job was completed in a very professional finish and looks like new again.”

“Great service from James. Took my inflatable SUP in for repairs. The fin casing had come off the SUP and needed to be replaced and resat. The job was completed in a very professional finish and looks like new again. Looking forward to getting it onto the water again. Definitely can recommend James for repairs on your inflatable SUP.”

Sharon E

SUP repair

“The finished board is simply stunning and the experience from start to finish is something that will remain in my memory for ever.”

“I have just picked up my 7' Retro single fin which I shaped with James on his build your own course the other week! What a day that was and what an awesome board! I've always wanted to shape my own board and I'm a big fan of the old style boards from the 70s. Armed with only a photo of the style of board I wanted, James managed to track down the template of the exact board I wanted and we set to work. James is a Master of his craft and his attention to detail and patience is second to none. As if I hadn't given James a hard enough job already, I wanted some Snowdrops inlaid on the base of the board in memory of my Grandmother who recently passed away...not an issue for James! The finished board is simply stunning and the experience from start to finish is something that will remain in my memory for ever...Thank you James! Now to get her in the water!”

Jay N

Shaping experience

“What a revelation this fin was - more speed, easier turns and the board felt more stable.”

“I finally got the opportunity on the weekend to try out my new 8 inch Flex fin purchased from Whitburn Surfboards - I was down in Putsborough for a clean little 4ft wave, surfing a 7'4 mid. What a revelation this fin was - the difference from my previous fin in terms of an increase in speed and the ability to turn with ease was incredible, plus the board felt more stable than before as well. Thanks James, you're a total craftsman.”

Paul S

Hold fin

Close-up of a recycled resin and fibreglass tabletop surface.

Recycled surfboard materials, made useful.

Surfboard building leaves trimmed fibreglass, cured resin and smaller pieces of useful workshop material. James keeps suitable offcuts in circulation through Hold fins, recycled tables and smaller studio pieces.

See recycled pieces Explore Hold fins

Whitburn Studio surfboard made for Nike and Matheus Cunha.

Case study

Nike x Matheus Cunha.

Nike asked James to build a surfboard for a shoot with Matheus Cunha. The finished board translated the colour and carved details of a Tiempo football boot into the finish of a working surfboard.

Brief: Commercial shoot
Object: Working surfboard
Finish: Tiempo-inspired

View the Nike project Start a commercial enquiry

Inside the workshop.

Trash to Treasure

James turns waste and workshop material into a finished surfboard, showing the practical side of Whitburn's reuse-led work.

Watch on YouTube

Cactus surfboard build

A material experiment from the workshop, following a surfboard build made from cactus-derived material.

Watch on YouTube

7'6 Performance Egg

A full-length view of a 7'6 performance egg build, from the early shaping decisions through the workshop process.

Watch on YouTube

How can we help?

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