hess handplanes
I started building Handplanes for myself and friends when I was 17 and working as a lifeguard at a really good bodysurfing beach. The originals were made from shaped kickboards and found materials. I build each plane using a press method that creates a very strong, light and precise Handplane. I focus on using locally sourced, salvaged and certified woods in each of my planes and they are sealed thoroughly with a very durable natural oil sealer.
The length and width of these Handplanes are specifically designed to give a bodysurfer just the right amount of lift to get their upper body out of the water, creating much less drag and allowing them to really control their positioning and speed on the wave. It really does feel like an entirely new, pure way of riding a wave when doing it for the first time. I’ve been hooked for many years.
As my good friend says “ I’ve often had a bad time surfing, but I’ve never had a bad time bodysurfing”.
