Ernie Higgins Shapes Picnic SUP

Veteran shaper experiments with SUP surfboard design and lands on a multi-purpose craft, enabling even for luxury picnics to float at sea.

SAN DIEGO, California - Ernie Higgins, a veteran surfboard craftsman with labels under his belt like G&S and Eaton, is always open to delving into a novel way of carving watercrafts -- hence, his company's name, "Waterlines Unlimited." Higgins has dabbled with SUP surfboards, lately having glassed several Hawaii Paddle Surf models.

Putting SUP and Higgin's creativity together, it was sooner than later when an atypical surfboard came to life at the Waterlines factory. Call this new item the "Picnic SUP Surfboard." Higgins wanted to develop the stability of the SUP shape even further, so he added foam to each side of the SUP blank, allowing him to tack a few extra inches to the board's usual width of 28 inches, resulting in a board 32 inches wide. Stability abounded. But worried about the potential overbearing weight, Higgins toned down on the glassing, replacing layers of cloth (which tend to soak with resin) with bamboo veneer (which is impervious to epoxy). The end product came at 11 inches long, 32 wide, and 5 thick, weighing about 32 lbs.

The stability was so reassuring and the finish so attractive that Higgins resolved to take his creation to La Jolla's tranquil waters for a picnic. Placing a red-and-white checkered tablecloth above the deck, the longtime shaper plans on dining at the water's edge, while feeding on fine delicacy and enjoying the amusing scenery. That experience vindicates Higgins' board building spirit during yet another chapter of Waterlines Unlimited