Otter Surfboards

James Otter is a surfer, surfboard maker and the founder of Otter Surfboards, a company crafting hollow wooden surfboards – a beautiful, environmentally-friendly, and long-lasting alternative to typical surfboards. He invites surfers to his workshop in Cornwall, UK, to build their own wooden boards and work with natural materials.

 
 
James Otter Planing a Wooden Surfboard in his Workshop, Cornwall, UK
 
 
James Otter - Wooden Surfboard Workshop Details and Tools
 
 
Close-up of Chisels in Wooden Racking
Wood Plain Tool On Wooden Surfboard
Wooden Surfboards in Rack Against Blackboard With Surfboard Building Diagram
Wooden Surfboard's Nose Glued and Clamped in Place
 
 
Environmental Portrait of James Otter Holding a Chisel Leant Against Surfboard
 
 

Craft & Nature

Often I photograph stories that lie at the intersection of craft and nature. I document the dynamics of how we humans have learnt to work with materials to create useful and beautiful objects, pulling on my working understanding of both the natural world and the process of craft.

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