There's nothing like making your own ride! I use only top quality paulownia (wood) for my blanks to be made into alaias and paipos or whatever! Paulownia is perfect for surfcraft of all types! It's light, shapes easily and is very strong and the best part is that it hardly soaks up any seawater at all! You don't even need to seal it! All my blanks are laminated from several planks for superior strength and durability. If you get a blank, you gotta ride it before you shape it! Give it a go, it's pretty fun! If you need help with shaping, I'm glad to offer my advice and maybe a template! Visit: http://www.xylemsurfboards.com/Paulownia-Blanks.html or call 1(910)547-1450 xylemsurf@gmail.com