July 20, 2026

What Most Surfers Get Wrong About Surfboard Design w/ Shea Somma

1 hour 1 minute

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Central Coast shaper Shea Somma (@sheasomma) is known for surfboards that make the most out of whatever the ocean throws at you. In this episode, we get into the DNA behind his designs like the Mini Super, a Mini Simmons inspired groveler built around an optimal length-to-width ratio that he reverse-engineered into a unique user-friendly board. He also breaks down how he won Best in Show at the 2023 Boardroom with his Bonzer-based Panza shape. We also talk about the most common mistakes surfers make when buying boards, and why the current obsession with surfboard volume might be one of the most misleading trends in the industry right now.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:13 Shea's Central Coast Waves & Shaping Origins

04:13 Sharks, Colors, and Surfboard Superstitions

05:59 The Mini Super: A Mini Simmons Evolution

12:26 Fins, Concaves, and Hydrodynamics Explained

16:35 How the Simmons Design Spread Across Surfing

19:21 Winning Best in Show with a Bonzer

25:04 Building the Panza: Groveler to Step-Up

30:10 Twin vs. Twinzer: What It Actually Feels Like

36:19 Ocean Beach Guns: The OBG and the Judah

40:02 Biggest Mistakes Surfers Make Buying Boards

44:21 The Truth About Volume

47:04 Good and Bad Trends in Surfboard Design

48:59 Shea's Current Quiver, Board by Board

54:38 Upcoming Film Project and France Art Show

Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!

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