Organic Dynamic – Sustainable Surfboards⁣ Organic Dynamic - Sustainable Surfboards

Jack Candlish meets us outside his studio located in Lyall Bay, a seaside suburban area famous for its beaches and surf. After realizing the number of toxins found in conventional surfboards, Jack took it upon himself to create environmentally friendly boards, kind to both humans and the earth.

Interview “Boarding Conscious Waves”

Between splashes of light rain on our car window, we spot Jack Candlish exiting his car and noticing us. Wearing a light moss green t-shirt and jeans, he brightly welcomes us to his shop and begins to open the shutters of the closed front.

Located just a couple of stone throws away from Parrotdog in Lyall Bay, ‘Organic Dynamic’ is a surfboard shop owned (and constructed!) by Jack. Born in Kent, UK, Jack moved to New Zealand at an early age. After some time back in the UK, he ultimately settled down in Wellington where he now lives with his girlfriend Claire and their baby.

Surfing has always come naturally to Jack, as a way to escape from everyday life and be close to nature. It was when he damaged his surfboard and went for repairs that he started experiencing pain in his lower back.

“After doing a little bit of research I realized that it was my kidneys reacting to the polyester resin I have been exposing myself to. It was a polarizing experience finding out how toxic surfboards can be,” says Jack.

Creating a new type of surfboard that would be safe for the user, as well as the person making the board occupied Jack’s mind and he started experimenting with using the tools at the joinery shop where he was working at the time. Consequently, he set out to produce a board that was more in line with what surfing is all about: immersing yourself in nature and harnessing the natural energy of the waves. Jack explains that it was only logical to apply that same mentality to producing a product that complements that ethos, all while minimizing the negative impact upon the environment and marine life.

Jack guides us through the studio where he makes all his boards. Wide blue machines occupy the room, the floor covered in a veil of dust from wood sanding. “At the moment, we use recycled foam. Building from waste that would otherwise become landfill waste. Repurposing that becomes the core of the board,” explains Jack. Other ingredients include local New Zealand grown timber, environmentally-friendly fibers, and glue. The process of surfboard-making has been a long journey of research, trial, and error. Testing out which materials work and don’t, can be tricky and time-consuming. For Organic Dynamic, the goal is to create an entirely plant-based surfboard that can be commercially composted at the end of life. Jack remembers growing up in Wellington as a child in the 90’s. Much time was spent outside, hanging out by the rivers and the sea. Nowadays some of those rivers have been ruined due to animal excrement or other environmental issues.

“I want to produce and live in a way that enables my kids to have the same kind of experience I had growing up. That is my way of sustainability.”

Jack Candlish is the founder and developer of Organic Dynamic Surf Boards. After noticing a lack of non-toxic environmentally friendly surfboards, Jack started developing and building his own boards full-time in 2017. Using recyclable materials that otherwise would have become landfill waste, Jack aims to create affordable, high-quality boards that also have a minimum impact on the environment.

organicdynamic.com