At Sea Gods, we take pride in making the best paddle boards on the water and also hung on your wall. We have to brag because nobody else is qualified to speak to the knowledge and talent that goes into creating these bespoke pieces.
A little-known fact about Sea Gods: we are a tiny team. We are not a huge company pumping out thousands of generic SUPS. We are dedicated founders with a small talented team of SUP enthusiasts who ride the boards they make, know about the sport and care about our customers.
It all starts with our commitment to design, artwork, quality, and customer service.
What Makes Sea Gods Paddle Boards a Top-Rated Product by Industry Experts
Simply stated: attention to detail.
Mass-produced paddle boards can come off a production line in just a few hours. In comparison, a Sea Gods board takes more than three full days to make. Every step is done by hand with the most skilled craftspeople, and we have a Quality Assurance check within each phase of development by our dedicated quality team.
Most importantly, Sea Gods paddle boards are made in small batches. That means they are not pumped out in a non-stop merry-go-round of production. The people who assemble our boards care about the fine details from start to finish and see the pictures of our customers riding them. Our production team loves to go paddle boarding, and they ride the Sea Gods boards they make.
At Sea Gods, we have for driving forces that guide product development:
- Board Design
- Artwork Creation
- Quality Manufacturing
- Commitment to the Environment
Below is a more detailed review of what goes into making our signature SUPs.
The Design Process
Every Sea Gods Paddle Board began with a lesson on the water. In the early days, our original idea was to create SUP products that could appeal to a spectrum of riders; beginners, young people, seniors, and enthusiasts. The first thought was to develop concepts for two types of boards:
- a well-balanced All-Around SUP for everyday cruising,
- a Touring board for longer excursions on the water.
Testing our products and learning about the wants and needs of our friends, family and early customers was the next step. While some wanted a Race board to feed that need for speed, many new to SUP were looking for a stable board for people who aren’t interested in good riding technique; they just want to ride and keep their hair dry.
We also discovered the need to create a SUP product that was even more stable for larger riders, people who struggle a bit more with balance, and riders who also want to use their board for activities like Wednesday night SUP yoga classes in the Pacific. The last bit of user experience research lead us to believe that we needed to create a SUP product to suit intermediate riders. We came up with a cross-touring board for those who like the idea of a longer paddling experience, but still want the comfort of stability.
With fresh research in hand, our design team created several prototypes for testing. These prototypes get built and sent to Sea Gods for real-life testing. We love testing things like stability, speed, tracking and weight distribution. But we also like to put durability to the test to understand common wear-and-tear issues that might arise from everyday family use. We even give them to the YMCA kids camp to really put them through the wringer. If we find weaknesses in a prototype, we make final adjustments to the design, then start the manufacturing process.
The Artwork Process
Look Good, Ride good. This is the keystone to Sea Gods SUP - the reason the founders wanted to make their first boards. Why ride a boring board? We think about how each board is different; what feeling we want to have when we are on the board; who will ride this board and what experience we wish for them to have. Then we search for an artist.
It’s a bit like dating. You find somebody you admire, love what they have to offer, and then need to reach out to them. It's quite nerve-wracking! Will they like you back? Will they find value in what you offer? Are they available?
Once we get the connection, it’s a deep and heavy relationship until production - a learning experience on both sides. It’s not so easy to just take a piece of art and put it on a board. There are a lot of elements to consider: colour theory, scale, image resolution and more. The final artwork made for a specific board takes months of collaborative work to transition what was developed on a canvas or another medium, onto a SUP (a far cry from an AI-designed Flamingo printed on a board). Each artist uses different media, and we try to work that into the final product. For instance, we add a canvas texture on the bottom of the boards that feature canvas-based artwork.
The Quality Process
Once the artwork is complete, it's time to start production. During production, we talk to the Quality team more than anyone else in our lives. We oversee every step with them to prevent errors from happening before they arise. But before any boards are actually made, our quality team does a thorough review of all materials and designs to ensure that they meet our high standards. Here’s what makes our boards different from others:
- high-grade dropstitch and PVC material made specifically for Sea Gods
- material inspection prior to production by the quality team to prevent recalls.
- each board is assembled by hand with care by skilled artisans.
We never sacrifice quality for quantity. Every board that leaves our factory in perfect condition. With that said, when errors do arise from time to time, we try not to discard the boards. In cases where boards have cosmetic flaws, we sometimes donate them, or we offer them up at a special rate to individuals who want a premium paddle board, but don’t mind a visual flaw or two.
Commitment to the Environment
One of our most important objectives as SUP makers is to create boards that can last an incredibly long time. We want to see our boards on the water, not in a landfill. That is why we provide a Lifetime Warranty. Secondly, we believe that we need to play our part in caring for our waterways since we love to play on them. That means that even though plastic packaging is free, we invest in compostable corn-based packaging instead.
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The best part of our day is when we see a smiling Sea Gods rider in the socials boasting about the amazing adventure or sea life they experienced. When you choose a Sea Gods Paddle Board, you're getting so much more than just a board; you're getting years of experience in design, artistry, and precision manufacturing. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced rider looking for a new challenge, we've got a board that's perfect for you.