Seedling

The 5'11" Seedling — A Tribute with a Twist

Some boards come from pure curiosity — a sketch, a shape you’ve always wanted to try. Others come from deep respect.

The Seedling started as both. I’ve always admired Doug Haut’s Pumpkin Seed design — it’s one of those quintessential Santa Cruz shapes. Blending the speed and flow with drive and responsiveness of a performance shortboard, the Pumpkin Seed is a board that feels at home on the varied waves we get here in town.

I wanted to build my own version as a tribute to that design — but also give it a few subtle updates to suit how I surf, and how I like my boards to feel underfoot.

I kept the iconic outline and pulled-in tail, but shaped the Seedling with:

• A deeper single concave through the bottom — to add a little more lift and responsiveness through turns
• Turned down rails — slightly lower and sharper than the classic Pumpkin Seed rail, giving the board more bite and drive, especially in steeper sections
• Slightly more modern foil — to balance speed and flow with a more lively, reactive feel

For the build, I wanted to keep it light but tough — and glassed it with performance and longevity in mind:

• Marko EPS blank — super consistent and light, giving the board great paddle power and responsiveness
• Entropy Bio-based Epoxy Resin — not only durable, but part of my ongoing effort to use more sustainable materials where I can
• Two layers of 4 oz S-glass on the deck — for added strength and resistance to pressure dents
• One layer of 4 oz S-glass on the bottom — keeping the board fast and flexible without sacrificing durability

In the water, the Seedling has been exactly what I hoped: fast down the line, quick to respond off the tail, and confident in more critical sections. The deeper concave gives it a bit of extra spark when driving through turns, while the tuned rails give it hold and release just where I want it.

More than anything, it’s a joy to surf around Santa Cruz — whether I’m threading clean walls at the Point, or hunting for corners at smaller beach breaks.

This board is a personal project and a nod to the shapers who came before — particularly Doug Haut, whose influence still runs deep here. It’s also a reminder that there’s always room to experiment, evolve, and pay tribute while making something your own.