: Hello all,

: Anyone out there used bamboo for a stripper or for a SOF? I am
: building a wood surfboard and was looking for alternative woods
: for my next board, which will be a stand-up paddleboard. I ran
: across some articles on Bamboo. I can cut the stuff here locally
: in 3 to 5" diameter which should yield 1/4"
: thicknesses. I'm thinking I may have found my rib material. It
: seems this stuff bends very well, and it doesn't shrink much
: when dried.

: In addition, I found a place that laminates the stuff into plywood.
: I figure someone could cut the gunwales out of bamboo ply and
: make a very light yet strong kayak. It appears bamboo is right
: in line with cedar for weight, and strength is insane.

A Shearwater 17 hybrid with a stripped bamboo deck won "best in show" at CLC's Okuomefest this year:

http://www.clcboats.com/news/2009.html

The boat is about halfway down the page, has a yin/yang symbol on the fore deck. The gentleman who built it did
a beautiful job, but has so far not posted very much detail about his technique. What little I have seen is here:

http://www.clcboats.com/forum/clcforum/thread/4470.html

--
Ogata
eric