QUIVER | BEHIND THE SCENES

A little behind-the-scenes look at the boards being shaped for our next El Sol Club retreats.

There are so many little details that go into creating an El Sol Club retreat.

The house.
The food.
The surf.
The yoga.
The excursions.
The people.

And then there are the details you might not see until you're standing in the ocean, catching a wave on a board that was made specifically for the experience.

This week, I got to go behind the scenes at B. Wynn Surfboards and watch the three boards being shaped for our upcoming retreats in Puerto Rico.

And it was pretty special.

Three boards. Three different experiences.

For our 2027 retreats, we're bringing along three boards:

9'2" — 8'0" — 7'0"

The idea is to give our guests the opportunity to experience different board shapes and sizes throughout the week and discover how much a board can influence the way you surf.

The 9-footer will give us that beautiful longboard feeling—more glide, stability, and the opportunity to slow things down and really feel the wave.

The 8-footer sits somewhere in the middle, offering a little more maneuverability while still giving you plenty of stability and glide.

And the 7-footer brings a different energy altogether—more responsive, more playful, and an opportunity to experiment with a shorter board.

Of course, the boards are only part of the equation. The waves, the surfer, the conditions, and the feeling of the day all play a role.

And that's exactly why we wanted to bring multiple boards.

We want you to play.

Watching a board come to life

One of my favorite parts of the day was watching the shaping process.

Before a board becomes something you paddle out on, it's essentially a blank canvas.

Slowly, through shaping, sanding, measuring, and refining, the board begins to take form.

You start to see the lines.

The curves.

The rails.

The outline.

The details that will eventually determine how the board moves through the water.

There's something incredibly satisfying about watching that process happen by hand.

It reminded me that a surfboard isn't just a piece of equipment. It's something that's been thoughtfully designed to interact with the ocean and with the person riding it.

And soon, these three boards will be doing exactly that.

Why this matters for our retreat

One of the things we care about most at El Sol Club is creating an environment where you can learn without feeling like you're being tested.

Surfing can sometimes feel intimidating.

You might be worried about catching the right wave, standing up quickly enough, choosing the right board, or wondering whether everyone else is better than you.

We want to take some of that pressure away.

Instead, we want you to be curious.

Try the 9-footer.

Then try the 8-footer.

Maybe paddle out on the 7-footer.

Notice what feels different.

Ask questions.

Get feedback.

Try again.

Because sometimes the biggest breakthroughs happen when you're simply having fun.

Six days in the ocean

This is also one of the reasons we're so excited about spending six consecutive days surfing together in Puerto Rico.

Instead of one lesson and then going back to your normal routine, you'll have the opportunity to build on what you learned from one session to the next.

Your body starts to remember.

Your confidence grows.

You begin to understand the waves differently.

You start recognizing where to sit, when to paddle, how to position yourself, and how different boards respond underneath you.

And because we're not trying to cram everything into one afternoon, there's room for experimentation.

There's room for mistakes.

There's room for laughter.

There's room to simply enjoy being in the ocean.

From the shaping room to Puerto Rico

Soon, these boards will leave the shaping room and make their way to Puerto Rico.

They'll be waiting for us at our oceanfront home, tucked between two iconic surf breaks and surrounded by palm trees, horses, and the Caribbean Sea.

And then they'll become part of our week.

They'll carry first waves.

Long rides.

Missed waves.

Big laughs.

Maybe a few wipeouts.

And hopefully a few moments where someone catches a wave and thinks:

"Wait… I can actually do this."

That's the magic we're chasing.

Not perfection.

Not performance.

Just the feeling of being completely present in the ocean and realizing that you're capable of more than you thought.

I can't wait to see these boards in the water.

And even more, I can't wait to see you riding them.

See you in Puerto Rico.

Arles
El Sol Club ☀️🌊