VARUNA SHAPER SERIES: D'ARCY SURFBOARDS

Stuart D’Arcy has been shaping surfboards with sustainability in mind for decades, now joining the Varuna Surf project he’s building on his positive impact legacy.

“My kids, and my kid’s kids and all the kids,” D’Arcy mused on why sustainability matters in the surf industry as we chatted in the thickly forested area surrounding his shaping factory, “through surfing we can introduce sustainability to people.”

Welcome to the Varuna Shaper Series with D’Arcy Surfboards. This is the third in our series following on from iconic shapers Maurice Cole and Joel Fitzgerald. Nestled in a lush rainforest, D’Arcy shared his connection to sustainable design, manufacturing and the performance of his Varuna Waterbird model.

D’Arcy is the design mastermind behind our top-performing Waterbird, a quad fin that capitalises on volume and outline for maximum wave catchability.

“It went so fast when I first got on the Waterbird. It’s really easy to ride and is flowy, carvey, cruisey and still goes up and down vertically.” James McMillan – Artist, D’Arcy team rider and Varuna Ambassador.

Coming in at 5’11 x 20 x 2 ⅜ the Waterbird is fast and stable because of its width yet highly manoeuvrable because of its curves and fin configuration. Quad fins equal less drag and your best fun will be in small to medium waves.

D’Arcy’s reaction to seeing team rider James McMillan’s first waves on the Waterbird say it all.

“The first footage I saw of Jimmy riding it just blew me away! I was so stoked that it mimicked his PU board but the one thing that impressed me the most is that as he came around for his cutback, he just sped up. He was losing speed on his PU but on his Varuna he sped up and came back and hit the whitewash. Which for me was like, wow, that’s an improvement.” – Stuart D’Arcy.

D’Arcy’s 30 + year history as one of the world’s best shapers shines through all he does. Quality and design is at the forefront of the D’Arcy brand which is part of what drew him to Varuna.

“What sparked my interest in Varuna was the Seed to Surf story. Helping the communities in Indonesia, and then coming out with an eco-friendly product which I haven’t done before. I picked up the first model and the wood was just beautiful and the finished product was amazing, it was quality straight away, and it’s very unusual to get that quality, even in Australia.”

Over the years D’Arcy has shaped boards for numerous pro surfers such as Martin Potter, Barton Lynch, Jake Patterson, Shane Powell, Derek Ho, John Shimooka, Nainoa Surratt, Mick Fanning, Dean Morrison to name a few. But few people know about how deep his roots in sustainable surfing go.

“Back in 2006, when the environment wasn’t even part of the conversation, Stuart D’Arcy had the most sustainable surfboard factory in Australia and that ethos still continues today,” James McMillan.

D’Arcy prides himself in always having been a pioneer in surfboard design and so joining the Varuna project with our innovative and sustainable technology was a natural fit. Through working closely with D’Arcy we’ve learnt more about how we, in the surf industry can have a positive impact.

Through all D’Arcy’s experience shaping boards, he still loves what he does and believes your next board should always be better than your last. Now that we’re working on more Varuna D’Arcy surfboard models, your next board is not just better for you, it’s better for the planet and all our futures.

Watch the Varuna Shaper Series D’Arcy Surfboards HERE
Check out the range of Varuna Boards HERE
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VARUNA SHAPER SERIES: D'ARCY SURFBOARDS

D'Arcy is the design mastermind behind our top-performing Waterbird.

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