Aku Shaper

08/05/2026

Tip of the Week #3 is here, and this one is all about designing better double concaves.
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If you’ve ever wondered why or how to use double concaves—or you’ve opened AkuShaper and weren’t sure where to start—this is a great place to jump in. Brad Buckle breaks it down in a way that’s easy to follow, whether you’re new to CAD or you’ve been designing boards for years.
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Brad has over 30 years of experience shaping and manufacturing surfboards and has designed boards in AkuShaper for some of the biggest surfboard brands in the world. We’re lucky to have him sharing the techniques and little details he’s learned over decades of building boards.
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We’re excited to bring more of Brad’s knowledge to the board-building community. Go check out the full video on our YouTube channel and let us know what tip you’d like to see next.

07/28/2026

Ready to design your next surfboard? Our free demo mode includes every design tool with no sign up, no credit card, and no time limit. Download anytime at AkuShaper.com.

07/22/2026

Part 2 of our new Tip of the Week tutorial series is live on our YouTube channel.
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Dive into some pro-tips with . With over 20 years of experience running major surfboard manufacturing facilities and designing thousands of boards, Brad Buckle walks through some of his favorite tips & tricks in the Aku software
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Subscribe to our newsletter for more videos from the pros!

07/01/2026

Our new tip of the week series just dropped on our YouTube channel. Follow along with Brad Buckle of as he dives into his biggest tips and tricks in the Aku software
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Brad Buckle began his surfboard-building career in 1994 at one of New Zealand’s major factories, mastering every discipline of the craft — from fin foiling and sanding to glassing, shaping, and precision finishing.
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In the late 2000s he moved to Java, Indonesia, where he built and ran one of the world’s leading high-volume surfboard production facilities. For more than a decade he served as both head shaper and production manager, overseeing scores of thousands of boards and directing an in-house foam plant — gaining deep, hands-on knowledge of every material and process that brings a surfboard to life.
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Living among world-class waves and working alongside elite surfers and industry-defining shapers sharpened both his design philosophy and his surfing.
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Brad also brings a strong aesthetic edge from years of professional surfboard airbrushing, contributing artwork and colour to vast numbers of boards across multiple eras and trends.
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Since returning to New Zealand in 2022, Brad has been shaping under his own name, crafting high-performance custom boards and offering a full suite of surfboard services for his extented community. We are proud to bring some of his knowledge to the community! Go watch the full YouTube video on our channel

06/12/2026

Some more used CNC machines just hit our website all on sale. Price reduction on Image #1; 6’ Precision Shaper reduced to $10,000 USD. Perfect for you wake, kite/foil shapers. Shoot us a DM for more information or hit the website to see all available listings

06/11/2026

Ever wanted to turn the board in your head into a real surfboard design?

This Monday, Pol Riera from Spina Surfboards is kicking off a live online AkuShaper course with Swellcycle focused on designing surfboards for 3D printing.

Over 3 live online sessions, you'll learn how to take an idea from a blank screen to a printable surfboard design using AkuShaper. You'll also get a 3D-printed miniature of the board you create, so you can hold your design in your hands before committing to a full build.

Included:
🏄 3 live online classes with Pol Riera
🖨️ A 3D-printed mini version of your design
💬 2 weeks of follow-up support
🌊 10% off a full-size 3D-printed and glassed board from Swellcycle
📐 50% off an AkuShaper Up & Comer Plan

Whether you're curious about surfboard design, interested in 3D printing, or looking for a new way to prototype your ideas, this is a great opportunity to learn from someone who's doing it every day.

Course starts Monday.
More info:

Two live online courses. One clear path. Learn to design your own boards digitally using Shape3D — from your very first shape to mastering the pro tools.

05/14/2026

Watch how we brought this 3D-Printed board to life with .surfboards, , and
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Full video on our YouTube channel! And go sign up for the first online AkuShaper design course via the link in our bio!

03/19/2026

Teaming up with .surfboards and to extend the backyarder roadmap to 3d patines boards

02/25/2026

Surfboard design crossing over to snow?! — Sunrise Snow Works has been using AkuShaper to build bindingless snowboards in California. Check out the latest video in our Shaper Spotlight series:

In this video, we show how AkuShaper can be used to design and build bindingless snowsurf boards using the same tools many shapers already rely on for surfbo...