Channel Islands Surfboards - Perth
From a small family shaping bay in California to one of the most influential names in modern surfing.
For more than half a century, Channel Islands Surfboards has been at the forefront of surfboard design. What began as a small family business on California's rugged coastline has grown into one of the most respected and recognisable surfboard brands in the world. From World Champions to weekend surfers, Channel Islands has earned a reputation for producing beautifully refined boards that blend speed, control and performance across an enormous range of conditions.
Founded in 1969 by master shaper Al Merrick, Channel Islands was built on a simple philosophy: create the best possible surfboards by listening to the surfers riding them. Rather than following design trends, Merrick constantly refined his shapes through close collaboration with some of the world's best surfers. That willingness to evolve, combined with an obsessive attention to detail, helped transform Channel Islands from a local Californian shaping bay into a benchmark for high-performance surfboard design.
Throughout the 1970s and '80s, Channel Islands became synonymous with progression. Legendary surfers like Tom Curren helped establish the brand's reputation, while later collaborations with Kelly Slater, Dane Reynolds, Lakey Peterson, Mikey February, Jordy Smith and a new generation of elite surfers ensured the brand continued to evolve alongside modern surfing.
Today, the company remains based in Carpinteria, California, where Britt Merrick has continued his father's legacy by blending decades of shaping knowledge with modern design techniques. Every board is the result of constant refinement rather than dramatic reinvention, which is one of the reasons Channel Islands continues to appeal to surfers of every generation. Whether you're chasing maximum performance, an everyday shortboard or something with a little more glide, there's a strong chance Channel Islands has already developed a model specifically for the way you want to surf.
Surfboards
The Shapers
"The driving force behind Channel Islands Surfboards is the demand on design created by the world's greatest surfers... To provide the most dedicated surfers with the most advanced performance designs is my passion." — Al Merrick
Few surfboard shapers have influenced modern surfing as profoundly as Al Merrick. Growing up in Southern California during surfing's formative years, Merrick quickly developed a fascination with the relationship between design and performance. Every board he built became another opportunity to improve upon the last, and that mindset eventually attracted many of the sport's most talented surfers.
His partnership with Tom Curren during the 1980s became one of surfing's most iconic collaborations, producing boards that helped redefine high-performance surfing. Later, Channel Islands became synonymous with Kelly Slater, whose record-breaking career further cemented the brand's place in surfing history.
Following Al Merrick's passing in 2019, his son Britt Merrick took the reins, continuing the family's philosophy while guiding Channel Islands into a new era. Having spent his entire life immersed in board design, Britt has earned enormous respect in his own right, shaping for some of the world's best surfers while maintaining the meticulous standards his father became famous for.
Today, the Merrick name remains one of the most trusted in surfboard design.
Design Philosophy
Channel Islands has never been about reinventing surfboards for the sake of it.
Instead, the brand focuses on continuous refinement.
Every adjustment to a rocker curve, rail profile or bottom contour is carefully tested with some of the world's best surfers before finding its way into production models. That process has allowed Channel Islands to produce boards that feel incredibly balanced beneath your feet—fast when you need speed, responsive through turns and predictable in critical sections.
One of the brand's greatest strengths is its diversity. While many surfers associate Channel Islands with elite competition boards, the range has expanded dramatically over the past decade to include user-friendly performance boards, hybrids, twins and mid-lengths that suit a much broader range of surfers.
Rather than building boards for one type of surfer, Channel Islands builds boards for almost every surfer.
Why Perth Surfers Love Channel Islands
Western Australia offers one of the most diverse surfing playgrounds in the world, and that's exactly where Channel Islands shines.
On clean winter swells around Trigg Point, Mettams Pool and the reefs further south, performance models like the Happy Everyday and CI Pro deliver the speed and precision needed to make the most of quality surf.
When summer arrives and Perth's beach breaks become smaller and more playful, models like the Twin Pin or CI Mid provide extra glide and make average conditions surprisingly enjoyable.
Many WA surfers also build quivers around annual trips to Margaret River, Yallingup and Gnaraloo. The breadth of the Channel Islands range means you can stay within one trusted brand while choosing boards suited to everything from waist-high beach breaks to solid reef waves.
It's that versatility, combined with decades of proven design evolution, that keeps so many Australian surfers returning to Channel Islands year after year.