ABOUT
The Maker and Vision
Paul Surf is the creative studio of Paul J. Schmidt – designer, shaper, and artist. Every surfboard and art piece is conceived, engineered and built entirely by hand under one roof in New York City, guided by the belief that true mastery is achieved through full ownership of the creative process.
THE JOURNEY
Raised by a carpenter and shaped by time spent in the ocean, Paul fused practical skill with creative obsession. His pursuit of perfection led to the invention of the Chromatic Resin System and a signature approach that blends traditional craft with innovative engineering - a process refined since founding the studio in 2014.
Among one of the few in the world who professionally hand-builds surfboards entirely from start to finish, and with more than 10,000 hours dedicated to shaping and glassing, Paul has spent over a decade refining his art and creative process. Before founding his studio, he worked on a SoHo design team specializing in handmade glass chandelier sculptures and earned a master’s degree in poetry from Brooklyn College - a combination that informs the precision and lyricism of his work.
THE STUDIO
Working from a converted shipping container in Rockaway Beach, Paul crafts each work from raw blank to finished art. This philosophy rejects mass production efficiencies in favour of something more enduring: a singular object, built without compromise, focused on structural integrity, visual clarity, and heirloom quality.
