Newave: The World's First 9-in-1 Surfboard
- May 26, 2025
- 3 min read
Switch, swap and build up to 9 different boards. Be ready for any wave and travel with ease.
For globetrotting surfers, urban wave riders, and anyone who's ever struggled with the logistics, fees, and storage nightmares of traditional surfboards, the Newave, featured on Kickstarter, introduces a revolutionary solution. Billed as "The World's First 9-in-1 Surfboard," Newave is a modular system that transforms from a compact backpack into a quiver of diverse board shapes, ready for any wave, anywhere.
Project Overview
Name and Creator: Newave: The World's First 9-in-1 Surfboard by Mahévas Ewen (Newave Surfboards)
What It Is: A modular surfboard system comprising seven interchangeable components (three noses, three tails, and one mid-section) that can be quickly assembled into nine different board configurations, ranging from shortboards to longboards, designed for easy travel and adaptability to various wave conditions.
Key Features
9-in-1 Modular Design: The core innovation allows surfers to switch, swap, and build up to nine different board shapes from just seven precision-crafted pieces. This versatility means you can adapt your board length and shape on the fly, whether you're cruising mellow point waves or charging heavier swells. Configurations include various short-, mid-, and long-length options like a 6.5-foot fish, a 7.6-foot Mini Malibu, and a 9-foot longboard.
Unparalleled Portability: The board's 7-piece design breaks down into compact, travel-friendly sections that fit into a custom-designed backpack or a larger travel bag. This eliminates oversized baggage fees (often $100-$300 per flight), the hassle of roof racks, and makes transport via public transport or compact vehicles a breeze.
Quick and Tool-Free Assembly: Assembling a Newave board is designed to be quick and easy, taking less than a minute without any special tools. The pieces snap together, and a double-secured locking system with pins ensures a strong and secure fit, even under demanding conditions.
Maintains Performance and Durability: Despite its modular nature, Newave boards are engineered to retain the rigidity, flex, and strength of traditional surfboards. They are constructed from fiberglass-encased polystyrene foam with a unique "W" fastening system made of reinforced nylon, which has undergone over two years of R&D and hundreds of hours of testing to resist infiltration, pressure, sand, shocks, and temperature variations. Stress tests show the assembled boards can withstand loads of over 300 kg.
Eco-Friendly Approach: By offering multiple board types in one system, Newave encourages reducing the overall number of boards needed, addressing storage issues, and potentially reducing carbon emissions associated with transporting bulky boards.
Tested in Diverse Conditions: The boards have been rigorously tested in real-life conditions by founders Ewen and Hadrien, as well as many other surfers, across various locations including the Atlantic coast, Scotland, Sri Lanka, and Bali, proving their performance is comparable to classic surfboards.
Rewards
Kickstarter reward tiers for the Newave surfboard typically included:
6'6" Mini Fish Super Early Bird: Packages start at $731
They will not all be listed as there are too many rewards to choose from based on the length and packages.
The Idea
Concept: To revolutionize the surfing experience by eliminating the traditional hassles of surfboard travel, storage, and the need for multiple boards, through an innovative modular design that offers unprecedented versatility and portability.
Inspiration: Founded by two French surfer-engineers, Ewen Mahévas and Hadrien Nauroy, Newave was born from personal frustration. After facing fines for carrying their boards on a train, they envisioned a high-performance surfboard that could be disassembled for easy transport. Their mission is to simplify how surfers get to the ocean, making surfing more accessible and responsible by providing a single, adaptable board that empowers riders to be ready for any wave, anywhere, without compromising on performance or incurring logistical headaches.
