After getting to know Hydrus and their founder Jason Zawadzki (who hails from The Great Lakes, what what!) it’s clear their team is all about developing the exact tools we need to push the limits and find new opportunities to shred. We believe so much in their pursuit of developing the toughest surf boards on earth, we asked Jason himself to share with you exactly how Hydrus will impact the land locked surfing landscape. If you dig what he throwing down, head on over to their kick starter page, snag some epicly discounted Hydrus boards/gear, and help this dream become a reality! For more info on Hydrus and their current adventures in Idaho head on over to hydrusboardtech.com
Here we go! This is Hydrus Founder Jason Zawadzki with the deets:
We have recently had a few great articles that came out on Hydrus which spoke highly of our products, highlighting the durability and high-performance of our boards are and how unique and innovative this small company with giant aspirations is. Here, I wanted to take the time to write more on the values of Hydrus, our vision, goals for the future and the people behind Hydrus who building something epic.
Hydrus started out as a dream contrived by myself and my brother Nick. We grew up in Michigan with water all around; but from middle childhood on we moved around from state to state almost always in the mountains or next to water. I settled in Southern California where I met my wife, Lindsay, and started a family, we now have three wonderful, wild children. Nick settled in Idaho, having two kids of his own.
Water has always been my sanctuary, and I know Nick feels the same. So when I moved with my family to Idaho we all got into whitewater, downriver paddle boarding to fill the void created by the lack of surf. Upon trashing a series of paddle boards in our first summer, we decided we could do better. The initial idea was to build boards for ourselves that would be durable enough to run rapids yet shaped for performance up to our standards. We grew up the son of a craftsmen, working with our hands from our earliest memories. My friends tend to call me a perfectionist – but Nick takes perfectionism to a whole other level! This tend to perfection led to a 4 year crash course in board manufacturing, but more importantly lead to leading edge innovation in boards across three sports!
Initially, we were going to layer up fiberglass saturated with epoxy resin (conventional SUP construction) with the general idea of making it thick enough that it would withstand hard, rocky collisions. These extra thick fiberglass/epoxy boards were heavy and still too fragile, but our shapes were great, and we saw the potential. Most importantly we realized that we loved what we were doing. We were hooked on the idea of creating better boards, and the realization that we could share our inventions with the world motivated us. We spent countless hours which turned into months and then years of testing every type of composite and construction technique that we had ever heard of being used to build Surfboards, Kayaks, Kiteboards or Paddle Boards. Innegra, Kevlar, sandwich construction, resin infusion, different polymers, over a hundred different types of resins, adhesives, and core materials; including aerospace and military composites… the list goes on and on. Ultimately, we pulled together all we had learned and ended up developing our very own construction formulations, Armalight Construction, with our latest breakthrough being our DuraBloc core material, which is a waterproof, heatproof, ultra-rigid core material that will replace the standard paddle board foam and all its inherent downfalls. In the shaping bay, our policy is ‘Function First Shapes’, i.e. shape for performance, not aesthetics.
Every line, every rail, every bow and tail of every model, has a hydrodynamic theory behind it. Each board design must do what it’s supposed to perform exceptionally well. From the King DUB dominating whitewater river running to the SCUD Surf SUP slaying river waves and boat wakes to the all-water, Mad Max Elite Racer which is the culmination of all knowledge of speed on water, resulting in one of the fastest boards in the world.
Plans: First of all we are innovators, and we will never stop trying to make a difference in the world while impressing customers with better, and better boards. We do not intend on being a mass sales type of company with inexpensive boards in every shop you visit. This is simply not who we are, quality over quantity, hands down. Customer satisfaction is paramount to our internal performance metrics, not only in the boards they purchase but in every aspect of their dealings with us.
We have a white board in the shop with plain and simple guidelines for our day to day reference:
- Offer value in everything we do, make, sell, or publish.
- Offer an incredible experience with every interaction.
- Respond quickly and with personality to every earnest request.
- Include something extra (of value) in every package shipped
Spreading ourselves too thin and becoming reliant on volume is not conducive to this mission.
We have a strong belief in, and appreciation for, companies that provide clinics and rent boards. This service is the foundation of our sport. I’d guess that first impressions of paddle boarding are made 90% of the time on a rental board. In large part, dependent upon the quality of board being rented this impression can either bring a beginner back for more or turn them off completely. If a rental board is severely underperforming and the beginning paddler doesn’t realize what is missing, his or her paddling days could be over before they even begin.
Retailers who provide on the spot demos, as well as paddling classes and clinics, provide a high value to the end customer. Individuals that teach SUP Yoga or give paddling instruction no matter how big or small the operation also provide an excellent service. We will support retailers, rental companies, and individual instructors that support our sport by providing an exceptional customer value.
As well as Nick, myself and my wonderfully supportive wife, many others have been imperative to our success. Mikey, Jennifer, Josh and Gabe have done everything around here: shaping boards, spending countless hours in the sanding room, office work, on the phones with customers, developing websites. They have been here when the late nights turn into early mornings trying to get out orders, and the list goes on; Hydrus would not be what it is today without this team.
Every day Hydrus Board Tech seems more and more like a dream realized. Providing exceptional value, continued innovation, and community support, an incredible and growing family of like minded paddlers, surfers and adventures. It is our promise to never compromise on service or quality, providing the best possible value in the industry. These are the value on which we plan to continue building this dream and we invite all of you to join us! 1,000 true fans!!
