Nigel Semmens

Surfers surf, shapers shape. Rarely do both talents fuse together.

A surfboard is a handcrafted work of art: symmetrical curves blend gently into one another to form a foil that will cut through the water.

It is a rare combination of talent when surfing and shaping skills are embodied in one human being. Surfing is 90% technique, Like any handicraft it has to be learnt.

Nigel Semmens on a recent trip to Indo.


Nigel took up surfing in 1970, and by 1973 he was on the podium at the English Championships taking second place in the Juniors, In 1993 he was again on the podium taking the English Masters title. The many victories in the 20-year span are punctuated with two very special events: winning the European Championships title at Thurso, Scotland, in 1981; and the World Amateur Championships in France in 1982, where Nigel finished seventh in the world.

As the twin-fin era drew to a close and the thruster made it's debut, Nigel Semmens was ready, at 25years of age, to concentrate all his efforts in developing his talent as a shaper, and make Ocean Magic Britain's leading surfboard factory. Under the watchful eye of shaping mentor and master craftsman Peter 'Mooney' McAllum the NS label kicked off.

Nigel started work in the Ocean Magic factory at 18. He served an apprenticeship with Mooney, and after two years of dust, dirt and resin he made it into the shaping room.

From the moment Nigel channeled his concentration into shaping, Ocean Magic took off, and after a couple of seasons and a move into Newquay it became a professional surfboard factory. In recent years Nigel has worked alongside guest shapers of world renown like Maurice Cole, Wayne Lynch, Greg Brown, Ned McMann and Jeff Johnston. Out of all the shapers who've visited the factory, Nigel has only asked one guy to shape him a board – Wayne Lynch. "I was so impressed with Wayne, his technique and his craftsmanship, I asked him to shape me a board. It was unreal!"

In 1987 Ocean Magic opened their retail store in Newquay. For the first time surfers could go and choose from racks full of gleaming OM's, or place a custom order, in the relaxed atmosphere of a retail environment rather than the ever-busy factory.

Looking at the list of Ocean Magic Team riders over the years, it's a Who's Who of champions; not just shortboard riders but seniors, masters, longboarders and groms... they've all won title on Ocean Magic surfboards.


A fair proportion of today's promotional budget is allocated to development of young talented surfers. Nigel Semmens believes that what he sees in the water while surfing with his team riders is a constant progression of what he shapes into their boards, thus improving their surfing performance and their results; this is only one aspect of a surfer-shaper's ability.

He is always defining and homing his own boards, and the subtle changes in power and performance ratio find their way into the everyday production of OCean Magic Surfboards. The rare ability to hold your own against the best surfers in the world in your era, then to carve out a reputation as a shaper that visiting pro's on the ASP World Tour seek out and demand your shapes; this accolade falls to a very select band of surfer-shapers. Nigel Semmens is amongst the elite.

- John Conway