Traditional surfboards are fragile, plus they’re made of toxic goo — polyurethane foam and polyester resin — that ends up as landfill. This deluxe starter kit has all the tools and materials you need to make a tougher, greener epoxy board using expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam that’s recyclable. And Greenlight’s lamination technique, using bamboo fabric instead of fiberglass cloth, is easier and safer.

The funky but comprehensive instructional videos show you the entire process — monkey-see, monkey-do — far better than a manual could. Greenlight provides a variety of board and fin templates to download and print, and they’re generous with email advice on esoterica like fin placement.

You can shape a board in a weekend, but plan on a week or two to glass it. I learned a ton and ended up with the fastest board in my quiver.