Swell of support carries surfboard shaper

Dylan Perese didn't exactly make his first surfboard before he could walk – but it wasn't too long after. And like catching a break from an offshore bombie all the way to shore, it has already been one crazy ride.

Now owner of DP Surfboards at Bulli, Dylan began surfing while he was in primary school at Scarborough Primary School, and it wasn't long before he shaped his first board.

"I'd taken an interest in surfing, and I was always making skateboard ramps and that sort of stuff as a young kid,” he says.

Dylan started his shaping career by taking old surfboards, including those belonging to his father, and having "enough curiosity about me to want to strip the fibreglass back and then have a go at hacking out some kind of shape that resembled a surfboard”.

This curiosity quickly transitioned into a business. In year 7, Dylan started to make custom-made surfboards.

“It all came from me making a few boards for myself, and then my cousin ordered one, and then he had a friend who wanted one, and then it just ‌snowballed,” he says.

“It kind of became evident that school was taking a back seat. Surfboards and this little business I'd started had taken over my life.”

In 1999, teen Dylan opened the first DP Boardroom in Thirroul. Supported by his mother and father, the business began to grow as a local name. The first shop closed after a couple of years following a ram raid and subsequent insurance issues, which "put the nail in the coffin for that first DP boardroom".

The business moved south and centred on a small factory in Mollymook before Dylan moved to Cronulla and began working under the guidance of industry guru Graeme King.

“I learned to do everything from making the blank itself, to cutting the blank and putting the timber stringer down the middle. I also hand-shaped and glassed and painted all of the Graham King surfboards under his label. At the same time I was still doing my own, and just honing my skills and learning the trade,” Dylan says.

As the DP label grew, Dylan outgrew the idea of working for other businesses. He established a factory in Ulladulla, then opened a second retail outlet in Thirroul where the brand spent 12 years. For years, Dylan juggled the two sites.

“As time went on, I just got a little bit tired of having to deal with a factory two and a half hours down the coast and a retail space up here," he says.

Eventually, Dylan decided to consolidate the entire operation, selling the factory in Ulladulla and closing the Thirroul shop, moving to the current space in Bulli. The move proved ideal with a young family and means Dylan is more available to customers who want to discuss boards in person.

DP Surfboards stems from Dylan’s passion for surfing and being hands-on. He says he finds satisfaction in the process of creation and community support he has received.

“I get a lot of satisfaction out of making things and seeing how they work, and then watching my team riders surf them and then get good results – or even just average guys or girls riding boards and having a big smile on their face, really enjoying the ride,” Dylan says.

"There's a lot of job satisfaction in that respect. And then, as a business, you want to make enough money to make it viable and support your family and support your lifestyle. So we've managed to do all of that, which is really lucky, really."

Dylan was honoured to be nominated in two categories – shaper of the year and best new product – at the 2024 Australian Surfing Awards and aims to continue growing his local enterprise with the development of a new product – the leash bar, which gives surfers a new way of connecting the leg rope to a surfboard.

"To be among those sorts of names, and top shapers in Australia, like legendary shapers as well, I was very proud to be nominated for that. The new product we brought onto the market was also recognised and acknowledged," he says.

“It's nice that we can keep it in-house and create a nice service and a great product that the customers keep coming back for.

"We're constantly working on fine-tuning, developing new models and testing them amongst ourselves and the team. We just want to continue to build the brand, continue to put good boards under surfers' feet of all levels and ages and genders, for different conditions – and hopefully continue to grow the brand a little wider than our area, although we do have a great following on pretty much the whole East Coast."

DP Surfboards has a team of local riders including Mannix Squiers and Nic Squiers, Luke O'Connell, Noah Kornek, Darcy Declouett, Angus Cochrane, Jarrod Szele, Jacob Haines and Eddy Hamaty. A large collection of skilled riders are seen on social media riding DP boards and competing locally and overseas. Collaboration with top riders influences board designs such as the "Rhythm Stick", developed with Eddy Hamaty, and the "Gus Twin", inspired by team rider Angus Cochrane.

"Our main goal is to continue to do the best we can, keep the customer service there, and keep plenty of time for each individual customer, maintaining an individual and personal rapport with the people who buy boards from us," Dylan says.

Order a custom-made surfboard or get in touch online.