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Story: Lifesaving and surfing

Nigel Dwyer with a Del surfboard

Nigel Dwyer with a Del surfboard

In the early 1960s local surfboard makers began to produce boards for the New Zealand market. One company was Del Surfboards of New Plymouth, which is still operating. It was established by Nigel Dwyer, an Australian lured to New Zealand by the promise of good surf and cheap ice cream. The Del is regarded as a classic, and early models are still sought-after.

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Del Surfboards

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How to cite this page

Nancy Swarbrick, Lifesaving and surfing – Surfing in the sixties, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/7377/nigel-dwyer-with-a-del-surfboard (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nancy Swarbrick, published 2 March 2009.

Comments

wai williams donaldson
23 May 2011
hello again, i was in a bit of a rush, when i first contacted your company, but if you guys are at all interested, i have photos of the times Nigel was making the 6footers in Gisborne and also of them surfing, and other photo's besides, im on Facebook-wai williams donaldson. bye