Head Shaper:

Dave Parmenter

Behind the Brand: C4’s chief designer, Dave Parmenter, shaped his first surfboard in 1975. Since then—along with being a Top 16 World Tour competitor during the ’80s, as well as one of the most outspoken voices in the modern surf media—he’s honed his approach to board building with a philosophy that approaches the craft as a form of creative engineering rather than art. Always ready to experiment with new designs and materials, Parmenter founded C4 in 2006 with Mike Fox, champion paddler Todd Bradley, and Brian Keaulana, one of the most respected watermen in the world. The result: The first label dedicated entirely to the production of high-performance “short” stand-up surfboards and SUP-specific all-carbon paddles. “C4 Waterman’s line of stand-up surfboards are designed and tested by the pioneers of modern stand-up surfing and paddle racing,” says Parmenter, who is currently the only surfer/shaper in the growing sport actively involved at the highest levels of both progressive surfing, racing, and inland waterways exploration. “We know from experience that it’s important to balance maneuverability, paddling-ease, and stability. And to achieve this kind of harmony in an oversized surfboard, the designer really has to pay attention to the plan-shape and how it interacts with the distribution of volume. Our team riders have proven very fluent in such matters. We’ve spent a lot of time refining the basic designs that kicked off this whole thing six years ago.”

About C4's Most Popular Models: The 9'3" SUB-Vector and the new 9'6" SUB-Vector are the two most popular C4 models at the moment. These designs are based on Parmenter’s Stubb-Vector high-performance stubby shortboards, which date back to 1991, a innovation that represented the very first hybrid “funboards” intended for talented surfers. “The design translates well to the stand-up surfboard,” says Parmenter, “in that the balance of plan-shape, foil, rocker, and rails make for a board that pleases all ability levels, paddles well, yet nimbly reacts to rider input like a sports car.”

Shop Talk: “At the end of the day, control harmony is the most important quality to have in your surfboard. Here’s why: All surfboard design features are crippling when applied in the extremes, one way or another. To end up with those ‘magic’ boards, the designer must really be a master of the compromise."

What makes your label different from the other surfboards in the market? “C4 Waterman is an owner-operated company based in Hawaii, and its founders are in the water every day designing and testing each piece of their equipment in Hawaiian surf. Between us, we bring a combined 140-plus years of ocean knowledge to the new sport of stand-up paddling and surfing. There is no firewall between surfing, testing, and the shaping bay here.”

Are there any trends out there right now that you’d like to see continue? “I like the growing interest in the waterman lifestyle, as opposed to the narrow ‘shortboarder’ or ‘longboarder’ designations that too many surfers use to pigeonhole themselves. Why? Maybe you can ride a 6'1" Merrick when you’re 58, but it ain’t pretty. If you consider yourself a hardcore surfer who’ll go the distance, then, sooner or later, you’ll have to branch out and learn all the waterman disciplines—from paddleboarding to sailing to diving, not to mention mastering all the many types of surfcraft.”