Seamingly Seamless
With Gatorshell boards, we've achieved seamless construction by combining all-new materials with ballistics-grade composites — the result is a no-compromise outer shell that's smooth, solid, and tough. Very tough.
Best Paddle Boards
Years in the making, Gatorshell Technology is the next game-changing innovation out of the Darkroom. In our quest to keep improving what we make, we've achieved something truly special — incredibly strong and stunningly beautiful, our Gatorshell boards are the toughest we've ever built.
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Soul Searching
For years we experimented with advanced materials and recognized the benefits of building a board from advanced plastics — lightweight, strong, durable. The catch: plain plastic is ugly, and we don't do ugly. So we built our own proprietary Gatorshell process, giving an advanced plastics board the look and feel of our classic construction. Another stunning BOTE, just built differently.
Six Times Tougher
Energy impact comparisons put our Gatorshell board at six times tougher than our handcrafted epoxy boards. We ran extensive tests in the Darkroom lab — on our own products and on competitors' — and came away with zero damage to the Gatorshell board.
Float Higher
Plastic is less dense than epoxy, so Gatorshell boards ride more buoyant than their epoxy equivalents. That means they float higher in the water for a more comfortable paddle, while also adding extra carrying capacity.
Why Gatorshell
Seven reasons Gatorshell construction changes what a plastic board can be.
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Abrasion Resistant
An abrasion-resistant outer shell means you don't have to sweat the small stuff — like that time you got a little too close to the dock.
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Beautiful Fit & Finish
Gatorshell boards are built to the highest standards in the industry, with uniquely beautiful designs on par with our hand-crafted epoxy boards.
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Seamless Construction
Our proprietary process allows for truly seamless construction — no cheap rubber gaskets, no unsightly fissures down the sides.
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Gatorskin Textured Deck Pad
A high-quality, heat-sealed, multi-textured deck pad features a unique gatorskin-embossed texture found only on Gatorshell models.
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Innovative Features
Gatorshell boards carry every innovative feature found on our hand-crafted epoxy boards, so you can outfit them the way you want, for what you like to do.
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Impact Resistant
Gatorshell construction is six times tougher than our hand-crafted epoxy boards, giving you the freedom to just be yourself out there.
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Responsibly Crafted
The advanced plastics behind Gatorshell boards are made from partially reclaimed material, and excess material from production is repurposed again — less waste, for all of us.