Circle One Surf

The Original British Surf Brand. Devon-Born. Founder Still Shaping.

Circle One was founded by Jeff Townsley — surfer, shaper, and one of the original British surfboard makers — in Devon, 1969. Inspired by teenage years on the North Devon beaches of Croyde, Saunton, Woolacombe and Putsborough, and a formative pre-shop year travelling Europe and North Africa by VW split-screen campervan, Jeff took over the original Circle One surf shop and began hand-shaping boards in a small Exeter shaping bay. His distinctive 1970s designs — the stinger-wing swallow tail, the twin-fin egg — were purpose-built for British surf and earned international collaborations with shapers including Australian surf legend Peter Drouyn.

Every Circle One board is still based on a Jeff Townsley shape. The range has evolved across five decades from surfboards into wetsuits, bodyboards, skimboards, SUPs, kiteboards and accessories — all designed for the realities of British and European water. Circle One was the first UK brand to hand-shape custom windsurf boards in the 1980s, and pioneered the British shift from polyester to epoxy-resin construction in the 1990s — the kind of quiet, decades-deep technical innovation that distinguishes a heritage maker from a brand riding the surf nostalgia wave. Jeff, now in his 70s, is still in the water and still guides production directly.

Discover more from our sustainable brands directory at Sostter, or explore considered watersports and outdoor gifts in our Shop by Purpose edit.

Visit the Boutique

Circle One Surf Co. is based at Marsh Lane, Lords Meadow Industrial Estate, Crediton EX17 1ES, in Devon. Walk-in viewings of the range, custom shaping consultations and direct collection are possible Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00; call 01363 773005 to confirm. Discover more independent boutiques through the Sostter Boutiques directory.