CREATE YOURsummerwithShop the lookHead out to the Rockaways with the surfboard shaper, barber and founder of The Almeda Club to find out why he wakes up before sunrise to get out on the water these days.Shop the look
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When I’m fishing, I wake up around 2:30am, fill a thermos with water and leave the house within a few minutes.
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“I really like the fishing community because it’s humble and about the experience—it’s real.”
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In conversation with Joe
Take us through your morning…“My life is waking up, surfing or fishing and making surfboards. If I’m fishing, I wake up around 2:30am, fill a thermos with water and leave the house within a few minutes. I keep my gear in milk crates in my garage, designated for fishing or surfing, so I can just pick up the right one and put it in the car.”
What do you wear to go from mornings on the water to shaping boards and welcoming clients?“My outfits are simple: painter pants, a T-shirt, a button-down and a sweatshirt, occasionally mixed with special gear from Japanese designers. It’s a utilitarian uniform, function first. I was really into skating and streetwear growing up. I like to run around, so my clothes have to allow me the freedom to move.”
How did The Almeda Club come together?“I worked at Pilgrim Surf + Supply in Brooklyn for years and left to open The Almeda Club with my partner Graham Hill who I’ve known since we were children. It’s a barbershop more than anything and geared toward people already interested in surfing. Graham wanted to help me see this project through, believing in my ability to make surfboards.”
If a friend came out to visit Rockaway, where would you send them?“Super Burrito. It’s run by two lovely guys, Eugene and Sam, who make mission-style burritos with good ingredients. Cuisine by Claudette is my friend’s business where you’ll find good, healthy food and many vegan options. I also really enjoy Whit’s End, owned by my friend Whitney, who has two Stefano Ferrara pizza ovens that make great pizza. He’s a fantastic chef. C&C Jerk Box is situated outdoors on 48th Street and the bay—they cook jerk chicken, lobster and shrimp.”
Where else can we find you surfing and fishing?“Probably New Jersey, in Asbury Park, and I’ve spent many days surfing in Spring Lake!”
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“I’ve surfed for 17 years and have built my personal community and knowledge base through that.”
Head out on the water with Joe

I love that the ocean is so unforgiving. It forces you to practice acceptance and the ability to shape yourself to the world around you.
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From shaping boards to shaping hair! Joe taught himself, and now is a go-to barber for his local community of surfers and friends.
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