SURF World Gold Coast's new iPad exhibition was officially opened on Monday.

Thanks to MAD Solid Timber Surf Designs Tweed Heads South and Gold Coast City Council, the exhibition features 15 surfing legends.

Museum chairman Jak Carroll said the exhibition included 13 champions and two pioneering surfboard shapers from the 1960s to the present

"Basically, we have married a contemporary digital device, the iPad, with archival material to present some key figures in Australian surfing history in a modern way," Mr Carroll said.

"We were lucky to be able to access the services of local publishing house Morrison Media, which had knowledge of surfing and expertise in digital technologies, to put the project together.

"Overall, we believe using iPads will appeal to younger visitors to the museum and especially school groups."

The 13 featured surfers include Nat Young, Mark Richards and Layne Beachley.

Mr Carroll said shapers Bob McTavish and Simon Anderson were at the forefront of revolutionary advances in surfboard design.

"One of the most difficult tasks was choosing who to feature," said Carroll.

"Eventually we decided to feature a few key surfers from each decade since the start of serious competition surfing in the 1960s."

Mayor Tom Tate said the council's Economic Development Branch funded the project.

"The Gold Coast Council helped establish Surf World and has been instrumental in ensuring it continues to highlight surfing culture and history through exhibitions such as this," he said.

MAD's Dave Norris said Surf World approached him for a stable and versatile way of housing the iPads.

"And Jak Carroll came up with the idea of engraving the (Surf World) logo.

"Feedback's been pretty good, and we do everything pretty cheap for them because they do a good job here."

Mr Carroll who also teaches the Diploma of Sports Management-Surfing Studies at Southern Cross University said the whole project cost about $13,000.

"We got some funding from the council and Nick Lawrence from Morrison Media suggested the iPad as a way of doing an interactive display about legends of surfing," he said.