SURF World Gold Coast's visitors can now take digital trips back through surfing history.

With help from Gold Coast City Council and MAD Solid Timber Surf Designs the museum now features an iPad display unit set in a wooden surfboard.

And there are about four more planned that will feature 15 professional surfers' careers through the interactive Apple products.

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 in the board.

"We're also going to build a 160cm high board with a donation box in its back.

"We've designed the iPad unit so the pad is in there and thieves can't get it out and knock it off.

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

Mr Carroll who is one of the museum's directors and also teaches the Diploma of Sports Management-Surfing Studies at Southern Cross University said the whole project would 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.

"There's a focus on Australia, from the 1960s through to the 2000s.

"The rest will be in place by the Bleach festival, and the first focuses on Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson and Stephanie Gilmore.

"It'll have photos, interactive video, Steph's world champion trophy, one of Mick's boards - it'll be a very visual and interactive experience."

He said MAD was a simple choice for the iPad unit because the Tweed Heads South business has produced photo frames for Surf World previously.

"We're very appreciative of the council's funding.

"It's something for the younger people, while us oldies can spend a bit of time on it and get some information about the real legends of Australian surfing," Mr Carroll said.