Why do people ride big label surfboards??

derra83's picture
derra83 started the topic in Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 11:47am

Do any people on here ride big label surfboards such as Channel Islands, DHD, Lost and other similar brands? I'm genuinely curious while trying to reserve my judgement, but it seems a strange thing to do in this day and age. All shapers have access to computer files and can shape almost anything, yet big name brands are $100-$200 dearer in my town (and others I visit). The construction is no better and you've got less recourse if things go wrong. So why do surfers still do it?

After the school holidays just gone I was blown away by the number of big name boards being ridden in my area.

stunet's picture
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stunet Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 1:30pm

Not I, but I suspect the answer is marketing.

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stunet Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 1:31pm

Actually that might be a bit harsh, there could be other reasons such as availability or price.

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boxright Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 1:36pm
stunet wrote:

Not I, but I suspect the answer is marketing.

Two years ago I would've agreed with you but Ive been riding Hayden Shapes Futureflex and love the feel of it. Haydenshapes are a big brand I guess? I pay a bit more (I've had 3 of them now) but I'm happy to fork out more coin for a design that I like. It's not the marketing.

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thermalben Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 1:37pm

I bought a DHD (B-Mart model) out of curiosity a few years back. Was sold to me by a very good surf shop salesman but I couldn't find anything else I liked (and I needed a new stick straight away, having just snapped my main shorty) so I just went with it. Ended up being a reasonable board that I used for a year or so, then moved on to something else. Might whip it out though, it's still in good nick.

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mk1 Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 2:37pm

I bought a lost v3 as a "personal gift" and it blew me away. That board was just so much better than anything I had been riding for so long. I also think the foam and glassing is some of the best I've had in a board (in my uniformed opinion).

I think marketing is a big part of it but I am also sure that the big name boards take the risk out of buying a new board if you aren't working with a shaper for a long time. You can jump online check the profiles, the dimensions, cross-compare, watch some clips and then grab one straight off the rack absolutely identical. Half of that is purchasers working themselves up for the purchase and half is knowing exactly what you gonna get. Doesn't hurt to see dane/etc ripping on that exact model.

With the Lost, I would never order a custom board like that, ever. But because of the ability to review online and work myself into the purchase I went with it. Best thing I ever did.

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mk1 Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 2:57pm

For an average punter who isn't in the local scene anywhere and doesn't know a shaper, or will never have a shaper watch him surf, a big name board is a pretty safe choice.

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greyhound Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 5:12pm

I just won't buy a new board again. Haven't for past 10 years or so. Why pay 500-700$ for a new one when you can get a second hand one in really good Nic for 200/300. I don't care what brand they are,if it feels good in the hand, I'll take it. My current shorty is a al Merrick. Sorry if it's not cool.
I had a board shaped many years ago by a local shaper and wasn't overly happy with it.you can give them all the dimensions and info you like but it still boils down to their interpretation and style..
For me I guess it's like buying a new car. Soon as you drive her she's not new anymore..

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Willow995 Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 5:40pm

I am fairly new to surfing compared to many on this site so my reasons for buying surfboards are different. I like the ‘Big name’ brands personally I have a DHD and JS Industries because I know what to expect and know what I’m getting (at least I believe so). I look at board reviews online, news and forums to get a picture of what I can expect.
I find that with local shapers this is hard because they simply don’t make the volume of boards and therefore the information on them is somewhat limited. I would support local shapers if I could but also $$ (money) is an issue and if I’m going to fork out a fair bit of cash I want to have a good idea what I’m getting. That said I am not saying the big name brands are going to give you what you were expecting every time.
Greyhound; I like what you say about second-hand boards its crazy how cheap you can get some decent boards from, I am planning to add a few just to try new shapes, sizes and volumes. But I also cannot go past the new board feel, even if it’s only for a couple of surfs.

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dewhurst Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 5:55pm

If you're buying big name boards and paying retail then you're getting ripped off. No ifs or buts. The amount of lifting and borrowing that goes on is rife but its good for surfers who know how to use it. EXACT replicas of just about any CI model, Lost, JS etc etc can be found in shops from local shapers espeically near the surf towns - Torquay, Goldy, Sydney, Margs, and they're at least a hundred $$ cheaper. If you don't know that then you aren't talking to shapers. Ripping off is rife. Ever wondered why CI update their 30+ models each year?? It's not because they get better.

Willow995 I'll give you some advice...take board reviews with a big fat pinch of salt. Are the companies advertising with the mag/website doing the review? Well......

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linez Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 6:02pm

It's funny, $700-$800 for a board that you are fairly confident will work I suppose is cheaper in the long run than going through the process of getting the right one through trial and error with a shaper. Nothing more disappointing than getting dud boards, especially if the new one is based off a good one. Went to the same guy for years, but last couple of years for whatever reason, even with the same file, just couldn't get it right. Even so, I still couldn't fork out high end money for a board. Found a different guy, gets it right and for a very good price.

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Willow995 Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 6:07pm

Yeah agree Dewhurst I always take the reviews with a grain of salt, a lot of the time there is an agenda behind them. Often listen to what friends, or others in the surf have to say about boards I find that gives me a good idea especially in the same conditions ill likely use the board in.

Ill keep that in mind when heading down to the coast might have to really take time to check out the local shapers and what they have to offer.
Thanks

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dewhurst Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 6:23pm

A good start point Willow is, if you have a popular board in mind, like if you read or got told its good, then speak to a local shaper. Mention you like the shape of it and does he have something very similar. Older guys probably wont like it but crew that I know will get what's going on (choose a younger shaper). I could even name a few labels that have direct rip offs of popular models. Dropped in the scanbox and cut on the AKU. Its the surfing worlds big secret.

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mk1 Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 6:42pm

Have to agree with Linez, there's ripping a shape and then there's knowing how it works. Unfortunately I've seen copies that I am sure just aren't even close to the original performance wise. Chance of cheaper materials, different fin placement/angles/sizes, rails edged differently, change in the bottom contours in finishing. Wish it wasn't the case as I have gotten a few copies and seen mates get them and end up going "WTF?" If you know someone who copies good, hold onto them. Just my experience - big promises leading to let downs.

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Rjb Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 8:24pm

Have ridden big name boards and liked some and not others. If you have at least basic knowledge of surfboard design and your local shaper has a CAD program I think you are better off sticking with them. Watch them develop your shape on the screen, listen to their input and if you like the product refine the variables for your next board. This has the added benefits of :
1 being a couple of hundred dollars cheaper because they don't advertise or sponsor pros.
2 being made in Australia instead of Thailand - might as well put the money back into locals pockets.
3 they will probably throw in fins - the latest 'innovation' the big boys have come up with is to sell without fins which then jacks the price up to close to $1000 for a big name board, or more if a high tech material.

Waiting to pick up my new custom order including name brand quad fins for just under $700 and know my shaper will look after me if there's problems.

But if you have a magic off-the-rack-shape and can afford it then good luck to you.

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indo-dreaming Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 9:04pm

It's interesting actually in the 80,s and 90,s (and i assume in the 70,s) down here on Phillip Island if you were a local you rode a local shaped board, generally you rode the label from the nearest shop/shaper to the area or beach you lived unless you had a friendship with another shaper etc this went for 99.9 % of local surfers.

Then during the late 90,s a few odd good local surfers started riding some big name boards and then you started to see more and more local surfers ride bigger name boards, then the local shops also started selling them.

Now id say its close to 50 % of locals ridding big name boards.

Ive ridden all kind of boards but i d have to say some of the best boards I've ridden were big name boards like DHD and Al Mericks, but i think a lot of that had to do with the glass jobs that were paper thin to me they feel unreal when glassed like this but they don't last long.

IMO maybe 10-20 years ago i don't think local shaped boards were often as good as many big name brands or a consistent, but i think that gap has changed and no longer so true and generally most board out there these days are pretty good and so refined maybe this has a lot to do with shaping machines and the shit they can tweak on the computer and yeah the fact that your probably riding a DHD or Al merrick copy anyway from shared files.

Anyway these days for me materials and durability are more of a deciding factor as i know i can get a good board and a durable board.

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daisy duke kaha... Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 8:35pm

Channel Islands reportedly give away 30000+ free boards a year to pro surfers. Why would pros pay cost price from their local shaper when they can get whole quivers for free? CI knows the marketing works, and it does.

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indo-dreaming Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 9:00pm
greyhound wrote:

I just won't buy a new board again. Haven't for past 10 years or so. Why pay 500-700$ for a new one when you can get a second hand one in really good Nic for 200/300. I don't care what brand they are,if it feels good in the hand, I'll take it. My current shorty is a al Merrick. Sorry if it's not cool.
I had a board shaped many years ago by a local shaper and wasn't overly happy with it.you can give them all the dimensions and info you like but it still boils down to their interpretation and style..
For me I guess it's like buying a new car. Soon as you drive her she's not new anymore..

$500-$700…more like $700-$900 these days

I often buy new boards but i agree i always keep my eye out on the shops and online for second hand boards, you can get some total bargains so many guys seem to buy boards that are not the right dims/volume ride them a few times and sell them for half the purchase price.

Also although brand new board prices have gone up a few hundred bucks since the 90s which is expected (and should really be even higher) the secondhand board prices strangely haven't changed at all, like you said you can get some good condition boards even in the $200/$300 bracket.

he he..ive actually bought 3 second hand boards in the last few months and two are brand new, one doesn't even have deck compressions or anything and was half the purchase price.

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stunet Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 8:58pm

I've been fortunate enough to ride a lot of boards the past few years, yet the best ones - and I'm thinking of two in particular - were from what I'd term local shapers. The guys that are punching out 10-20 boards a week for local surfers. One was from the Goldy, one from Cronulla, both very experienced shapers.

I can see all sides of the argument regarding big name labels but for me, like where I am in surfing right now, I'd rather visit the local blokes. I know what designs I want and I know who can make them for me. Also, it's been a very long time since I've visited a local shaper and been disapponted with the craftsmanship. Finished quality has come a very long way in the last ten years. That actually applies across the board, so to speak, from small guys to big names. I can walk into three different surf shops near my work and all display boards of utmost quality. It's incredible to see how consistent it is.

Dewhurst has a good point about designs being copied. It's the surf world's dirty little secret, yet some shapers I know aren't even troubled by it. They certainly won't talk publicly about cutting and pasting someone elses design but they're pragmatic enough to know that this is how things work. Ask the right person and you'll get the right board.

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clif Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 9:05pm

Availability - in some places there are no local shapers and it is too expensive to ship from one's you know (my experience in China).
Marketing - yes, there's always some influence. It's how some people get to know about certain shapes if there is no expert to talk to.

Local - when you do have a local shaper it does tend to be better, in my experience. I just got some new boards and the quality is brilliant, although they were just as expensive (if not more) than the big name brands. that said, quality is much higher and design tailored. I paid the higher price - despite it causing me some financial stress - because I now want my boards to last and the craftsmanship of the highest quality - some locally-built boards the shape and craftsmanship are poor and hence you pay less (this led to disappointment on numerous occassions).

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stunet Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 9:11pm

...and after giving it some more thought. I also prefer going to the local blokes 'cause I fucken love talking to shapers. Especially keen shapers, spirited folk who believe in their designs and aren't afraid of new concepts so when you walk out the door you've got a bunch of new ideas to stew over. I know enough now not to grab at every idea but it's wonderful being a party to all that talk.

I also like the smell of polyurethane resin.

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mk1 Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 9:19pm
stunet wrote:

I also like the smell of polyurethane resin.

haha, it is addictive!

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simba Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 9:19pm

So Stu hows the asymmetric going or have you moved on from that ?

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clif Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 9:20pm

talking to shapers!?

Jeez, you better have some time on your hands because they sure do know how to talk.

Stop by for a beer and an order and 3 hours later you may get out the door lol.

Oh, and I too love the smell of polyurethane resin in the morning (I think this may be why sustainable materials haven't taken off, too many of us are polyurethane sniffers).

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stunet Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 9:32pm

'Spose I'm in a job that I can get away with three hour convos about the merits of spiral vee. So bring the beer and bring it on.

Simba, I lost the assym on the rocks at the local pointbreak and ordered another one from PCC surfboards at Cronulla. It's a hybrid of a popular PCC model (IQ+) with an assym tail and offset quad fins. Picked it up last week and it's going absolutely unreal. I'm an asymmetrical acolyte at the moment...at least with the design I've figured out. Love the feel of it. I'm losing sleep wondering about the flow of water over fibreglass.

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poo-man Wednesday, 10 Feb 2016 at 10:09pm

I used to ride local shapers but last 5 years have jumped around JS Channel Is and the odd FireWire. The main reason for me changing was the lack of consistency in the local boards. Nothing worse than looking forward to picking up your new stick Friday arvo from local guy who has copied my previous favourite board and first surf it goes like a dog. Looked sweet but didn't work any good. Dunno how many times this happened to me but I maybe had a 50% success rate with local boards. Since I have gone for big names I have only once been disappointed but that was a model that I shouldn't have touched. Yep I pay more but happy with boards that work and resale value has been pretty good too. Haven't had any good Firewires though but some guys love them.

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groundswell Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 7:26am

I have a Mayhem firewire which most days i really loved. Untill i got too fat for it.
Like others have said reviews really helped choosing it. I used to go between guys like Banks or Gary McNeil and a lot of others too but decided to go firewires for a while as they last so long and i wanted to minimalise my quiver.(road trips etc and room in my flat). Also had a few disappointments with customs.
Next one might be a Josh Dowling if i can get my weight down a fair bit. Otherwise im riding a lid or mal for a while.
Im going off shapes i like, reviews and volume a lot and also the fact that you can replace a board pretty identical to it if its stolen or snapped.
Speaking of firewires, Rob Machado is now on board so if he increases his quiver it could get interesting.
Lost/Mayhem dont seem to be involved with Firewire any more it seems, they probably went with another type of tech.

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staitey Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 7:52am

How do you guys go with the longevity of those boards off the shelf? Are they mostly just 4 x 4 glass jobs?

That would be my worry about grabbing one off the rack, also its highly unlikely Jason or Darren shaped that particular board.

My shaper was a glasser first and glasses for a lot of the big boys but shapes too, so its hard to go past because I know his boards are holding up 2 years down the track.Not many shapers these days see the whole process through from design right through to the finish. Would be good to try some of the name shapes though

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dandandan Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 8:07am

I'll buy second hand boards of any pedigree if I like them and the price is right. Otherwise if I am going new I have been going direct to local shapers (except the board I got from Mitchell Rae... He's not local but I had a dying urge to get one under my feet!).

I get a fair bit of joy from supporting local shapers, from chatting to them, and in all cases I've lurked about and watched them shape some of it while shooting the breeze. That's been really nice. Performance wise, they've all been good - though I'm hardly going to notice the slight changes in foil etc. All my local shapes are kicking strong, except my Jim Banks which is starting to feel a bit dead after two years of heavy abuse.

I've always been put off by big boards - a general aversion to big brands and general consumerism in general is a part of it. Buying local boards, too, I've been able to observe first hand the approaches to waste disposal and they've been brilliant. For all I know the big brands are tipping spent resin straight down the drain.

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indo-dreaming Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 9:27am
poo-man wrote:

I used to ride local shapers but last 5 years have jumped around JS Channel Is and the odd FireWire. The main reason for me changing was the lack of consistency in the local boards. Nothing worse than looking forward to picking up your new stick Friday arvo from local guy who has copied my previous favourite board and first surf it goes like a dog. Looked sweet but didn't work any good. Dunno how many times this happened to me but I maybe had a 50% success rate with local boards. Since I have gone for big names I have only once been disappointed but that was a model that I shouldn't have touched. Yep I pay more but happy with boards that work and resale value has been pretty good too. Haven't had any good Firewires though but some guys love them.

Ha ha I've had that too, about 15 years ago i had a DHD i grabbed off the racks in an impulse buy it was a magic board one of the best boards I've ever had but i snapped it, so i took it to two local shapers to get pretty much the same boards made, the boards looked good but never went half as good, i guess in hindsight and its pretty obvious now i should have gone to DHD and tried to get them to do it, but i had a good relationship with other shapers and felt i should support them and always felt guilty when i saw them out surfing and i was on other boards.

Ive had numerous good relationships with shapers one i even view as almost as a surfing father figure, when i was young it seemed they knew what i needed because i guess i had no idea, but these days i find it rather hard to get what i want, they either shape me what they think i should have or i just don't get what I've pictured in my head even when i grab a board from the racks and say i want something pretty much like this but with adjusted dims to suit me or use my old board as a guide, i rarely get what i want.

These days I've come full circle and much prefer to grab a board off the rack so i can pick it up and feel it and look it over and go yeah or nay, sometimes they look like they are everything i want and go great other times they don't, boards are weird things.

BTW. I think I've had about 30 to 50 boards in my life, i think I've had 9 Firewire's now (have four at the moment) they all went different some ok some i didn't like but one i had the only one I've snapped (last year after having it for a few years) was magic easily one of the best boards I've had, I'm going to buy another exactly the same so it will be interesting to see if it goes the same.

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udo Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 9:42am

Gumtree , have bought many a big brand name s/h board off of gumtree
Can usually pick up 3 boards in 7 out of 10 condtion for the price of 1 brand new stock board, and more often than not they come a decent set of fins and some times a board bag
EG: an Al Merrick just listed a Vaucluse $ 200 no dimensions shown and has had a plug repair......For $150 or $170 be okay.

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dandandan Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 9:41am

Fins... they are the killer. I'll never buy a board without fins again in my life. Speaking of - I'll give a very hearty plug to the SwitchBlade fins that Mitchell Rae uses on his boards. I'm not usually one to notice the difference a set of fins will do to my board if they are in the same configuration, but these just send me absolutely flying off into space on a good wave.

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udo Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 9:49am

Mitchells switchblade fin pricing is good to for solid glass fins.

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stunet Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 10:09am

Reading through these posts makes me realise I'm fortunate to know a really good shaper. I understand some of the problems you guys have though I haven't experienced them for a very long time. Back in the early days, Stuart Paterson at PCC used to cough up the odd furball when shaping a board but every single board I get from him now is on the money. Great craftsmanship too.

Same when I got a board from Chris Garrett on the Goldy recently, we talked about ideas, he went to the shaping bay and punched out an excellent board. There was a gap in my knowledge (it was my first asymmetrical) but I told Chris what I wanted the board to do with great specificity and he subsequently delivered.

I've also had one or two customs from other guys and while they haven't been quite as succesful I always felt like there was plenty of scope to build a relationship. Guess I would've started wondering if it was worthwhile if I'd gone back and had the same experience.

I imagine I may get a big name board off the rack at some stage, circumstances change, though I don't know what it is that would make me do so. I'm plenty happy with local customs.

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groundswell Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 10:16am

Patto has a good reputation and fanbase in the shire.

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wally Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 10:47am

There is something to be said for buying a good standard board and then trying to ride it until you are good on it. Working with a shaper can be a search for a personalised board that compensates for your weaknesses, thereby entrenching those weaknesses.

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stunet Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 10:52am

wally wrote:

There is something to be said for buying a good standard board and then trying to ride it until you are good on it. Working with a shaper can be a search for a personalised board that compensates for your weaknesses, thereby entrenching those weaknesses.

Shit, that's an enlightened viewpoint Wally. What about a board that performs to your strengths, surely that's a good thing?

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tonyy Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 11:11am

My mate and I have been making our own boards for a few years now, slowly refining things and swapping ideas etc. We were both inspired by guys like Asher Pacey who doesn't go for ultra refinement but surfs really well in an experimental type environment. I don't believe the average surfer needs to concern him/herself with micro adjustments like an eighth of an inch of tail lift etc. Some shapers will try and sell you on this stuff though.

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Gary G Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 11:12am

If one could allow Gary a moment of clarity.

In the early days, Gary wasn't comfortable enough to communicate his wants with shapers, and did a bit of trial and error on 2nd hand boards before starting to hone the sort of crafts to show off his massive rig even while riding deep in the barrel. Gary likes to give things a bit of a feel before diving in.

When looking for a new board a few years ago, Gary found a CI that he really liked the look of, and he surfed it in almost every condition, having lots of fun. For his next board, he stayed brand loyal and after finding the right fins for it, fell deeply in love with this board. He also received good service in the store when buying, and then >6 months later when it developed a problem - with the aid of the receipt he received a brand new, identical board and continued to improve his surfing.

Next board, Gary received some good shop service again and ended up with a lost board that went even better again than the last two CIs. Wouldn't it be Gary's luck but this one had a (non fatal) manufacturing flaw and after a bit of back and forth they built him a new board which feel like it's got an extra bit of glass on it and also has 'Gaz' written onto the blank - A custom from a big name manufacturer, of sorts. The new board is every bit as magic as the old one and even though they're expensive - it's been a good run (especially when things have gone wrong) and that's why Gary has chosen the path he has.

I'm still looking for a brand of wax that stays sticky after my pre-surf coconut oil lathering though, so if anyone can provide some suggestions there....

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wally Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 11:21am
stunet wrote:

wally wrote:

There is something to be said for buying a good standard board and then trying to ride it until you are good on it. Working with a shaper can be a search for a personalised board that compensates for your weaknesses, thereby entrenching those weaknesses.

Shit, that's an enlightened viewpoint Wally. What about a board that performs to your strengths, surely that's a good thing?

'compensates for your weaknesses'.
Yep, 'performs to your strengths' is a nicer way of saying it.
Hey mate, all I said was there was something to be said for it.

Getting a good board and trying to work out how to make it go. It can be fun and instructive. But, there are no rules.
You can go to the golf pro and ask them to make up a special club that stops your hook, or you can try to improve your swing. :)

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indo-dreaming Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 2:11pm

Another thing i actually like about buying boards off the rack and in particular kind of model type boards is.

When i just got customs, i didn't really try to many different type designs, i was just after a good standard high performance surfboard and trying to find that exclusive magic board.

But now with all these different and often weird models and seeing them in the racks and even reading what others think or even the spin by the shapers and companies, its kind of made me curious so now i ride a lot of designs id never consider before and never dream of getting a custom in.

Same goes with second hand boards, if i see a board in the correct kind of dimensions for me and its a bargain i might buy it just because its a good buy and I'm curious on the design, knowing if i don't like it i can move it on at my local shop and in most cases not loose anything dollar wise (because they don't even take a commission I jut have to re spend the money in store), this also has the effect of putting me on boards id perhaps never otherwise consider, and sometimes they end up being my fav boards.

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surfstarved Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 2:39pm

"I also like the smell of polyurethane resin."

Just a point of order Stu - it's actually polyester resin, the foam is polyurethane. I'm sure it was just a slip of the fingers on the keyboard...

And for what it's worth, I haven't bought a new board in about 11 years, and that was a custom job from my (then) local shaper in Ballina (Ed Sinnott). I started shaping my own boards about five years ago and once you go down that particular rabbit hole, you never look at a CI or DHD board in the same light again.

Sure, my boards probably don't come close to the pop-outs in terms of performance, but I'm not a good enough surfer for it to make all that much difference. I love that I can spend a week in the shed working on a shape specifically designed for me, then take it out in the water and not only does it float (!?), but it actually catches waves and can be turned and everything!

Part of the fun is working out how to surf the board, despite its deficiencies. I think part of the problem is (and forgive me for quoting Joe Hockey) that we're living in the "Age of Entitlement". People these days expect instant gratification, instead of working for it Getting on a new board and expecting it to go the same way your old one did is setting yourself up for disappointment. Instead, go in without any preconceptions and really pay attention to how the board performs and you'll have a better experience every time.

And then you start making your own fins...

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indo-dreaming Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 2:35pm
dandandan wrote:

Fins... they are the killer. I'll never buy a board without fins again in my life. Speaking of - I'll give a very hearty plug to the SwitchBlade fins that Mitchell Rae uses on his boards. I'm not usually one to notice the difference a set of fins will do to my board if they are in the same configuration, but these just send me absolutely flying off into space on a good wave.

I don't mind not getting fins with a new board, 9 out of 10 times you get fins with a new board they are just cheap plastic fins anyway unless you pay more to upgrade, and these days most surfers already have heaps of sets of their fav fins.

Sound like its a totally different deal with him though, i actually really like the look of his boards and his ideas, i just wish he would start experimenting with epoxy composite construction, I'm so surprised he doesn't.

(Just looked at his website and still seems he isn't?)

stunet's picture
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stunet Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 2:43pm

surfstarved wrote:

Just a point of order Stu - it's actually polyester resin, the foam is polyurethane. I'm sure it was just a slip of the fingers on the keyboard...

Nah...erm...it's a new material SS, you probably haven't heard of it.

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surfstarved Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 2:48pm

Right. Ok. Sure.

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mk1's picture
mk1 Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 3:44pm
staitey wrote:

How do you guys go with the longevity of those boards off the shelf? Are they mostly just 4 x 4 glass jobs?

That would be my worry about grabbing one off the rack, also its highly unlikely Jason or Darren shaped that particular board.

My shaper was a glasser first and glasses for a lot of the big boys but shapes too, so its hard to go past because I know his boards are holding up 2 years down the track.Not many shapers these days see the whole process through from design right through to the finish. Would be good to try some of the name shapes though

My lost is been going strong after 2 years as my go-to board 85% of surfs. Only a few rail cracks.

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Blowin Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 7:25pm

Being a Blowin, I am never in a spot long enough, or predictably enough , to go down the shaper relationship route.

I'd really like to but when my board dies I just spot the next good looking , or best looking thing and grab it.

Bit of a shitty way to get boards but I've gotten some gems and if I find something I like ill mine that source till I hit a bad stick or two them drop them like its hot.

I had an insane run on JS's for a few years there.

An incredible run.

A great run of Rusty's.

If I could stick with a shaper I'd choose Mitchell Rae or the crew at Byrning Spears that I've tried to contact a couple of times then I've had to relocate before I could act- shipping boards is expensive.

It would be unreal to refine a board with each new stick rather than starting from scratch each time.

But the thrill of stumbling upon a gem in a shop that feels right never gets old.

BTW - A mate of mine was the marketing manager for a massively popular label.

That description of the boards features and it's functionality ?

They make that shit up to say what you wish to hear.

Just officially confirming what everybody already knew.

PS Got a DHD sweet spot 2 recently .....very nice .

You should see my wrapping cuts on the thing.

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Hastoes Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 8:11pm

Used to go through 2+ boards a year, then came along firewire, might be wrong but i think I've had my spitfire for more than 5 years, got it of the rack for $700 on sale straight from the factory after a successful test drive. For me with two kids , wife and one income It came down to a product that could suit my financial situation. by the way still loving it .

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freeride76 Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 8:22pm

yeah, plus 2 on the longevity factor of the big name boards....though it was Mk1 who said he got 2 years out of a Lost- know what the glassing schedule was Mk1?
with a 4 x 4 glass job it's heel dents and pretty much destructo in 6 months-year.

Which is why I never think of one second hand- they all look so beat up and flogged almost immediately. But it's possible I may have been looking in the wrong places or not at all.

There's a surplus of super experienced to new shapers around here so it's not an issue getting shit hot boards. Probably not enough lifetimes to get every board I want off every local shaper.
Would love to get a quiver of Desert Storms off Webby with my own mods for small to medium waves. Would love to get a quiver of Col Smith channel bottom singleys off Phil Myers etc etc etc.

My "big name" international weakness is Campbell brothers Bonzers. They love Point waves and I've got them in abundance. It's just such a unique feeling/design and not really replicable by anyone else.
Mitchell Rae boards in Indo is a similar thing. I find as I get older and deeper into board design I want to specialize my quiver. Looking for niches or certain spots or swell combos and getting boards custom made to suit those specific conditions/spots. I might be over quivered but I also know sometimes I've got the best board in the lineup when a lot of guys are scratching around on Merricks etc etc

One thing about the big names is the market saturation that they indulge. Just recently a new JS store opened here, with a new shop stocking Merricks also opening. Thats flooding the market and robbing local shapers of what would have been bread and butter.
Also, the flow of ideas is not always from the big names to the smaller guys. Lot of those big names aren't shy about taking ideas from the smaller guys. This is known fact.

mk1's picture
mk1's picture
mk1 Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 8:35pm

It must be 2 4's on the deck, its only got some light compression on the deck and no big dints. It has a TC Glasshouse logo down the bottom. I think the blank is really good quality to be honest. I got a ding repair in indo and the guys actually commented on the quality of the foam! Was told it was aus shaped.

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penmister Thursday, 11 Feb 2016 at 8:38pm

Got a good custom off manners.had a collision with a brand name board.The brand name board came off second best.
The nose speard his board and went straight through his all i got was his wax on my nose....
A quiver of all webstars boards would be sweet.....