How Patagonia plan to disrupt the system

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Surfpolitik

images_1.jpegEarlier this month Kelly Slater announced on social media he'd bought the film rights to the book Thai Stick, a story about the marijuana drug trade. Slater's Instagram announcement included the seemingly incongruous hashtag #idontsmoke. So why, if he didn't smoke, was Slater advocating a book about marijuana?

“It [Thai Stick] brings into question inconsistencies... and philosophical questions about personal choice and outlawing nature,” said Slater by way of explanation.

He had a point. The modern history of marijuana is indeed full of inconsistencies and recreational drug use is but one aspect. The prohibition of hemp – the non-smokable strain of cannabis - around the middle of last century is an arguably bigger controversy.

The use of hemp as a textile and raw material dates back 12,000 years and it's been grown commercially since the 18th century reaching peak production in the early 1940s. During World War 2 most US service uniforms were made of hemp, the US military campaign needed rope and canvas made from hemp, and in 1942 the US government even made a propaganda film Hemp for Victory, promoting hemp as a necessary crop to win the war.

But what does this all this have to do with the surf industry?

Well, in the post-war years many new materials were discovered and mass-produced. One of them was nylon, a synthetic polymer produced by DuPont and used as a substitute for hemp in many products. Shortly after nylon was created hemp was made illegal by the US government, ostensibly due to its connection to recreational drug use, but the government was pressured by DuPont Corporation who sought to increase demand for their new synthetic material. Nature, as Kelly Slater said, was outlawed and a synthetic chemical was used in its place.

At roughly the same time DuPont were lobbying to outlaw hemp their chemists were busy in the lab producing another synthetic petrochemical – neoprene. Originally known as DuPrene, neoprene was a synthetic rubber that had excellent insulating properties and so found its way into many applications. In 1952 Jack O'Neill realised its potential for retaining body warmth and cut his first wetsuit out of neoprene. Over 60 years later almost all the wetsuits in the world are now made of neoprene.

Just like nylon, neoprene is made from petroleum, a finite resource that releases toxic chemicals when manufactured. And just like nylon, neoprene is a chemical substitute for something that's found in nature.

In recent years Patagonia have been experimenting with natural fibres and materials in their wetsuits, first with wool lining, then with rubber made from limestone, and now with rubber made from Guayule (pron. why-YOU-lee). Guayule is a shrub native to the south-western United States. The Patagonia R2 wetsuit is the first of theirs to feature rubber from Guayule. The proprietary name of the rubber is Yulex, the same name as the company that produces it. This is Patagonia's first season of using Yulex rubber though they've been working on it for a number of years.

“The project started back in 2008,” says John 'Hub' Hubbard, Patagonia's Product Manager for Wetsuits. The genesis was an article written by a Patagonia employee explaining how there's no such thing as an eco-friendly wetsuit. According to Hub, “When the folks at Yulex read this, a light bulb went off and they realised that they might indeed have an actual alternative to neoprene.”

emulsion3.pngYulex make plant-based biorubbers derived from the Guayule stem. The rubber is extracted in a water-based separation process that they claim is waste free (the leftover plant is used to make biofuel). But despite aiming for an eco-friendly wetsuit, their goal hasn't been hit just yet. At present, Yulex rubber is comprised of 60% rubber from the Guayule plant mixed with 40% traditional neoprene.

“It’s hard to say how far off a 100% version is,” says Hub when asked about a wetsuit made completely from Guayule rubber, “but knowing how far we’ve come to get to this point, it’s definitely possible.”

There are, however, two obstacles in their way. The first is a simple case of research and development; Patagonia and Yulex need to invest more time and energy into their goal, something Hub says they intend to do. The second obstacle is more complex. Yulex rubber must overcome the economy of scale achieved by neoprene.

Neoprene has been produced for nearly 80 years. Being a derivative of petrol it's cheap to manufacture and universally accessible. Conversely, Yulex is in its infancy, the technology is relatively rudimentary and the output limited, all of which adds dollars to the final price. In a free market, performance and eco-credentials will only get you so far. The price simply has to be competitive.

To that end Patagonia took the novel step of inviting other wetsuit manufacturers into Yulex HQ. They resisted locking Yulex down to an exclusive contract and instead adopted an “open source” approach, allowing their competitors access to acquired knowledge. Their motivation was simple: to “disrupt the system” as Hub puts it.

“We realised early on that we couldn't make a difference by ourselves and had to work together as an industry. Nobody wins if we keep it to ourselves. The price is high and it will take a united effort to bring the price down.” Hub says the price of a Yulex suit is approximately 30% more than a traditional neoprene wetsuit.

Prior to the release of the R2, Patagonia invited all the wetsuit brands to test Yulex and received a moderate level of curiosity. Now that the suits are on the shelves interest has heightened with Quiksilver already throwing their hat in the ring recently announcing they'll produce their own biorubber wetsuit sometime this year. It's the first step in disrupting the system and tackling the ubiquity of neoprene. If it continues the price will drop.

The history of rubber and neoprene isn't quite as engaging as that of hemp and nylon – there's nothing like illicit drugs to spark some interest - yet their stories are very similar. Both are natural products superseded by toxic, industrially-manufactured alternatives. And both have to contend with the dominance and pervasiveness of fossil fuel derivatives in the Carbon Age.

Neoprene still rules the wetsuit market, it's got the economic advantage plus the weight of industry on its side, but alternatives do exist. Yulex is one such option, and if the theorists are correct it has the potential to upset 80 years of industry dominance. As Dan Malloy, a long time Patagonia ambassador, says of Yulex rubber, “Historically we had to drill for wetsuits, now we are beginning to grow them.”

Find out more about Yulex rubber at their website

Comments

spiggy topes's picture
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spiggy topes Friday, 17 Apr 2015 at 9:40am

Wetsuits made of grown material from open source development. Positive journalism Stu and also very interesting.

velocityjohnno's picture
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velocityjohnno Friday, 17 Apr 2015 at 9:59am

Agree, very good article Stu. Look forward to seeing this as an alternative to try.
Anyone remember Luke Egan in 'The Green Iguana' with the wording "We need an alternative to petrochemicals" written on the screen? Well done Patagonia/Yulex.

lostdoggy's picture
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lostdoggy Friday, 17 Apr 2015 at 10:07am

I guess that was Jack McCoy's doing.
Isn't Egan a massive petrol head?

udo's picture
udo's picture
udo Friday, 17 Apr 2015 at 12:36pm

And loves burning lots Indo power for night surfs at Keramas

ACB__'s picture
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ACB__ Thursday, 23 Apr 2015 at 11:42am

It's incredibly fun though.

davetherave's picture
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davetherave Friday, 17 Apr 2015 at 10:28am

this is awesome, people willingly working together to create better solutions for humanity and the planet.
I am under the assumption that mick-free knows Kelly Slater well. if so Mick, can you get him to include all the wonderful products the HEMP plant can produce then be used as bio-fuel or mown back into ground with a legume to nitogenise the soil.
thanks, working together we can turn this paradise around back into a place where all species can live harmoniously/pollution free and benefitting each other.

barley's picture
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barley Friday, 17 Apr 2015 at 11:24am

first decent article you've written all year mate..good job!

stunet's picture
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stunet Friday, 17 Apr 2015 at 11:44am

Thanks Barley! Come back in December for my next decent article.

freeride76's picture
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freeride76 Friday, 17 Apr 2015 at 12:01pm

Anyone tried one ?

Specced it out? How much at retail?

yorkessurfer's picture
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yorkessurfer Friday, 17 Apr 2015 at 4:04pm

I went into Patagonia at Torquay last week Freeride. Had a good look over one of these new wetties. They feel good and stretchy. The seams looked strong and well made. I remember that they were around the $500 mark which seems pretty competitive. I'm gonna get another winter out of my current winter wettie before I look to upgrade. I'd seriously consider one of these wetsuits.

Headspace's picture
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Headspace Friday, 17 Apr 2015 at 12:58pm

What a great article, but I can't help to come back to the parallel with Kelly Slater. Whilst he has moved away from major sponsors and taken his own path, where is he going?
He has the exposure & influence on the market to make something like nature fiber wetsuits common place, the new standard in materials. And wouldn't that be a great personal achievement. I'd even go so fair as to say that would fair outweigh his competitive achievement.
Cheers!

maxe's picture
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maxe Friday, 17 Apr 2015 at 1:38pm

If neoprene is so bloody cheap then how come a steamer these days costs around $600!

Sou-Wester's picture
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Sou-Wester Saturday, 18 Apr 2015 at 1:07am

Sponsored surfers, marketing, directors salaries & bonuses, retail outlets... oh yeah & profit, profit, profit!

batfink's picture
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batfink Friday, 17 Apr 2015 at 10:06pm

Great work Stu. Time you got a ticket with the journalists union. That was more journalism than I read in an average day on the SMH.

Well done big fella.

I'll look for theses on my next wetsuit.

"One of them was nylon, a synthetic polymer produced by DuPont".

That line is the story behind the prohibition of marijuana. It just didn't suit big corporates like du pont.

Plus we couldn't have the masses enjoying themselves with something they can grow at home.

black-duck's picture
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black-duck Saturday, 18 Apr 2015 at 12:04am

I always thought big cotton was behind the political forces that relegated hemp to where it is today. Didn't realise it was duPont and nylon. Must've watched the wrong documentaries. Same same in some ways.

What are the specs on the alternate? Flex /elasticity characteristics, blind stitch and seam weld function? Any figures / reviews ?

wellymon's picture
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wellymon Saturday, 18 Apr 2015 at 9:16am

Thermal properties as well versus neoprene.
Thats main reason we wear them..........!

trippergreenfeet's picture
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trippergreenfeet Sunday, 19 Apr 2015 at 8:40am

DuPont were also manufacturing the chemical fertilisers and insecticides for the cotton growing industry...and don't forget those damn mexicans and blacks getting high on mary jane at every speak easy in town...very convenient package rolled into one foul swoop.

wingnut2443's picture
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wingnut2443 Saturday, 18 Apr 2015 at 8:31am

I have no doubt many surfers are concerned about the environment. I'm just not sure how well that holds true once it impacts their pocket. The 'open source' approach to increasing economies of scale makes sense, but, the first hurdle is here now; getting surfers to spend the coin now, on this new tech. Having someone like Slater using the product would seriously help that process. Is "outerknown" getting into wetsuits?

brutus's picture
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brutus Sunday, 19 Apr 2015 at 9:06am

I wonder how many surfers who buy a new Patagonia Wetsuit , buy an epoxy board also , or still surf their Toxic cocktail Polyester bd??

Love the story / conspiracy theory on the Duponts........thought Blasphemy would be all over the Duponts....and ..the Morgans , Vanderbilts...all the old school famills who run the banks........

The campaign run against Hemp was huge and their marketing campaign ....is still available to see..."Reefer madness".....a film made to change opinion in the USA of Pot......google and watch it.........

freeride76's picture
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freeride76 Sunday, 19 Apr 2015 at 10:07am

Brutus aren't EPSand epoxy resins petrochemical derivatives?

brutus's picture
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brutus Sunday, 19 Apr 2015 at 10:30am

new Epoxy Bio-sap resins and recycled EPS Vs thinners/styrene,MEKP,Acetone....that's the manufacturing toxic cocktail.....

checkout sustainablesurf.org......or the Surfboardroom Show and how there is a movement to create a new Future for s/bd makers......and in Australia there is......????

Its also interesting to note that Patagonia are probably one of the smallest players in the wetsuit game....but they are actually R&Ding more that any of the Big wetsuit Co's .....and willing to share their discoveries.....ahhhh.....must be a conspiracy...?

freeride76's picture
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freeride76 Sunday, 19 Apr 2015 at 1:13pm

Are you making boards commercially with these bio-resins and recycled EPS?
Sounds like a big improvement in materials.

brutus's picture
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brutus Monday, 20 Apr 2015 at 10:08am
freeride76 wrote:

Are you making boards commercially with these bio-resins and recycled EPS?
Sounds like a big improvement in materials.

Yes in the USA....have a show in a couple of weeks...the Surfboardroom show...where Sustainablesurf.org which is run by Kevin Whilden...are running an exhibition of recycled blanks and Bio-sap resins......

the thing I love about Patagonia is that their s/bds done by son Fletcher....are so less toxic than what we currently use here.....and the Patagonia philosophy goes across all products and the family owned business is light years ahead of anything here in Australia......

freeride76's picture
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freeride76 Monday, 20 Apr 2015 at 10:21am

Yeah, went into the Byron shop yesterday and Glen Casey talked me through the new wetties. The whole set-up is pretty righteous.

Only problem with Patagucci is they tend to be priced out of reach of the working man. But this year I'm going to try and save for one of these new wetties and leave the toxic shite behind.

Big picture though and the fact is we can't consume our way to sustainability. Everyone needs to use less shit. Me included. I've got twenty surfboards under the house.

brutus's picture
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brutus Monday, 20 Apr 2015 at 10:44am
freeride76 wrote:

Yeah, went into the Byron shop yesterday and Glen Casey talked me through the new wetties. The whole set-up is pretty righteous.

Only problem with Patagucci is they tend to be priced out of reach of the working man. But this year I'm going to try and save for one of these new wetties and leave the toxic shite behind.

Big picture though and the fact is we can't consume our way to sustainability. Everyone needs to use less shit. Me included. I've got twenty surfboards under the house.

the question is are the toxic products that are available on the market , such as s/bds etc just cheap shit...which makes real less toxic products seem more expensive...?

its a bit like the argument between organics and not! Is organic food expensive or is it that mass produced cheap food that is full of chemicals just cheap shit???

I wouldn't worry about 20 bds under the house...at least the general punter does not have the pro -disposable mentality.....not all but most...

wellymon's picture
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wellymon Sunday, 19 Apr 2015 at 8:38pm

How about the tyres you guys use on your cars each year....!

silicun's picture
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silicun Sunday, 19 Apr 2015 at 9:04pm
wellymon wrote:

How about the tyres you guys use on your cars each year....!

made from rubber farmed in south east Asia/India for the most part Welly. Actually I stand corrected, the average ratio worldwide is 44:56 natural:synthertic according to an article I just looked up, learn something everyday. Probably got a fair point there Welly.

wellymon's picture
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wellymon Sunday, 19 Apr 2015 at 9:23pm

Uuuummm what happens to the used ones Silicun!
Same as surfboards and these fancy wetsuits.....?

silicun's picture
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silicun Sunday, 19 Apr 2015 at 9:28pm

Yeah I'd have to agree with you totally Welly, my guess would be that a small portion are recycled but the shear scale of material used and burnt/thrown into landfill would be astronomical compared to wetsuits.

wingnut2443's picture
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wingnut2443 Monday, 20 Apr 2015 at 7:20am

"... Bridgestone’s air-free concept is ... made of thermoplastic resin. The material is flexible and durable, and best of all, it’s 100-percent recyclable ... "

From here: http://inhabitat.com/bridgestones-new-air-free-tires-are-100-recyclable/

Maybe? part of the the solution is to find ways to recycle old wetsuits.

Or, old surfboards ...

Or, make wetsuits and surfboards from recycled tyres!

brutus's picture
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brutus Monday, 20 Apr 2015 at 10:46am

surfboards that bounce......now theres a use for recycled tyres.......I can imagine guys crashing into each other and being knocked out be rebounding rubber bds....hehe

garyg1412's picture
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garyg1412 Monday, 20 Apr 2015 at 6:59pm

We do have rubber boards brutus - they are called boogie boards and bounce quite nicely when you hit them with your environmentally unfriendly surfboard!!!

brutus's picture
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brutus Monday, 20 Apr 2015 at 8:11pm

are they made from recycled tyres hehe......??

garyg1412's picture
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garyg1412 Monday, 20 Apr 2015 at 7:18pm

I have just bought an Isurus wetsuit which is made from the latest Yamamoto limestone neoprene which is meant to be greener than your average petroleum based product. Yes it cost me a fair whack more than your crappy corporation manufactured wetsuit (thanks to the aussie dollar slide), but I tell you what, this thing makes my top of the range Psycho 3 look like a dinosaur. Step outside the box sometime, empty your wallet a bit more and support products like this Patagonia material - you might be pleasantly surprised!!!

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southey Monday, 20 Apr 2015 at 11:15pm

Brutus ,
Does this officially out you as a hipster ?!?
Let's not kid ourselves , that the average Californian has far more disposable income than your average coastal Aussie .
Don't get me wrong I whole heartedly support the ethics involved , it's just I'm sure that perhaps stripping old boards reshaping then reglassing them in more Eco friendly shells wouldn't make anyone much money ?
Brute do you think really old foam has totally cured to the core till the point that it could be successfully re shaped into that more airy centre (open cell ) , from which the right grassing could make it just as string if not stronger ?
Clearly stripping a board is bullshit hard work , but surely that could be automated ?!?
Is this a realistic option , especially for people looking to put a modern edge on a sentimental piece of old equipment ?

brutus's picture
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brutus Tuesday, 21 Apr 2015 at 1:14pm

hey Southey...yeah Hipsters are having a competition to see who can go the slowest on a wave...retro hippies...

mate I am the original tripster.....still trippin out after all these years.....but I trip out on how fast will we be able to go on a wave.....and turn...and ...??

seems like you have confused recycled blanks with reshaping old bds into new ones.

the recycled Marko's are recycled from offcuts and machine dust...and made back into blanks so there is no wastage .......

I don't think its economically viable to strip old bds back...blanks were also much heavier along time ago!!

As far as the cost of bds in the USA and disposable income goes......nearly all customs in the USa get done for less than $600....their materials are much cheaper....and labour is 1/2 of here.....min wage is $8 an hour....

the seppos are just more open to change and really take onboard handcrafted customs and do pay a lot of money...but their market is so much bigger...so more cheap!!

Bob's 2 Bob's's picture
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Bob's 2 Bob's Tuesday, 21 Apr 2015 at 2:29pm

Interesting and I'm far from having any expertise here, but put my thoughts as follows and interested in more expert comment.

As far as sport/hobby equipment goes, is there anything resembling surfboards that appear extremely labour intensive and individualised - Do the majority of golf players order custom clubs? Cricket players their specialised bat and so on?

Will the cost effectiveness of mass production eventually economically weigh down on the custom product? Or will the custom product always be superior to such a degree that the mass produced remains a secondary option?

I see more and more fire wires as distinct to Surftech and GSI designs and think maybe Slater has finally slipped into a good business decision and that these might take over the market?

The backyard surfboard industry I know might suffer under such an outlook and livelihoods are obviously not an intended consequence because those that make money from their own businesses, as long as legal and honourable, are champions of the economy -- but will these handcrafted labour intensive boards survive?

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Bob's 2 Bob's Tuesday, 21 Apr 2015 at 3:39pm

and relating to the headline here - Patagonia to disrupt the system, imagine a super functioned, eco friendlier, Slater promoted Firewire that could disrupt that system? Again, interested in board makers insider perspective.....Brutus?

Bob's 2 Bob's's picture
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Bob's 2 Bob's Tuesday, 21 Apr 2015 at 8:13pm

Brutus - Please come back to me on this, really interested to know your thoughts.

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jborte Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015 at 12:00am

Great stuff stu. Keep it coming.

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the-roller Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015 at 5:42am

Modern day marketing 101.

The stick still stirs the swill bucket.

brutus's picture
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brutus Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015 at 12:44pm

Ok Bob...there are custom made guitars , that certain guitarists like their own sound and way of playing!

Stock s/bds are just that....as are all the GSI/Firewire/Surftechs.......there is an interesting development being tested ..called infusion technology.....which produces s/bds out of a mould with very low labour content , enviromentally friendly......costs less than $200 ...does not need to made in Asia....checkout the Libtech website...you can even drive ya car over the bd!!

If you like to get a board custom designed for you....s/bd shaper will have to offer better designs and also be able to adjust basic models to your style of surfing....which means the shaper/designer will have to be able to improve his designs every year...

So I like to think that as designer I must upgrade and improve design every year.....not blah blah , but actually evolve every 6 mths ...so the customer is always wanting next years better model....just like cars!

Stock pop out bds should be available for the average punter at about $500...and a custom Epoxy ....eg Hydroflex....will give you the latest design encased in a skin that is near unbreakable......should be around the $900..

big changes coming ...and if you look its already out there!

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Bob's 2 Bob's Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015 at 1:42pm

Reading between the lines Brutus -- designers will stay, backyarders will gradually fade away and be priced and quality driven out?

freeride76's picture
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freeride76 Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015 at 1:51pm

Most quality custom surfboard shaping/designing is happening in backyards B2B or very small operations. Lean and mean with low overheads.

it's the middle-sized factories that are being squeezed by OS mass production.

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brutus Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015 at 2:27pm

yeah designers capable of improving / evolving their designs are the future....for people who can tell the difference between a stock bd..and a bd customized for a surfers style etc....

I just watched a vimeo of DHD spruiking his MF designs by saying MF has been surfing the same design for 12 years.....and if you want one the same...???......he can replicate it now......imagine an F1/V8 supacars...or even the surf industry still flogging old designs?? maybe only in Surfing??

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Bob's 2 Bob's Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015 at 2:37pm

On a slightly different but related tangent, might the research and development focus more on the exact performance requirements related to the mass produced product? Seems to me, the mass produced product has relied on duplicating the refined designs of the PU product - but being slightly different materials with different behaviours in the ocean, the actual design requirements for the mass produced product might be slightly different to get the optimum performance from such product --- and if at this stage untested - potentially that products design modifications might make it the superior product -- or so close that a custom product becomes negligible? Brutus???

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the-roller Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015 at 2:50pm

brutus, you are spot on. and all of us would love to see all behind theses ideas and products make billions.

serious.

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Bob's 2 Bob's Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015 at 6:20pm

Brutus?

brutus's picture
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brutus Thursday, 23 Apr 2015 at 11:32am

for me there is a big difference with a stock board and a custom....

with a custom you get exactly what you want and also the bd should be this years model...with the latest design tweaks making it better than last years..

with a stock bd you get an approximate shape for you....and if its from Asia...it should be last years model , as it takes quite a lot of time to dial into the Asian program....so yeah duplicating the PU/Custom ....takes 12 mths to get to market....

so it depends on the surfer...if ruff enough is good enough ...well get a stocky...but if you are searching for a magic bd that will compliment and improve your surfing...bring on that custom magic!!

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velocityjohnno Thursday, 23 Apr 2015 at 4:06pm

Brutus some amazing information contributed to this thread, so much food for thought, great stuff. Some big changes on the way, which will be welcome if they become a change of paradigm like the Patagonia wetties promise to be. Thank you. USA seems very much further ahead than here, and I wonder what will happen to our big blank makers once these changes come through - will they adapt? Will glassers adapt? I've been surfing long enough to see Epoxy come and go and PU remain the choice of industry, but would love to find a diversity of less toxic materials readily available. Are the bioresins at market in the US? I know of guys using a hemp matting as glass.

One further point: a great board that you keep for 25-50 years and love pollutes nothing at all once it is owned, no matter what it's made of. The old 10oz Volan and heavy density foam will easily last that long and longer.

If we go back to the Hawaiians oiling their individual Koa made boards, something like that would be very sustainable. And individual. Paulownia can be used with varying construction techniques, all taking quite a bit of labour. That kind of sustainability clashes with the idea of "this year's model/next year's model" - but maybe not?