What do you think about Spider surfboards?

[FormosanSurfer]

I rode one this weekend and totally dig how easy it is to turn and duck dive on. However, the price is a bit high over here (600$US).

[EastCoast4Life]

i have heard of em but there not big by me....i very rarely see anyone usin on if that tells you anything

[Broosta]

I used to have a Spider until I sold it 6 months ago. They seem very solidly built boards with thick glass jobs. Mine was not right for me so I got rid, it was a 6'2" rounded pin, which is cool if a little exreme for round here, but it was really chunky with thick rails and so I had to stand way back on the tail to turn it when it got going.

If you choose the right size and shape for you they are good boards.



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[stoke]

I've got a 6'8 spider, squashtail, nice bit of float. Great board, can use it in all conditions. Snappy enough turns for a 6'8, and like the above post said, seems to have a strong enough finish. Mine even survived a minor altercation with the front wheel of a car - there were tears, but u'll be glad to hear she's okay. As a make, seems to be great (a friend has one as well), but...
$600 is fairly steep. Got mine 2nd hand for €200, clean as a whistle, no real dings. Not sure what standard u are, but in general its shape and size that matter, rather than make. Sure its important to know if a board is durable, but have a look at other options - just as much fun on a nearly new board as a new 1 (& there's plenty of people who'll buy sh!t hot lookin boards, not be able to surf them, and then sell them off half price).
...while having said all of that, if your set on getting a new board, I whole-heartedly reccomend Spiders. Happy Surfing

[caverock]

Spider Murphy is a well known shaper from Durban, South Africa who has shaped many boards for international competitors over the years. Used to be the shaper and part owner of Safari Surfboards in Durban South Africa and one of the best in the 70s and 80s. I used to ride his boards only, but that was back in the 70s and early 80s. Now I live in the USA so I dont know what the boards are like right now but the shapes should be very good.

[FishKid Wales]

Ive got a 7'6" spider minimal, but unlike everybody else on this post am a little disapointed with it, my beef is that the glass job is to thin. Its super light but pressure dings pretty easily .

[El Torro]

Porthcawl Marine Surf Shop in Porthcawl, South Wales UK hold a lot of Spider stock.

I bought one from there and the guy, Peter, gave me a really good deal. Took my old board in part-ex and threw in a leash, boardbag and grip too.

The board is good, but i suppose it is like any other board. As long as you get the right one for your height/weight/ability/wave type etc then you cant go wrong.

[FormosanSurfer]

I talked to a few people and decided against a spider. The price is quite high and a few people I talked to who own Spider Boards, told me they had problems with the enamel being too thin.

[darkspark]

had nothing ut problems with spider boards in the past. they tend to be mass manufactured rubbish. they last about a season, couple of my friends down in croyde had similar experiences too, but never any help from the distribultors who dont wanna know once they have ur cash

[IB_Surfer]

I talked to a few people and decided against a spider. The price is quite high and a few people I talked to who own Spider Boards, told me they had problems with the enamel being too thin.

There is another thread about spider surfbards, check that one out.

Spider is a great surfboard maker, but the ones comming out of asia are not. The overseas surfboard manufacturers pay a royalty to surfboard makers for allowing them to use their shapes and designs, but they are not made as good. For example, the boards are 4oz bottoms and 6oz tops, great for light weight boards but will delam and spider crack and ding super easily. My local shaper uses 6+4 on top and 6oz on bottom, holds up much better. The blanks are the lowest quality lightest density to keep it cheap, once again you get a super light board but subject to snapping and nose breaks and tail breaks and fin breaks and all kinds of break. So, great shapes, not great surfboards.

[surfaMIKE]

I live in south africa and spider surfboards are made 200km away from me in Durban. They are well known boards here, both in famous and infamous ways. They are great performance boards, but around here, they have a bad reputation of snapping far too easily. The one guy that surfs really well here in Richards Bay stuck his thumbs through his brand new board...that says it all. I will never ever ever buy a spider board. They are just too weak in our break, and if you guys say that they are strong then I would hate to know how weak your boards are cuz to be truly honest, spider boards just plain suck now...

[garbarrage]

had a 7ft spider... caught some great waves on it. have to say the glass job sucked on it tho. the slightest knock was a ding. ended up snapping in half on a heavyish wave. know some guys with spider's with better glass jobs so you could be lucky... but best advice would be to stay away from them unless you can tell the difference. bit too much like pot luck otherwise.

[surf patrol]

Hey man

cool I am from South Africa and have had the privilege to meet Spider Murphy. he is the owner and master shaper for Spider

first off. Spider boards did have problems with their glass jobs, the mixtures weren't done right and that lead to a whole lot of boards that were pretty xxxxx!
however these guys spend a fortune on perfecting this over the past two years and the boards are super now!

I ride a Spider and they will defiantly be one the best board you could buy, here in South Africa where they get shaped you can get them for about $200 -$250 not shitting you, why don't you email Spider and get a board custom shaped and air freighted to you? you might pay less and get a custom board?


Hope everybody gets out of the mid set that SPIDER boards are bad quality, the are the boards of choice by most PRO surfers in their private quivers

[garbarrage]

reckon anyone who's been skanked by buying one of his dodgy glass job boards will agree that he deserves all the bad press he gets. nothing wrong with the way my spider surfed... but fixing dings after nearly every surf gets a bit tedious. why would anyone risk buying a spider when there are so many other good shapers out there who haven't had problems with their mixtures.

either way i'd rather go local if i ever get a board custom made. at least that way it'll be made by someone who knows the waves i'll be surfing.

[LegendByDay]

reckon anyone who's been skanked by buying one of his dodgy glass job boards will agree that he deserves all the bad press he gets. nothing wrong with the way my spider surfed... but fixing dings after nearly every surf gets a bit tedious. why would anyone risk buying a spider when there are so many other good shapers out there who haven't had problems with their mixtures.

either way i'd rather go local if i ever get a board custom made. at least that way it'll be made by someone who knows the waves i'll be surfing.

i'll be pist off too, but i for some reason never experienced that side of Spider boards!! anyway, supporting local is the way to go!!!
and staying in Ireland would have anybody pist off at the world!

[garbarrage]

for sure staying in ireland would have anyone pissed off....
no waves, crowded beaches, angry sharks..... did i mention we have no waves in ireland!

[kitesurfer]

why don't you email Spider and get a board custom shaped and air freighted to you? you might pay less and get a custom board?


Hope everybody gets out of the mid set that SPIDER boards are bad quality, the are the boards of choice by most PRO surfers in their private quivers

Why don't we?

Because:

a. It makes no sense to buy a board that has been shaped in a country that has very different surf conditions to those where you surf most.
b. Spider boards whilst nice shapes have a reputation, founded or unfounded of being fragile. The likely hood of it turning up un-damaged after a trip half way round the world is un likely.
c. Support your local shaper, you may just need him one day.

As for spiders quality, getting the resin mixtures wrong is a load of old tosh! If you get the resin to hardner mix wrong which is pretty difficult to do, then what happens is the mix either goes off to quickly or too slowly. Too quickly and you may not get the board glassed and its a write off. Too slowly and well it will cure eventually.
The reason spider boards are/were fragile is becasue they are glassed with very light weight fibreglass. 2oz at times. This will always result in fragile light boards that ding easily. Great for pro's who want light weight boards and don't care about dinging them. Bad for your average surfer who wants a nice board to last a while.

KS

[tree4]

why don't you email Spider and get a board custom shaped and air freighted to you? you might pay less and get a custom board?
Hope everybody gets out of the mid set that SPIDER boards are bad quality, the are the boards of choice by most PRO surfers in their private quivers

c. Support your local shaper, you may just need him one day.
KS

Amen brother.

[LegendByDay]

can you people read? that's what i said! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHAPERS!! damn pansies!

I do, so should you. why if you rant about how you should support your local shapers your are writing about the quality of a foreign shaper? weird, why is it that i have surfed spider boards for 12 years, and even when i surf 7-10ft my board comes out fine?

anyway i got better things to do.

haha just to let u know kite surfer is a local shaper for a few of us

[garbarrage]

can you people read? that's what i said! SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHAPERS!! damn pansies!

I think what you actually said was we should support YOUR local shaper not our own.

haha just to let u know kite surfer is a local shaper for a few of us

anyone who's even glanced over the forum knows this mate...
you bought a board from him recently then?