The No Pop Out Coalition

[Otter]

but if surfers would ban together and say "dont give us crappy boards to learn on", pop outs wouldnt have their place.

and many people such as myself wouldnt be able to afford to learn to surf ....but then, I guess that would keep the lineups quieter

nooo. i think people would have learned their lesson and made quality handshapes for beginners. a lot of shops are doing it now so they wont lose the beginner dollar without selling out to pop out companys

Nothing I would rather have than everybody riding a nice, clean hand shaped non pop out board. But in this world, the inexperienced will buy what they feel (or the salesperson convinces them) is best for them. I wasn't trying to be belligerant, but I think you seem to be tilting at windmills sir.

God grant me the wisdom to accept things I cannot change, and blah blah blah...

[surfsc77]

i dont disagree with anything your saying, i think you just have a different perspective on it than me.

[Dec]

I've seen the factories here in Thailand (where if you look closely on most NSP/Southpoint/Bic/Watercooled etc, you will see a Made in Thailand sticker). The majority of workers there just set up the machines and they do the rest. The locals that work there get paid much better money than fishing or farming (which is what they would do if the factory wasn't there.) I don't think it is such a bad thing, but I still support any and all hand shapers.

[rich r]

It's nice to live in a theoretical world, but "people learned their lesson and made quality handshaped for beginners"?

Let's look at a world without 'pop-outs'... would they still cost less than a second-hand board?

For a beginner, who has never surfed, pricing is usually a fairly big issue. You don't want to drop $500 or more on a nice crisp new board when you haven't ever paddled out. And we're talking about groms, here. I was 13 when I got my first board - a used Insight with a load of dings that I repaired myself for $175.

Pop outs aren't displacing a lot of hand-shaped board purchases, they're filling in the second-hand market. You're better off going after companies like Channel Island that mass produce 'custom' boards - they're the ones in competition with the local shaper.

[Real Pol]

But in this world, the inexperienced will buy what they feel (or the salesperson convinces them) is best for them.

Hah! Exactly!

New surfers don't know anything about custom boards and pop outs. All they see is a board that's going to allow them to get into the water that day and still be able to afford to go out at the weekend and if they don't like it it won't break the bank or one that will take weeks and cost a fortune.

Once they've got into the sport they may form an opinion such as yourself Surfsc77, but how do you propose to get to these people before they even know they want to take up surfing!

I'd say you've go an impossible task ahead of you. To help I'll look down my nose at the kids on the pop outs who are ripping it up more than me.

[surfsc77]

But in this world, the inexperienced will buy what they feel (or the salesperson convinces them) is best for them.

Hah! Exactly!

New surfers don't know anything about custom boards and pop outs. All they see is a board that's going to allow them to get into the water that day and still be able to afford to go out at the weekend and if they don't like it it won't break the bank or one that will take weeks and cost a fortune.

Once they've got into the sport they may form an opinion such as yourself Surfsc77, but how do you propose to get to these people before they even know they want to take up surfing!

I'd say you've go an impossible task ahead of you. To help I'll look down my nose at the kids on the pop outs who are ripping it up more than me.

its funny that you mentioned this, because i actually learned to surf on a nsp funboard. the day i traded it for a real poly board i was so happy, my surfing got much better, and it felt like i was riding on the wave rather than sinking into it. i think thats why i hate pop outs so much. i bought my first board because it was the cheapest thing in the shop, and there was only one surf shop that only had about 10 boards in it at that time in my town. Had i known the facts i would have bought a different board.

[Hopupu]

and it felt like i was riding on the wave rather than sinking into it. i think thats why i hate pop outs so much.

Now, isn't that a great reason to support a "no pop up coalition".

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

surfsc77 - my first 3 boards were glass. then AFTER i got experienced i got a an epoxy shortboard. it floated way better than any fiber glass. that is a well known FACT. however, they are also much stiffer. so im not saying epoxy performs better.

i do know that my epoxy boards last about 2 years and fiberglass boards last me about 6 months. it makes a huge difference when you surf around rocks. now which of the two would have less negative impact on the environment? howbout my own finances? gee. epoxy boards here go for 600 new, and hand shaped goes for 400. so i dont know where you guys get off calling it cheap.

[surfsc77]

a lot of people confuse the words epoxy and pop out. theres companys that use ESP or coil epoxy technology, that i dont call pop outs. I'm not talking about those, but i dont know which you are referring too.

[bmth.longboarder]

should have foamies for the learners and then glass boards

[Real Pol]

howbout my own finances? gee. epoxy boards here go for 600 new, and hand shaped goes for 400. so i dont know where you guys get off calling it cheap.

I asumed we were talking about the sandwich type (is that right, or am I thinking of snowboards) plastic things that are made by Bic and NSP.

These are way cheaper over here and usually come with wax, leash, bag n' all that jazz. So why would a newbie think of buying anything else!?!

[Dr Rev]

Thats what i did, bought my Bic, bag and leash £200.00 inc delivery.

couldnt see the point of spending more money when i have only really started surfing.

Its not what you ride, its how you ride it

[Stone Fox]

Its not what you ride, its how you ride it

Does your wife keep telling you that?

[Hang11]

Saw this today - quite interesting - figures are for the US market only.

Real surfers interested in the health of the surfboard industry, as opposed to the surfwear fashion business, will find other interesting info in this survey report: nearly 75 percent of all surfboards sold in 2006 were of traditional handmade construction (both polyurethane/polyester and polystyrene/epoxy) with shortboards accounting for 45 percent of the total, longboards 33 percent and hybrids 22 percent. Just over 70 percent of all boards sold were U.S.-made. Some 29 percent were imported but that figure represents only a three percent increase in imports since 2004. These numbers suggest that the surfboard makers weathered the Clark foam meltdown of December 2005 better than some Chicken Little alarmists had predicted and that having cornered about a third of the market, the growing number of imported brands are now competing more with each other than with traditional makers. The next SIMA survey will be likely more telling of that dynamic.

http://www.surfline.com/surfnews/2007_07_26_sima.cfm

[Otter]

Thats what i did, bought my Bic, bag and leash £200.00 inc delivery.

couldnt see the point of spending more money when i have only really started surfing.

Its not what you ride, its how you ride it

Sweet, that's the right attitude!

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

a lot of people confuse the words epoxy and pop out. theres companys that use ESP or coil epoxy technology, that i dont call pop outs. I'm not talking about those, but i dont know which you are referring too.

i think youre right. nsp is cheap and heavy, but surftech is still mass produced in china.

a board repair guy just said to me about my epoxy: sell this board. its not worth fixing again. its made in china.

then i said: have you ever surfed irmas? i cant afford 5 glass boards a year.

[hawaiiSUCKSexceptsurf]

ive never ridden NSP so can someone tell me whats wrond with them? they make nice small shortboards now too.

[Farno]

Pop-outs can keep small shops alive.

Its not just the boards that keep them going but all the other bits that go along with it. Wetty's - bags - fins - straps - boots- gloves - books -DVD's....you get the idea. Many people (like me) buy pop-outs as they are stronger and more resistant to damage than a hand shaped one. This gives us a strong foothold into surfing. For sure in the future when i feel confident that i wont destroy a hand shaped board i'll buy one, i've even found a UK shaper and will probably buy from him.

Another point on the hand shaped thing - Bags of these boards are 'Hand Shaped' in cost down countries (Turkey - China - India..etc) and then shipped out for other compaines to cover then in there branding. Are these considered hand shaped?

[justloafing]

Pop-outs can keep small shops alive.

I do not know about the UK but here boards hand shaped or pop outs will keep a small shop alive. It's the clothes, otherwise why is the space reserved for 75% clothes and always or almost always at the front of the store and the boards are upstairs or in the far back? Also around here it is the attitude of the people that work at the shop that counts for a lot. When I bought my first board I even looked at the pop outs and talked to a sales person about them and he told me if I wanted to go further in surfing the pop outs where crap. Yeah if your just learning great, if you don't know if your going to like surfing, only surf very few times a year or if it is all you can afford great. That is the only reason to buy a pop out IMO.