Cheap Imports.

[kitesurfer]

. By definition, the surfing *industry*, is a business.

Not entirely true. I make surfboards because i like making surfboards and not because i won't to make money out of it.
Also to say that non chinese shapers are inefficent because they are not prepared to work for peanuts is not correct. Cost is not the best measure for efficiency. Are you also prepared to say that the workers at ferrari are inefficent as they're cars are so expensive?
Your local shaper has local knowledge and skill and as such should be able to produce a better board than an off the shelf chinese import that is designed for an imaginary wave somewhere. As such he can charge a sensible rate to allow him to stay in buisness in the uk. Thats not inefficency.
Fingers crossed local shapers will survive but it can only happen if there are enough of us to ensure that our suppliers stay in buisness and unfortunately more and more shapers are going out of buisness. If companies like seabase decide enough is enough and stop supplying blanks then it will become very difficult to get yourself a real custom board made to your own specifications.

KS

[kitesurfer]

by the way KS. might be needing a new board off you soon. will pm you when i get back from holiday.

Where you off to Liam?

KS

[joem]

personly i think some sort of arangement between shapers and surf shops should be arranged so that surf shops only stock hand shaped boards and stock local shappers boards and direct surfers towards the possiblility of custom boards

[justloafing]

. By definition, the surfing *industry*, is a business.

Your local shaper has local knowledge and skill and as such should be able to produce a better board than an off the shelf chinese import that is designed for an imaginary wave somewhere.


KS

Exactly kitesurfer

To a non surfer the Chinese boards looks like surfboard, feels like a surfboard but it is just a chunk of dung floating in the water.

As far as the economy of surfing with the cheap popouts. My guess it does not take a whole lot of people to make these popouts since it is basically machines that are doing most of the work and with the cheapest labor in the modern world I bet they make more of a gross net profit than a local shaper even with the shipping costs.

I honestly think we as surfers have the obligation to steer people in the right direction as far as descent equipment. For example if someone wants to buy a football do we steer them in the direction to buy a cheap rubber football or a leather one? I do understand that it is hard for some people to come up with the money for a brand new high quality board but IMHO they are just tossing their money out the window when buying a cheap popout. I believe it is much better to buy a good used one for just a little more money than a shiny new popout.

[Sillysausage]

just to spain somewhere, for a week! look at my luck though, some nice swell seems to be pushing in end of the week through the start of next! got out yesterday on the board was really nice sesh and just leaving now for another quick one before i go away. give me some thinking time of what board i want next!

to keep on the topic. if you want to know the difference between a cheap import or a custom board try them both and then comment on the difference. in my opinion you can't beat a custom board otherwise most of the pros wouldn't be using them

[tomcat360]

It sounds like everyone pretty much agrees which is great. It's just the noobs we have to take care of.

I was thinking some kind of a sticky, but one that will really grab people's attention and something that even the most ADD 15 year old kid ready to hit the buy button with his dad's credit card will read, watch, or whatever.

Hmmm perhaps a short satire video? Daily Show correspondent style?

Me: "So how do you ensure that your boards are good for the given conditions"

Stereotypical chinese dude with rice hat: "eh??"

[esonscar]

I have talked to a surf shop owner who has never surfed – he just laughed at the price he charges for long boards – in from china for £ahem and sold for £700.00 !

Also a person was asking for a custom to be specifically made for him - the resulting recommendation was totally unsuitable – absolutely sounded like the shaper was just going to sell him a board he had ‘out back’ for the price of a one off custom !

My customers can see my work to let them appreciate the fact it really is being made just for them.

[Sar]

I think most of the people on the forum know my opinion but I would like to reitterate it anyway...

I do not think that pop outs such as bic compete with the market described in the article, in fact I think to some degree they may help it, 'local' companies have been able to enjoy than 'boom' in recent years via increased demand.

People who buy pop outs find them an affordable to give surfing a go and then 9 times out of 10 give it up when they find out it is a very difficult 'sport' to learn. (I have no studies to back up my guestimate)

My own experience is that once buying a pop out surfboard and becoming 'hooked' will lead to buying a non pop out board. Now, should I venture into a shop and they recommmend an O'Shea or something simliar the likelihood of be buying on trust of the shop owner is fairly high. Should there be a shaper in proximity who I am able to buy a board from having given him/her my pre-requisites than I shall choose to purchase from them, but otherwise I would buy an import 'custom' and be non the wiser. But, most imporantly, after buying 1 BIC pop out to learn on I very much doubt that people will buy another once competant, instead they will either choose from board such as an oshea or a locally made board.

In summary, I do not think that pop outs are in direct competition with your local shaper, in fact I think they may help them - wether we like more 'kooks' in the line up or not it is benefical to the 'industry' and thus the local shapers.

Of course I attempt to keep a flexible mind and so am welcome to any points of view who disagree with the above.

[twerked]

so i bought a chinese made board this summer. it's my summer slop board, a retro fish quad. i felt like i was betraying many of the great local shapers here, but i couldn't quite dump $600 on a board that i'll use maybe a total of 2 months a year. yeah, it sucks, i felt guilty about it, but at the same time, i at least bought it from a locally run shop and gave them money, rather than some big box corporate 'surf shop.' a few weeks later though i bought a locally shaped board, so i guess i'm at even now

[flyingvee]

I think most of the people on the forum know my opinion but I would like to reitterate it anyway...

I do not think that pop outs such as bic compete with the market described in the article, in fact I think to some degree they may help it, 'local' companies have been able to enjoy than 'boom' in recent years via increased demand.

People who buy pop outs find them an affordable to give surfing a go and then 9 times out of 10 give it up when they find out it is a very difficult 'sport' to learn. (I have no studies to back up my guestimate)

My own experience is that once buying a pop out surfboard and becoming 'hooked' will lead to buying a non pop out board. Now, should I venture into a shop and they recommmend an O'Shea or something simliar the likelihood of be buying on trust of the shop owner is fairly high. Should there be a shaper in proximity who I am able to buy a board from having given him/her my pre-requisites than I shall choose to purchase from them, but otherwise I would buy an import 'custom' and be non the wiser. But, most imporantly, after buying 1 BIC pop out to learn on I very much doubt that people will buy another once competant, instead they will either choose from board such as an oshea or a locally made board.

In summary, I do not think that pop outs are in direct competition with your local shaper, in fact I think they may help them - wether we like more 'kooks' in the line up or not it is benefical to the 'industry' and thus the local shapers.

Of course I attempt to keep a flexible mind and so am welcome to any points of view who disagree with the above.

I think Sar is right.

Once immersed into the sport, I think people would look for quality - and with the internet, research into finding a quality board/shaper is much easier. As with other activities - eg learning to play a musical instrument - start with a cheap chinese made thing, then move on to better things.

[justloafing]

People who buy pop outs find them an affordable to give surfing a go and then 9 times out of 10 give it up when they find out it is a very difficult 'sport' to learn. (I have no studies to back up my guestimate)

That I think shows the rubber ball theory compared to a leather ball. Yep the rubber balls look like the real thing all painted up and looking good but they for sure are not the real thing or act like the real thing. I think if someone is going to try something then atleast give them half a shot of learning. You are right though if...........9 out of 10 quit so it does help keep the lineup cleaner.