Winter Wetsuit Sales
Good price indeed. They probably paid $200 - $220 excluding GST (which they can claim back) so they are still making some.
But this raises an interesting point about why wetsuits are so expensive. The suit you purchased probably had a RRP of $570 or thereabouts and if Ripoff-Curl can still make good money selling them to retailers at around $200 - $220 (ex GST) why do shops need to make twice that much as a margin? Selling boards certainly doesn't have that margin attached to it.
I also wonder what the employees in 3rd world factories earn in making such a seemingly high profit item. Another Nike story to be told?????
Also the quality these days are shit. I dont mean to sound "When I was a boy" but suits used to last you a few seasons. These days after a season the suit is just about a throw away. They have come a long way with technology and the suits these days are a lot more comfortable and versatile.
With all this talk about going green, like Billabong ensuring that JBay and Rip Curl ensuring Bells is Carbon Neautral. How about making the suits last more than one season so you dont have to chuck them out..........Oh sorry that would affect the bottom line too much.
your sacrafice wieght, comfort and performance for durability. Just like when your choosing the glass job on your new stick...
yeah i dont know about that i bought a ripcurl springy 5 years ago.. still is in perfect nick and i still use it day in and day out.
I am more talking about steamers with sealed seams, they are a hell of a lot more comfortable and a hell of a lot warmer but I reckon if you get two seasons out of a suit you are lucky. I have an Oneil springy which is about 3 years old and it is in pretty good knick.
It may be due to the fact that since I moved to Vicco I have been using a 4/3 steamer, with the cooler weather it may take a couple of days for the wettie to dry completely, maybe it is because the wettie is taking so long to dry that the materials dont like being wet for this period of time. Not real sure????????
Wash them out each surf and hang them to dry out of direct sunlight and see how long they last. It is even printed on the tag of every wetsuit I have owned in 35 years of surfing. Not always easy to do when you are lazy after a surf, but I bet you get a lot more than one season out of them. And I don't work for the surf industry either, so don't use that against me, I pay retail for them too.
Cheers
yeah mould would break them down i reckon, but yeah give them a good wash after your post surf laze and feed its worth it..save you alot of money for more food.
I do wash it after every surf and hang it up but with the cool weather down here, it takes so damn long to dry.
I generally buy my wettie at the end of the season ready for next season when they are on sale, you can generally get a 4/3 steamer for $200, maybe $250 tops. You might be in last years style, but who gives a shit.
Why do shops need to make that much margin? Because of huge rents, insurance, wages, tax, work cover Floyd. Need I go on? Everyone thinks that when your in business you make a fortune. Think again..........
http://www.agenteighteen.com/
have a good wet suit sale 'Switch and Save'
Send in old suit (Gets donated to South Africa surfing community)
$200 Brand New Suit
Easy
thanks for letting me in on that site man iv had the same wettie, and freezing my tits off in the surf for 5 years now haha, but 200 bucks and i can give my old wetties to people who need them more then me..dig it
peace
do the old wetties go to surfers or boogers ? :)
lostclimber posts on here a bit, just bought a Derevko Evolution from him (earthline surf) for a tad over $200 including shipping, brand new 3:2 steamer. Put it on and it fits like a glove (went the MT and I'm 183cm tall, 80kg), will be testing it out on a 4 day surf trip to treachery next weekend !! :) Has nice flex in it, especially the arms, knee pads are solid, well constructed, so I'll see how it goes and let you know.
Who ever said retailers make 200% Margin from a wetsuit?
I ran a couple of different major surf shops a few years back and in a nutshell the total store would run at a benchmark Gross Profit %age of about 35-40% This means that for every $1 of product you sell on average you make 35 cents profit to pay your rent, staff, insurance, freight, shop fit outs, cover theft etc etc etc.
Sounds great eh? Nobody likes to be ripped off sure and a lot of cut price cheap brands will like to make you think you shouldnt pay too much but at least do yourself a favour and actually try the product to work out what offers more value.
As for wetsuits, I have always said. "If you can't afford the top of the line Rip Curl or Oneill don't try it on'. You'll just be dissapointed for the rest of time. They are that much better.
do yourselves a favour and get an agent eighteen suit..best wettie i have ever worn hands down.
quick-ripa-bong sounds better
sure does :)
Glad you are happy Brendo.
I should say that I don't personally know Brendo, other than he has purchased a couple of Derevko wetsuits from me.
Anyone interested can email 9z@derevkowetsuits.com (website - www.derevkowetsuits.com)
Mention swellnet and I will give 10%off. Same deal that Brendo got. All prices include GST and postage in Australia.
Any surfers in vicco should check out Mordy surf for a cheap 4/3... They put all their stock on sale, i picked up this years 4/3 e bomb for $400.. All their other high end suits were the same price or cheaper. frothing!