Rip Curl watches only last a short time after warranty.

Yeah Lukerips how do you put photos on???

Luke, if you upload to photobucket or flikr you can post the image links here.

Luke, get a G-Shock mate. I've got a Gulfman and 7 years on it's still going strong. Solar powered, sets it's own time and tough as nails.

They still make watches?...i thought they were killed by the mobile phone.

Casio for only $10; had it for 3 years, never had to reset the time, only listed as water resistant but have been diving +20m. Awesome watch but best bit it doesn't matter if it breaks.

I've never had any luck with any watch, from any kind of manufacturer (surf brand or otherwise). The fancy surf watches almost seem irrelevant these days with the amount of information available on a smartphone. I mean, do you honestly need to check the tides or the phase of the moon mid-session? I reckon Carpetman's idea is the best - a cheapie water resistant watch for wearing in the surf, otherwise there's no need to wear one.

I had a $200 RC watch given to me which lasted only a couple of years.
Then I got given an $800 TAG which lasted 5 years.
Now I wear an ebay-$3-including-postage-from-China special. No probs so far. It will prob last as long as the others.

Rusty, my everyday work/dress watch is a TAG and 25 years later not a second out.

For surfing and other activities I bought a few brand names over the years and barely got a year out of them, the G-Shock I have now is brilliant.

Craig and I just had an interesting discussion. He's got a G-shock watch and reckons he looks at the tides and moon phases (!) in the middle of a surf "all the time".

I debated that he should look at that data on his iPhone before he paddles out (because under most circumstances he won't change his decision making process of where to surf - once you've paddled out, you're out) but he disagrees.

I reckon Craig's just bored between sets.

Does it really matter that surfers have the ability to confirm the exact phase of the tide whilst they're in the middle of a session? Would someone actually paddle in because they looked at the tide on their watch and realised it was high, and not low?

Or is there something I'm missing here?

I know where you are coming from luke - the Mrs bought me a Rip Curl watch with a stainless steel band. Wore it for about a month before it leaked so I sent it back to Rip Curl and they gave me a new one. Wore this one for another month or so and same story so I sent it back again and they gave me another one. This one lasted about 3 or 4 months until the unbreakable stainless steel band broke as I was getting to my feet and the watch was lost forever. Credit to Rip Curl tho - I went to their rep in SA with nothing but the warranty card and they gave me a new one. It has now sat in the bottom drawer for 2 years.....

I have used a bog-standard date and time only, under $200, big numeral Citizen Eco-Drive for the past 5 years. Fantastic watch. Never have to take it off. Very simple, utterly waterproof and totally reliable. Despite the many times I've had to, erm, embrace the reef.

And, Craig, if you ever paddle out the back with your mini-iPad in its waterproof cover, just know that, in that moment, you will have crossed the line to madness, never to return.

I think Craig has officially surpassed my weather nerd status.

He just exclaimed "wouldn't it be great if we could get live obs of a southerly change moving up the coast? Then we'd know how many more minutes the surf would stay clean for".

Even I wouldn't buy a device with those capabilities. I'm way too connected as it is - water time is the only break from the internet I get!

Haha, I don't think I'd even come close to that Whaaat.

But in all seriousness, I haven't worn a watch in 20 years, but two Christmas' ago I thought I'd get a Casio tide watch as I couldn't think of anything else I wanted.

The main purpose it serves is squeezing every last minute of surf time out of a session before work, but the tide stuff and moon phase (to a much lesser extent) come in useful more often than you'd think.

Generally I'll know where the tides about by surfing nearly every day but a quick glance of the watch helps confirm this and in small talk between sets a lot of people ask what the tide's doing etc and I'm able to give an accurate answer. The phase just comes in handy by knowing how quickly the tide will move and hence timing the surf (when I have flexibility during the day) around this.

Bingo Craig. Mine doesn't have the tide phases but I use it to know exactly when to get out of the surf to the minute. I quite often surf through the middle of the day too so I can get 90 minutes in and back to work.

...I use it to know exactly when to get out of the surf to the minute.

By: "zenagain"

Don't you just surf as soon as you can, and stay in the water until the last possible minute?

Unless the surf turns to shit, in which case I'll come in early.

I certainly don't need a watch to tell me that I should paddle in because we're at mid-high tide, or because the moon is waxing gibbous.

@ Ben, I think your spot on there, Thats pretty funny on Craigs behalf, He probably does get bored tho.
I'm really not sure about that.

I'm 46 years of age and have never ever worn a watch in my life.

Since hunting with my dad at a young age in the bush, he did tell me to look at the sun and the position.
Yeah it has helped heaps, if someone does ask me the time, Im not far off between 15mins to actually the minute! Well the minute one has only been a few times? But not bad without a watch!

There is a stupid trick tho, hold your left hand flat, then get your large "The bird Finger" from your right hand slip it up between your left hand middle fingers, vertically, as so it looks like a sun dial, know point both your hands to magnetic North and have a look at the shadow, it has to be in the sun.
Then guess the time and Bobs your Uncle.
Good luck
I will explain the tides and moons later using the same theory.

So Welly, please tell us how to find magnetic north. Is it with those Diving Rods? Haha

"So Welly, please tell us how to find magnetic north."

Easy, just wear a waterproof compass.

I believe they also have bluetooth and wifi connected devices that can do a lot of this stuff too.

So, it's easy! In order to connect to your waterproof Wifi wrist device, simply share your Wifi connection from your laptop by way of an extended aerial plugged into the USB dongle with 3G connectivity. Yagi antennas are a little bulky but will have give you your best line-of-sight coverage. Just strap it to your roof rack and it'll hold in any kind of weather. Point it out into the lineup and presto!

Then you'll be able to tell what time it is, by calculating magnetic north between sets, and inserting one finger up your arse as you paddle in a circle which will calibrate the accelerometer that'll also tell you how hard you were ripping on that last wave.

I trick people with that one.

People tho, not like yourselves. You guys probably use Russby's or Rossby's formulae for short and long wave troughs to find magnetic North!..........

Classic

I will buy a watch again, when they bring out a waterproof watch with a real accurate GPS so once I've found that perfect spot to sit, i can keep going back to it.

They've got that on most smartphones, ID.

Or do you mean in the water?

In the water.....if once you think you have pinpointed that perfect take of spot, you could lock in the GPS mark and always be able to paddle back to that exact spot, or exact spots.

For reefs you could keep them saved to use in future surfs, on beachies it would be more short term.

Sure you can get a rough idea of where to sit using land marks and even boils/rocks on reefs, but an accurate GPS watch in the water would be a real advantage.

On the flip side its like a lot of other great technology advances in surfing, online surf reports, swell forecast, google earth, there all great for yourself, but kinda suck when the masses have the advantage also, but thats life.

IMO a water proof watch with accurate GPS would be a a advantage in the water at some spots. (maybe there already available?)

Not sure the accuracy of current GPS, i know for years they were purposely out a few metres for security reasons, it would need to be accurate down to the metre (few feet) to be real good.

Jeez, what's next? Velvet walkways across reefs so you don't cut your feet rock-hopping?

Could always lob out an anchor with a floatie on the end to keep your takeoff spot. Then ask other people what the time is if you really need to know.

I like to keep things simple.

True that Stu,
By the time they stuck their finger up bummy hole paddling around in circles saying how well they rip, you would of caught 3 good waves by then, with out the GPS watch or floatie.
Time is the essence!

Thermalben - good waterproof watches do exist. I've had a seiko divers 150m quartz since 1983 and its still going strong, obviously parts like batteries and straps need regular replacement. Deepest its been has been 60m. I also have the new 200m solar version, they are bulletproof. Indo - modern GPS accuracy would be more than enough for your needs otherwise you could set up a differential base station back on the shore to give you accuracy down to a couple of cm. You should borrow a cheap land GPS and go out geocaching to see how accurate they really are. I prefer to line up trees, rocks, sandhills etc to get on the spot.

Jeez, what's next? Velvet walkways across reefs so you don't cut your feet rock-hopping?

By: "thermalben"

ha ha....I thought it was a good idea :P

Well now music has gone digital, it would be kinda cool to have a water poof i-pod on shuffle, but would be really annoying if others had one and played crap music or competing with your own water proof i-pod.

You know the sad part is, one day this will happen.

Indo - modern GPS accuracy would be more than enough for your needs otherwise you could set up a differential base station back on the shore to give you accuracy down to a couple of cm. You should borrow a cheap land GPS and go out geocaching to see how accurate they really are. I prefer to line up trees, rocks, sandhills etc to get on the spot.

By: "nat-old"

Yeah okay, things have changed then, back some time ago, GPS accuracy were actually purposely put out for security reasons.

I bet there would be small waterproof ones around these days also.

I haven't had a watch in years, so this thread has empowered me to purchase a brand new Casio F-91W digital timepiece. Cost $11.50 including shipping.

Ben I think those (Casio F-91W's) are the one's the Taliban use, they're bomb proof :)

Yeah just read that on Wikipedia. Hope I don't get a visit from the AFP!

I used to check tides a lot when I was up at the sunny coast, there’s a certain depth when you're better off changing reefs. A compass is actually useful too, some of the spots a) don't point east and b) a very wind / swell direction sensitive (my favorite right is unsurfable with any N in either swell or wind).

To give an example when I used to take a day up there say we had a morning low I'd go surf spot x, and till there was a certain amount of water over the reef and then I'd be able to try spots y and z. However even if it was marginal getting out at spot x was a waste of time before that as y and z are dry if the tide is too low.

(fwiw these spots are actually surprisingly empty hence the lack of names).

I am ashamed to say I have a Ripcurl Tide watch and I love it! It was a 40th birthday present and I've had it for several years with no problems. I find it very handy as the waves down here are very tide dependent and my mobile phone reception is patchy so I can't always check tides online.
As I travel around Australia a bit I can set it for wherever I am as there's 200 beaches programmed into it. It's one of those titanium ones and cost $1000 but family and friends chipped in for it as they knew I liked it. No complaints from me:)

Ive had a Ripcurl tide watch as well, one of the analogue ones around $300 or $350 in 2001.

I have had to replace the strap about every two years and batteries every time that happens too as they only replace the strap at RC store. the rubber strap is the only gripe ive had with durability.

Indo D. Theres something available that you can stick on your board that uses GPS and accurately measures how big each swell is, how fast you are going, paddle or wave riding speed, how big a drop etc and also you can mark in several takeoff locations.
I forget what the brand is called.Its a French company building them.
It would be very useful at some places more than others but im not sure id want one on best boards.
It apparently uploads all the info to a website and cloud as well, something I wouldn't want all those Frenchies to know.

Well ! A strap, a leaky seal, a this and that.
It does sound like everyone who brought a "RipCurl Tide Watches?
Mmmmm.. Have a go at Rip Curl!. Middle Finger Up Bummy Hole.

Go the Taliban watch F-91W.

Who needs swatch

I mean.......a watch?

Cardboard yearly tidecart to read on the way to a surf from local shaper(OKE-these guys rock-really!)cheap waterproof to get you to work on time-what more do you need!

Brought a tidemaster 20 months ago, on my just replaced with 3rd battery. Dont use the light and its always set on the same beach. Unimpressed......

Yeah ive got one was fixed under warranty the first time then the battery went again and i didnt even wear it or use the light and it was under 12 months battery replacment. I was going to dump it but the thing cost 499 so paid to get another battery just so i could keep it in the glovebox to know the tide,worlds most expensive tide chart....hoax.

Anyway bought a casio on the net for $ 63 new and delivered, waterproof to 200meters not water resistant,waterproof....fuk ripcurl watches.Hasnt missed a beat in 2 years.

Around 2000 my wife and kids bought me a $180 Tidemaster, the stainess body, white face, minute, hour & second hand & 3 dials for moon and tide model with a rubber band. I don't surf all the time because I live 2 hours from the beach but I love this watch and when I do surf I wear it. I have worn it continuously for 14 years except when I sent it on vacation to the Rip Curl service center in California for a new battery and pressure test every 2 or 3 years (like $28 total with one or three new bands). This watch, with the tide dials, makes me feel connected to the ocean even when I can't be there - I absolutely love it and it is one of my favorite things in life! I have been so happy to be able to send such a great product back to it's manufacturer for service at such a reasonable price for so long! When I asked the service center if anyone else was sending in 10 year + old Tidemasters they said yes - it seems like sort of a cult.

To provide a little contrast, I just gave my son my 20 year old Movado and told him to send it back to Movado for a battery and pressure test. He was afraid to send it to them because he read online that with them it's never just a battery - there's always something else that needs doing and its at least $175.

I've had a Rip Curl tide watch for about 4 years or so and have only had to replace a battery.. As for the discussion of the purpose of checking the tides as you go, I know a fair few lifeguards and surf instructors that spend lengthy periods on the beach or in the water and it does come in handy for them knowing when the tide is and also how high the high is and how low the low is..

Come in very handy when your surfing south strad and frequently paddle the seaway. Sometimes due to wind direction and lack of anchored boats it can be tricky to tell the movement of the tide after a long surf and you can't remember the tide times.

Plenty of crew ask for the time over there as well which clearly demonstrates a need to know the time. People have schedules and appointments and approximating the time just doesn't work these days. Can't really rock up a half hour late to pick up the kids from school cause you've surfed a bit too long.

Good value IMO.

The worst watches were the Quicksilver ones, although at least they kept sending me new ones, I went
through four in about 18 months before realizing the shock of a decent wipeout was more than they could handle. The first one started fizzing after its first session, the next ones quicksilver logo wore off after 2 weeks and the band broke mid surf. After a couple more duds I gave up and got an impressive looking Rip Curl which is still going strong after about eight years, possibly because I've never been game to get it wet. As for the tides I'm old school and check the daily paper for my fix and then hit the surf at the worst possible time so as to avoid all the sheep who rock up just as the tide starts to come in.

Can recommend the G-Shock Glide, not bulky and v. solid. Also had a 'cheepie' timex ironman that took a pounding for 5 years with no issues..

I got a Rip Curl analog tide watch in 2000. After about 4 batteries, it finally got some water in it and rusted out in 2010. Rip Curl couldn't fix it because it was old (no parts), so they gave me a discount on a new replacement analog watch (however the tide part is now digital). Currently on second battery after 4 years. The only thing wrong is that the backlight doesn't work.. but that is awesome because it doesn't accidentally drain your battery. I can't speak highly enough of them.

If you live somewhere tide-sensitive (as in, +/- 1 hour of tide affects the waves), having a tide watch to know accurately what is happening is pretty good. I probably won't buy a non-tide watch unless they become extinct, at least not for everyday use.

The first step in GPS modernization took place in May 2000, when President Bill Clinton directed the Department of Defense to turn off the GPS Selective Availability (SA) feature.

SA was an intentional degradation of civilian GPS accuracy, implemented on a global basis through the GPS satellites. During the 1990s, civil GPS readings could be incorrect by as much as a football field (100 meters). On the day SA was deactivated, civil GPS accuracy improved tenfold, benefiting civil and commercial users worldwide.
GPS modernization is introducing modern technologies throughout the space and control segments that will enhance overall performance. For example, legacy computers and communications systems are being replaced with a network-centric architecture, allowing more frequent and precise satellite commands that will improve accuracy for everyone.
Buggered if I know what the actual accuracy these days is but the main difference is the "signals" used by Military and civilians. You know, so you can't use your smartphone to redirect missiles at you annoying neighbour for using his leaf blower early Sunday morning but would work for a take-off spot very accurately but that is up to Rip Curl and others to implement in their watches.

indo-dreaming wrote:

Not sure the accuracy of current GPS, i know for years they were purposely out a few metres for security reasons, it would need to be accurate down to the metre (few feet) to be real good.

Mr Nettle has a link I gave him to GPS and the common smart phone ???

What do you think stu....reveal it ?
really only covers being carefull with your phone settings re posting on facebook....if you haven't been carefull ..then that right and left perfect point break pic you posted you said was 180 ks sth /sw of .......... or Free Ride takes a pic of a whopping tuna he says he caught at 6.am at ........ well a couple of keyboard clicks later you have time of pic, world location within 3mts and what type of lens was used.

Digital SEIKO sports 100, 2 glasses, 4batteries,1 set of seals - 21 years of solid service. Bought the last glass from Japan, 2nd last in the world, the other to go to SEIKO museum!!!!

SingKen, what was the original purchase price ?