How Much Will You Pay For A Logo?
This article was meant to be published last week following Grant Miller’s article ‘Lifting The Lid On The Industry’ but a fast-traveling surfboard intervened.
Long story short is a broken beak and a sore head, yet unbelievably not a mark on my board. A timely show of good craftmanship.
Grant made many points, not all of which I agreed with, yet two I did were his take on marketing in the surfboard industry, and also a brief statement towards the end about keeping track of your own design history.
Though they appear disparate thoughts, to my mind they’re intricately linked. Let me start first with the notion of keeping track of your own boards.
Stab In The Dark is a great name for a competition. Clearly referential to Stab who runs the comp, the premise for those who’ve never watched it is simple: A pro surfer gets thirteen blank white boards - no shaper marks, no dimensions - and rides them all, whittling down the numbers till they pick the best board.
Though the concept may be extreme I see some people who rotate through boards the very same way. Stabbing in the dark is way less fun when you’re paying $1,000 a roll. Though the greater issue for me is not so much the money but the blind groping that’s also involved.
Italo Ferreira during the last Stab In The Dark (Stab)
Just as we learn where waves come from, how sand moves, and why some coastlines produce better waves, the lot of the experienced surfer is to build a bank of knowledge about all aspects of surfing.
I don’t want a board to be completely new to me; I want it to build upon my past boards. Why build up this knowledge bank about design if every purchase starts at zero again? Constant learning is the goal. It’s the easiest and most enjoyable learning you’ll ever do.
Largely I work upon the idea of Torquay shaper Corey Graham, that ‘surfboard models should be the starting point not the full stop.’
To do this requires awareness of how you surf and, broadly speaking, what designs work best for you - all applied with liberal helpings of brutal honesty. Then find a model that appeals from a shaper you respect - importantly: don’t stray too far from their area of expertise - and start a conversation.
A few clicks on a mouse is all it takes, or a little extra sanding during the finishing stage.
I’ve got a board being made right now. A slightly-altered copy of a board I rode in 2019, itself a slightly-altered copy of one of the shapers’ popular models. So it’s two degrees removed from a straight model yet a truly custom board. When people think of digital files, exact replication comes to mind, yet controlled customisation is an equally powerful aspect.
The shapers I get boards from have digital records of all the boards I’ve ordered. The only record I keep is stored in the grey matter, yet nevertheless it’s a sound record of what works for me. Combined it forms an amalgam of many shapes and curves, tested and refined over decades to arrive at a foundation, or a basic code, I'm not really sure what to call it.
Yet whatever it's called, it's an idea to retreat to whenever I’m drifting or bored with surfing. I’ll return to that sense of what works and nudge it in another direction: maybe flatter, maybe wider, maybe curvier…whatever.
Now here’s the bit where one point is linked to the other - in my mind at least.
Having a strong sense of what works for me means I feel little pressure from the changing winds of marketing. Sure, it’s great watching Torren wield that mid-length twin but I’ve got no interest in getting one - it just wouldn’t work and test-rides have confirmed it. Same goes for the equipment under the feet of Asher, Rasta, Kerrzy, Margo…name your eye-pleasing freesurfer.
Am I saying I’m impervious to marketing and fashions..?
Well, sorta, though that’s not really the point I’m trying to make.
The thing is, you can go and ride those exact boards the surfers above ride, but once you understand both how you surf and also how digital files can be altered, then you can get a truly customised version of any high end model.
The last few times I’ve clicked on Facebook Marketplace I’ve seen an ad for a shaper that's attracted my curiousity. ‘Custom high end boards from one of Oz’s best board factories’ states the ad.
The shaper lives 1,000kms away from me, as is the board factory he uses. The ad continues, ‘Any shape custom…high end boards without the retail margins.’
It was easy enough for me to figure out where the boards were being made, how they were being made (machine cut and hand finished) and what a potential customer should expect (good quality), though the reason I’m mentioning isn’t to advertise his wares. The reason is to illustrate that the digital age isn’t being fully utilised by customers, so in turn we’re falling prey to canny marketers.
Make no mistakes, there are no secrets in the shaping world anymore. Any shaper working with software should be able to source or create any shape and get it made. There’s no copyright, and anyway, the differences between models at the performance level are small.
So there’s no copyright, but there is personal pride. Would the shaper you’re working with willingly copy a known model from another shaper? That’s a tough question to introduce unless you know the shaper very well. And besides, go see the original shaper if you want an exact replica.
This question interests me more: Would they use a model as a starting point and then tweak it to your specifications?
In the digital age all surfboard designs are available to all shapers. When you understand this the most powerful thing in the marketplace is marketing. How much are you willing to pay for that logo?
The point of all this is not to create a race to the bottom in terms of pricing, but to defy the marketplace trends. I don't surf like a pro and you don't either - we all surf differently.
If a shaper you respect delivers customer service and a durable product at a fair price, then all the rest is meaningless.
//STU NETTLE
Comments
How long is it.
Get one made in p/ u
Get one made in eps no stringer with epoxy glass.
Tell me which one you ride more.
Glass the eps 6 bottom top 6 /4
4 4/4 for pu
Both quads
Gotta have deck grip
Looks alot like the board I just shaped.
That unnamed shaper sent me a board with a broken fin box and tail ding and only reimbursed me after I started a Paypal dispute. Not sure if that was a once off stuff up but fair warning.
I've been getting customs from Murray Bourton for nearly 20 years and made many incremental changes over those years. Living down south rather on the Gold Coast ( where Murray lives ), one thing he's done is straighten the rocker for the flatter faced waves down here. Over the years I've also ridden many of the bigger brand boards and while they turn off a dime, they seem to lack the projection of my customs. I'm not sure if it's the chicken or the egg , has my surfing evolved to my regular customs or has Murray's boards found my sweet spot. Either way there's nothing better than chatting to Muzz , the anticipation of a new shooter and the first wave.
Even better if the respect is mutual.
The board I rode on Monday was more or less this - shaped by my uncles' mate (a skillful backyarder), using some measurements off the pieces of a broken favourite stepup as a starting point for a CAD file but then tweaking it slightly based on what I liked/thought could be improved about the original and how and where I thought I'd be surfing it.
I was a little conflicted in going that way v.s. going back to the old board's shaper, but once freight and currency conversions were taken into account (Hawaiian shaper) that was prohibitively expensive for me, and I felt relationship wasn't there to get the tweaks I was after - which goes back to the mutual respect idea. (Not that I thought the old board's shaper wouldn't have treated me well, but that I'd just be another random faceless customer vs someone they know).
For what it's worth I've had good boards from all three ways (second hand, new off the rack, custom).
For a good-wave board (/ larger wave board), I like the incremental improvement approach, staying close to designs you trust. Borrowing a mate/relos board can be a great way of breaking out of that though!
For everyday/fun waves, the more variety the better. Weird board + junky wave = fun.
I'd add two things:
1. I've been getting custom shapes forever, only once from a big-name shaper (didn't work out) and in the last 7 years, from just one local shaper. Like Stu, I'm into incremental change based on acquired knowledge via surfing experiences. In context, I have found lots of opportunities by experimenting with plan shape, rails, rocker, std dim's (LxBxT) - but remaining anchored to a very narrow range of liters - works very well for me. Thanks, Archimedes.
2. This is a personal opinion - but buying boards that are ultralight and consequently last a year for $1,000 - which some people on this forum think is "value" I think is philosophically wrong, as the outcome is an entirely predictable and unnecessary contribution to landfill. IMO surfers should do more than most to stop this problem - how sick do you feel looking at the piles of ocean plastic in really remote parts of Indo (and more recently WA). In terms of solutions, IMO - in a PU/PS context, 6/4 deck/6 bottom equates to a durable, reasonably light SB (performance perspective of an old bastard), that isn't adding to the climate change problem that we are all a part of. We must create our own solutions, not wait for a government to regulate, or a corporate to suck you in with their light-weight marketing tropes around elevated performance.
RR
The bad thing about heavy glass jobs is they hurt. My step up is glassed heavy and I love it but jeez it's banged me up a bit.
Oath
But a 6x6 and 6 epoxy over styrene/Styrofoam feels about the same as a 4x4 and 4 PU
Toncie 6 bottom . 6 then 4 on top
Eps no stringer.
god this speaks to me, as I look down at the lump on my shin I am nursing..
You should name him give him a bit of advertisement - if your happy let the public know. There is more to life than sharp eye, JS and DHD.
Gone past ultra-light, make a woody.
I did incremental changes over the years, one factor is buoyancy, being a kneeboarder, I want the buoyancy under my body mass which is fairly consistent, not jumping around as much as a footboarder. The last board I built has lasted years and cost $150, apart from the thou$ands and time I've invested in technology to build them. 3mm ply only repaired and reinforced with glass in a couple of areas. No glass and minimal epoxy in original construction. As light as a woody can get. I'm doing my bit for a sustainable future. I'm now using my laser cutter for boating, and making all sorts of wooden things, gone past surfboards, but it was a good place to learn demanding wood building skills. There are no limits to what can be made from wood.
all power to you BTM _ sounds like you've developed a v/durable solution. congrats.
It seems strange to me that anyone would buy new when there's a lifetime of second hand boards to try. Doesn't work? Move it on with no/minimal loss of cash. Want to try something totally weird? Do it and then move it on when you realise you're not a pro AND you learn a lot about surfboards because you know why it doesn't work (pin tail on small wave boards, twin fins in general, quads on squash tails, banana rockers etc).
I have been curious to try the cheaper shapers that say they can copy whatever models but to be fair the good I've experienced in JS and DHD is not just the shape, but the glassing and foam they use. Could that be replicated by a smaller shaper? I'm not sure but it doesn't matter because Australia has the best second hand surfboard market in the world. It's one of my favourite things about living here as a surfer.
It's funny, I think your way better off. Getting away from second hand boards and find a width and length and tail and thickness
Then sticking with that
Quads work fine on squash tails
It just depends where they are set out.
Second hand boards suck cause they have usually been thrashed or flexed out .
Once you either get a board measured for you then shaped for you you'd be way better off.
I spent alot of time in shops and bays as a kid.
Watching a world champ shaper measure people up for a board.
They don't do that any more.
Totally Lanky. Unless it’s a mint second hander, why would you want something has lost its zing?
I mean, I don’t think you can beat the feeling, the crispness and spring of a brand newy.
i've been skunked its true but I'm getting better. there's plenty of mint boards & deals out there on facey / GT..
The question should be , is this the correct board....not it's a good price or it has the cool shapers logo ?
Bonza here's a Perfect Example of that
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/845184890369991/?ref=search&re...
you need to be on a commission. best scout ever.
chasing a MC shiva and a OI/JD flex tail at a right price.. thanks
What size OI flextail are you chasing?
Hey dan - ideally less than 6''in the moonraker model.
I have a V2 5'11 quad and its dreamy.
@ soli,
for the last 20 years my new boards have to be built by myself.
So it's Ying yang for me......
There's alot of work involved.
Finding used boards online seems great, yet I forces me to ask these questions
Is the majority of the surfing public on the right board?
I think people are very trend concerning
Less performance concerned.
100%. I think most people really have no idea what they are truely looking at with surfboards, and lean towards whats marketed best. How many people do you hear talking about litres only?
I've surfed for 26 yrs and thought I knew a thing or two till I started making my own boards. Then realised I had little understand of what I had been looking at.
100%. I think most people really have no idea what they are truely looking at with surfboards, and lean towards whats marketed best. How many people do you hear talking about litres only?
I've surfed for 26 yrs and thought I knew a thing or two till I started making my own boards. Then realised I had little understand of what I had been looking at.
I've never once had a new short board that I loved but I've had five seconds hand sb that have been absolute magic. Even had one of those magic boards (lost) remade by lost with the exact same dims and it came out dog shit. I'm purely second hand from here on out ....half the price and no gamble
Incremental changes are fine when adjusting the one model that just fcuken works for you, in my case the Pyzel Ghost. On nr 4 now, and I can't see myself giving them up till I'm really old. Ok, so not that far from now :-(
Otherwise to hell with incrementalism. Nothing like surprising your brain and body with a completely different board and surfing completely differently.
No disrespect, just my $0.05 worth.
I've got a screenshot of your Hazza gun from Josh Keogh saved on my phone. I reckon if I was going to buy a completely different board as a custom it'd definitely be that.
It's magic!
I don't 'love' things, but I love that board. Can even be fun in 3ft waves.
I paid about twice as much as usual, but worth every penny. And I did get two logos, literally :-)
agreed
In the olden days it was Two Bobs Worth.
There is a market for replica nostalgia boards now days (Town and Country The Saint, Channel Islands Black Beauty, MR Classic Twinnies) where the logo means something. Having the same board in white from XYZ surfboards is no different technically (and probably half the price) but not the same as a historic item.
"I don't surf like a pro and you don't either.."
Jeez, you sure know how to hurt a bloke, thanks for reminding me.
Yeah you'r a loser, ha ha I reckon there might be just a wee bit of tongue in cheek. Isn't it great when you surf on your own get a few good waves and still think you have got it - at 64 (me). Still dreaming.
I got on to Mitchell Rae's boards in 2009 after someone in Indo suggested him. I think I've had 5 boards from him and the conversation has always been "same board but for 6 foot waves/8 foot waves/Outside Corner" and then "same board but I've put on 8 kilos and I'm not sure if it's ever going away". Each board has been magic and the ride between each of them has been seamless. I stopped a few years ago because he has rightfully jacked up his prices as he gets older, so I have been a bit confused about what I will do for boards into the future.
I did fall prey to marketing last year after one of Nathan Oldfield's flicks of Rasta on an Eden Saul ying yang. Thankfully one his stock boards had a defect and I got a deal on it, but the transition from round tail quads to twin fin was a lot and led to some very funny failed waves. Otherwise I'm at the mercy of Tassie's shithouse second hand market for when I want to experiment with singles etc. etc.
Pro tip never put more holes in your belt.
The unnamed shaper spams FB marketplace a lot here in Sydney. I wonder on the quality of his boards and wonder how refined they are.
Good luck getting a board out of Blake……
You had dramas with him too?
East Studia ?
I feel compelled to say, after seeing this reference used a few times of late, anybody who thinks that getting one year out of a board is a good result has seriously fallen victim to the consumerist mentality that the big companies want to embed in us. That's simply absurd.
I've a handful of boards that I've had for between 10 and 30 years, and that have been ridden a lot during that time, given I surf every day. I ride all of my boards, selecting one for the session based upon the wave I'm surfing and the conditions presented at the time.
The common denominator in all of my boards is that not one of them is a mass-produced popout. They're all handshaped by board builders who actually care about their craft and their reputation. They're not made to excite and then fall apart. Some of my boards - particularly the Danny Hess timber boards - I expect to pass down to my sons and their children. Even some of those built using "traditional" materials (i.e. PU/PE) will last decades. Shapers like Jed Done and Mick Mackie make incredible boards that last.
I implore all of you out there to demand more than just "fast fashion" from your boards, for the sake of all of us... and those not yet born. Buy smart. It's not unreasonable to demand more from your investment... and that's what it is - an investment in your continued enjoyment, your surfing progression, your personal impact on the environment, and in your surfing journey.
Oi Oi YoungOne....
"Glassed To Last??" is what I got asked last board I had made. Seems a sensible option for most of us average Joe surfers.
I have two off the rack PU lost boards that I bought second hand that have lasted a decade. I've patched about ten minor dings in both of them and they look pretty cooked now but they still ride great. Unless you're buying boards w ultralight glass I don't understand why people have boards that fall apart so fast
Some people surf alot and surf with heavy feet.
I surfed a 6.9 swallow tail from the same shaper for 20 years , leaving the slight variations up to him . A step up to 8ft or a step down to 6 ft , would have seemed like a step backwards, because I wasn’t used to those lengths. Then I started riding crowded points and bought a longboard to get more waves and allow me to go out in smaller, less crowded conditions. I realised I could never turn as good on a longboard, as a short board, so I could never see the point in pushing one into big cumbersome turns. Durability , weight and speed are the only important issues for me in longboards
I'm wondering if this is the most focussed, and best article of this recent triumvirate?
I'm with you on logging changes and progressing this way.
In terms of durability, about to begin shaping an update to my fav 7'0" midlength/mini mal after 10 years of beating service (It's name is 'beater' as of the abuse) and the board is still solid and good to ride. Surfblanks orange foam ftw, taking very little foam of the deck ftw
Two longboards we have in the family are heirlooms now, to be handed down like a classic Holden - 1962 and 1965, surfed by my Ms' father and Aunt at Scarborough to Jakes in the 1960s, forgotten in a farm shed, dusted off and surfed in 1994, restored wonderfully by Len in 1997-8, ridden by all of the grandchildren, beautiful and glossy now preserved on a display rack, surfed most holidays. They will last a century in this family.
Love that VJ. I’m the first in my family to surf (not many waves in Puckapunyal…) but I like the thought of some of my boards hanging around for a generation or two. Just packed my boards for a month in Indo and one is 11 years old and the other 7 years old. Feel as lively as ever.
Danx3, you from Pucka? Me too. Born in Seymour but moved all over as was the custom of the day.
That's so radical vj.
Quote youngone “ I feel compelled to say, after seeing this reference used a few times of late, anybody who thinks that getting one year out of a board is a good result has seriously fallen victim to the consumerist mentality that the big companies want to embed in us. That's simply absurd.”
That’s so true.
My boards I regularly surf are multiple years old now. And the longer ones I surf a bit less are 5 years plus.
Maybe something to do with surfing less than I used to due to “life”, but if you’re not a pro or an air-guy and you’re not getting your boards glassed a bit heavier then you’re mad.
I've always surfed second hand boards my entire surfing life.. in my 46th year on earth ive dropped $1000 on a surfboard , first brand new board.. looking forward to the experiment... Been 8weeks since I ordered it from a big name brand, haven't heard a peep. Next time I'll go local shaper . All for science
I’m interested in that constant refinement idea you and others mention Stu.
What are you refining towards? Are you still at the point where your best surfing is there or ahead, in terms of performance? Chasing a certain feeling? Or are you looking at making surfing easier or to prolong your current level?
Genuinely interested.
I have a quiver of fairly different boards that I like to rotate, usually surf the same board for a few surfs and then swapperoo. The longevity is great with this and I get to surf horses for courses. All customs. Twins, quads, thrusters, step ups.
The value of the logo on the board is you have absolute confidence any deficiencies in your surfing are your fault, not the board's. You can watch a video of a good surfer getting exactly that board to do exactly what you want it to. If you're good enough at surfing to confidently feel what is the board and what is you, then the logo has no value to you.
Great article. Brutal honesty is definitely the key.
Ahhh .. that moment when I think I surf like one of those dad body guys that has made a career out of testing boards and looks kind of average on film.... I don't.
Possibly I do for one session in 10 when it all clicks.... but mostly, just no.
After reading his article I went and bought a board because I liked the logo.. goes well to
Every board I've purchased has been a custom from local shapers. For the last 20 years, I've started with my existing board, sat with the shaper and said what I like about the way it rides, what I don't like about the way it rides, and what improvements in riding characteristics I would like to see. The changes were, firstly, quite large and noticeable, but now they are tweaks. Been satisfied every time, not just because of the results but also knowing I'm supporting a local shaper and board shop.
Ill admit I'm a total board whore. Since kids got older I surf av 5-7 times a week in all conditions and have way too many boards. My local area varies from difficult slabs to fat burgers so I need a range of boards. A fish for 1-3 foot when fat, a performance board 5'11 JS Barron 2.1 for up to 4 ft then boards for barrels and difficult takeoffs, from 6'3 to 8'2.
Through much trial and error I've narrowed down each board type (mostly twinnies) to a few different 'shapers' but it is ever evolving. 2 x Jim Banks Revolution twins (pin tails) for 4-6 foot barrel type waves, a 6'6 Desert Storm (converted to twinny) for 6-8, an 8'2 Dylan thruster (2nd hand) for 8-10 which gets used a couple of times a year at best. Funnily enough the fish is a Sideways Surf Deathless model which was $550 new, is on it's 4th season and is the pick of the bunch including 2 x Gary McNeil RTT, a Christenson fish and a MOTE (not really a fish).
With the exception of the fish, they are all from shapers who specialise in the 'Type' of waves I need them for. Not sure a one shaper fits all would work for me personally.
Top Quiver you have there...
Cheers udo, it's been a lot of trial and error that for sure!
I've picked up 3 of the Album twins over the last 5 years (yeh, yeh, 'hipster garbage' blah blah).
They're expensive but every one I've had has been excellent. The groveler i have is my favourite board ever and was in very good nic after 4 years of heavy use (finally smashed both fin boxes out landing on it hard, now they're repaired and its surfing as good as ever).
The twinsman i bought off the rack, has been out in 6ft+ Mex points, and various heavy beat downs around the local and is also in great condition. And it goes insanely good.
Got a Album quad asym fish on the way in the next few weeks.
I'm happy to pay the extra coin for a board that i love and lasts for a good few years. They don't cost much more than a JS, CI, HS etc and i enjoy them much more.
My only gripe is that they're not 100% handshaped for the money. But I guess if they go sick, who really gives a F.
I reckon that's fair adsi. I really think you should get several good years out of a board (i guess as long as its not your only board you surf everyday). Something to be said for going out of the HPSB box I reckon. There's nothing worse than watching someone surf a HPSB, missing sections, looking slow, trying to force 3 turns where one would've sufficed. Give me glide, flow and speed anyday.
Yeh Soli agreed man! Most of us aint surfing close to pro level but people are often trying to over surf a wave cos they're on a twitchy matchstick.
To be honest, I've taken that grovellor (its the plasmic for anyone who cares lol) out 70% of the time i surf. I've had it 4 years and itll go a few more no worries.
Always have so much fun on it, boosting down the line through sections the HPSB's cant make, blowing out the fins on turns (deliberately) cos its quite short.
Don't even own a short board anymore, closest is my Scotty James step-up quad i surfed over that last swell, which went berserk. I'm loving trying all these alternative shapes that are getting around, keeps the stoke alive!
Was just about to say "Plasmic?"
Is it that good, and what's the low end?
I've really loved it man, can throw it around easy, goes well in smaller slopey waves but it can handle a steep wave no worries. Its basically my daily driver, if its really on ill grab something better suited.
I'd say its ideal for 2-3ft though i've surfed it when its been 4 and its sweet, just a bit skatey.
More than welcome to take mine for a spin if you're up around byron at all.
How have you found Album to deal with ? So bloody dear, but quality?
Solitute it’s really hard to get your head around that bit! They have some models 2k plus! I’m based south coast and got mine in Sydney, had to put one under the arm to see what the fuss was about first. In the end I bit the bullet and dropped $1500. Quality is really good on my 6/0 Twinsman with a resin tint. I believe they’re 6/4/4 pu. Christened mine on an epic day overhead day with sand bottom drainers with a deep barrel into a scorching drive as hard as you can roundhouse where I thought I was surfing like Mr Kerr. Later I gave myself an uppercut to remind me I’m not :) My 2 cents. Reckon you’ll love em if your head’s in that space? Cheers.
Adsi I’m in the same boat. Swore blind I’d NEVER buy a brand! But my 6/0 Twinsman is like everything I’ve been toying with for the last 25yrs and seriously most sessions it delivers stoke beyond words. Can definately see an investment in a Plasmic and Vespa :) Loving this thread
Yeh Gilligan that stoked feeling is worth the coin hey. I've got a vesperdia on the way, it's the vesper mini with the asym tail and fin offset. Can't wait. That was $1500, took 2 beers before I could pay haha.
Soli album have been good to deal with from my end, they're glassed at Surman glassing on sunny coast now and those guys are excellent which is good.
Beats spending it on booze or gambling. Who cares how much if you can afford it. To the nay sayers, don't take up foiling or Mtn Biking lol.
$2050 for a Moonstone - 4x4x4 Glassing
Yeh that's wild, $1500 is where i max out really. Not worth the extra for a resin tint
You see on their site twinsmans with no spray for $1350 and a seemingly identical one for $1700 odd, what’s the go with that?
Resin Tint .
Yeh I saw those too, I think they have a grey resin tint. Why one earth they'd do a tint that is indistinguishable I don't know haha.
They do some cool resin work if you ask for abstract but hard to justify the ridiculous extra cost. $1350 for a custom I'll take though, pyzels and CIs etc are $1100 in pu as well so whatever. Shapers deserve to get paid more than peanuts for their good work, especially when it's not a pop out from Thailand or something
Idiot to pay that
Amazing boards are reaching those prices, perhaps no longer a vow of poverty to shape and glass!
Edit: and sand and gloss.
That is quite a bit for very basic construction, that doesn't involve a lot of hours in production. There's a lot of fashion dictating the price, but also got to recognise the function of their designs. I'm all for it though, always happy to see prices pushed up, rather than reasonable prices being gouged and undercut.
Yeah I am looking at those shapes then the prices thinking fuarkk, but having a reality check thinking if it's all going to the shaper then that's OK.
Boards are expensive, but still such good value. Trick is to not see or treat them as disposable items.
Try getting a custom tennis racket (not likely) or road bike (hello $10000 - or rather goodbye), but your dream board is a reality for relatively little.
My most extravagant board was easily the Keogh, but it will bring me untold joy for the rest of my surfing life, then be passed on to a worthy soul.
I'm thinking (I could be wrong), that with a brand like album that there is a few mouths to feed. The glassing company they use, album Australia, album US, whoever backs album US.
But it's all good if everyone involved in building the boards is getting payed reasonably for their time, whether it's a multi person set up, or just one set of hands go to whoa. Still not sure why someone is getting paid to paint stringers black for though?
Huge Surcharge for a Resin Tint Tiger is it that much more Work?
I'm certainly no resin tint expert, but they do take extra time and materials. Particularly when you want to make an Instagram post with a waterfall lap wetout and you go pouring litres of resin on the floor. I could glass another board with the resin guys waste on tint glass jobs.
Ha - The Waste from Trendy Swirl Tints has been doing my Head in for Years
Theres an Extra Material Charge - 2 Litres plus in Lam Resin as Waste.
Do they still Stock them Downstairs Stu ?
Very limited range. Chris is considering a few collab type boards with a few local shapers. Giving some rack space and exposure to guys who usually work out of their garage.
Col Archer (Huey) has the copyright on modern Universal 'Wave Form Theory'.
The Fram Universally Surfed all Blue Planet Auroras [ONE OF US] (Huey's fav Bath Safari Toy)
Archers were cool with First Nation Folk.
Archers are them Nordic Gods named in several Qld mountain Chains...
Mount Archer NP > Berserker Range > Mt Sleipner (After his / Odin's Mythical Horse)
Think tbb is joking...
https://www.exploroz.com/places/122584/qld+charles-archer-sleipner-statue
Grom Col was overawed by universal Indigenous Canoe designs...
Archer's also named The Fitzroy River after their then Gov' Fitzroy [ Qld -(ALL)-NSW ]
Col used his indigenous Canoe know-how to craft his first Ketch Ellida to first ply The Fitzroy River...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archer_brothers
https://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction_Review-g255071-d23557992-Reviews-C...
Returning to Norway building God's Ark :
The Legendary Scientific Ark for the ages Fram was frozen over but broke free.
To sail on & record Ocean Currents then be first to conquer both Poles.
Officially the Best Ship Ever.
Col's universal indestructible sporty design shapes modern Rescue Craft, Racing Hulls & Surfboards.
More ya read the more immersed...leaving us humble folk in awe!
No! Not just tbb saying that...whole world of Ocean goers Salute & honour their Crafty Ocean God!
Crew : Meet thy Maker!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fram_%28ship%29#/media/File:Fram_1893-1896...
Crew clearly see today's modern clean Surfboard lines in The Fram's Wave Form.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fram_(ship)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Archer
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/lifeboat-colin-archer-rs1-scale-1230-bu...
https://www.classicboat.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ClassicBoatMay2...
https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/colin-archer.276330/
This reference just last year is typical of Col's never ending universal surfcraft design legacy!
https://www.practical-sailor.com/boat-maintenance/legacy-of-colin-archer...
From humble Qldurr indigenous designed foundation behold The Universal Fram Museum
https://frammuseum.no/
It’s good to have other interests!
Brand new 8 footer with resin tint and cut lap for $900 from a well regarded Torquay shaper.
https://www.facebook.com/share/5B2kkZiGSvjmGjru/?mibextid=79PoIi
After reading these articles and reading lots of the comments I feel there are no right or wrong answers. You just have to work out what's best for yourself. I've been surfing for 50 years now and have a pretty good idea of the types of boards I like and go well for me in the waves I tend to ride. Some are hand shaped, others cheap overseas boards. Most are second hand due to economics and you can move them on without losing too much money if they don't suit. I always make sure the first time I ride a new (or second hand) board is in good waves at a break I know well to get a good idea of how it goes.
This is the way.
The biggest thing to know is that different boards work for different people.
For me it's a few inches under my height, wide, but thin rails, low rocker.....took me a decade of getting annoyed w various fishes grovellers etc with thick rails to realize those kinda boards just down work for me. ...have friends that rip em but I hate em.
Once you solve the puzzle for yourself magic can really happen
Used is key let's you try stuff and find what works for you
"Once you solve the puzzle for yourself magic can really happen." Sounds like we are on the same page Mr. Kelly. My preferred boards are variations on mid lengths for a long time though.
Foam has a lot to do with it. Around here if given the option there’s companies you don’t want blanks from. Makes a huge difference in durability.
The other thing is if you’ve got a shaper or machine that takes too much off the deck of the blank it doesn’t matter how much glass you put on, you’ll have something that doesn’t hold up well.
So true. My last couple of customs the shaper cut it as close as possible to the top of the blank and it's made a huge difference
This is very obvious when shaping boards. You don't need to cut very deep for the foam to soften up. I've found surfblanks to be really good though.
Nev has lots of Posts about Machines
Hmm fair bit of hype there, still nice machine interesting if the router has a tool changer
When I first saw the headline of the article, I thought it was about graphic design and logos.
Here's a logo I'd pay extra for; love the design. Boards look good too:
https://jonessurfboards.com/collections/surfboards
The price of new boards may have gone up a fair bit in the last couple of years but so has everything else ( board materials ect) . My first new board was in about 1981 and cost about $375, now when I think about the cost of a beer (pot) it was about $1 . Think about the jump in cost of all things since 1981 and you’ll see that boards haven’t risen in price to much especially if you consider that even when machine shaped, they are finished by hand.
I’m a bit late to these comments but I really think surfers need both incremental and radical changes in surfing equipment.
Our constant search for confirmation bias limits our capabilities. A good example is the 45 yo stuck on thinking an extra litre will make his board corky, when 5 extra litres will transform his surfing for the better.
Get on market place or gumtree and try them all.