Purchase & Leave It There

[yankee]

Thinking of doing a trek to PR with a couple buddies. The board fees on AA are ridiculous: $ 150 per board each way. So, if we bring x3 that's $ 900 in fees alone - - and that's if we get lucky & the AA rep doesn't peer in & see the other 3 or 4 sticks in the coffins.

So, the thinking is that maybe purchase a used board there from a surf shop ? Or, purchase one of those $ 100 Costco boards ? Although the Costco boards are probably all soft tops & beastly.

Maybe the surf shop route is the better way to go: more selection.

Then when the trip is ending, we would just give our boards to local kids & head for the airport. Good karma & good stoke.

Anyone ever try this purchase-local & leave-it-there aspect in PR ? Anyone have an idea of what sticks cost in PR ?

[wallysurfr]

Just rent from Carlos at the Boarding House. $100 per week and you can switch out your board unlimited times in case the swell changes. His quiver is extensive!

Link: http://www.boardinghousepr.com/

[leethestud]

sounds like the first answer is the best, but, in lue of paying another $150, I left a board with the grounds keeper of the house we rented on a CR trip last year and made a friend for life. Most people who live at these destinations don't have the $ to keep their quiver on pace with the amount that they surf. Leaving a (fairly) fresh board with a good surfer will be GREATLY appreciated. Who doesn't want friends in cool places?

Enjoy puerto rico!, I'm considering my first trip there this November.

[mitchell]

Or Bobby at Mar Azul surf shop in Rincon. $125 / week, dozens of poly boards to rent, lets you swap out all week as often as you feel like stopping by.

[ND081]

Or Bobby at Mar Azul surf shop in Rincon. $125 / week, dozens of poly boards to rent, lets you swap out all week as often as you feel like stopping by.

i second this if youre staying in or near rincon. bobby is a really nice guy he'll hook you up with a good board, and you can switch it out whenever. they have a pretty good selection, and they aren't old and waterlogged either. it's right at the top of the 413 in the puntas area

[yankee]

Those answers are all helpful (and thoughtful). Muchas gracias, hombres.

[ECSURFR]

i would just be very wary when renting. Take a good look at the board your renting. Had a friend rent one in PR and it ended up breaking. Upon closer look it seemed it wasnt glassed very heavily and i have heard so many stories of how places like this shape **** boards and glass them lightly in hopes that visitors break them and then have to pay full price.

[yankee]

i would just be very wary when renting. Take a good look at the board your renting. Had a friend rent one in PR and it ended up breaking. Upon closer look it seemed it wasnt glassed very heavily and i have heard so many stories of how places like this shape **** boards and glass them lightly in hopes that visitors break them and then have to pay full price.

Now, that's definitely interesting. Everyone's gaming someone these days. At least it seems that way sometimes.

I am actually very wary of renting. The exact thing that ECSURFER describes (crap board, broke in half in waves that it shouldn't have broken in & cost me $ 600.00 after some protracted negotiating) happened to me in the DR. And the leash, the string were crap too.

I saw a guy going out through waves at Maderas, next to us, in Nica. Board broke going UP through a wave on his paddle out. We thought it was really strange. Come to find out it was a rental stick: cost him a cool 1k usd.

No easy answers, eh ?

Appreciate the heads-up on that angle.