Webber vs. Dan Taylor

i repaired a Webber Fatburner last year that was made in Thailand. IDK if all Webbers are made in that factory over there or what but it had a really weak glass job...feather light no doubt and a nice shape but i wasnt impressed with the construction.

 

It depends on what your looking for really

The webbers are mass produced in thailand at the GSI cobra factory, so therefore they are cheaper, and the newer ones are made of SLX epoxy that looks pretty legit. the downside being they only come in stock dims and i dont think perform super well.

The DT is going to be a legit board, probably a bit closer to your dims, and surf like a regular board would. the downsides are that it probably costs more, and is not as strong.

bottom line if your looking for a board to mess around with and you arent that serious, go with the webber. if you looking to shred the gnar go with the DT

 

Nothing against DT...but I feel like I've seen way to many of those break. I had a brand new 5'10 and snapped it in ****ty NJ waves... I absolutely loved that board and if I still rode stand up, I'd probably get another...but I just seen way too many people have theirs snap.

 

I would buy the DT. Support surfer labor... buy surfboards handcrafted by surfers. Buying crap boards made in Asia helps no one. Doesn't help you enjoy surfing, doesn't help our economy, doesn't help surfers further the thoughtful design of surfboards. I bet you can find a local east coast shaper who could shape a board that will do exactly what want for a reasonable price and you'll get a custom board built specifically for you. But if you're itching to buy one off the rack at least support the guy who is keeping the labor in the US done by surfers. Half the reason or economy is in the sh!tter is because everyone wants to buy cheap crap made oversees instead of paying a few extra dollars for a better product made here and keeping jobs in the country. Ok rant over. But if anything, DT has been shaping boards for east coast guys for years so he knows our waves. That's reason enough to go with him. Order a custom and get it glassed stronger if you're concerned about durability.

 

I half agree with what you have to say.. but my concern with what you have to say is.. .why would you want to buy something "American" if it is of less quality or not as good as something from an outsource? Not saying every shaper or company in America sucks or is horrible but with his given choices... if the Webber is better than the DT, then get the Webber. Guys at my old job gave me **** for buying a Subaru instead of an American car..well guess what? I'm sorry I view American cars as pieces of **** and would be a waste of MY money to get one... My advice to the OP... get the one that suits your needs.

 

China Boards

Unfortunatly rgnsup you are wrong. Comparing surfboards to cars is completely different. The surfboards that are mass manufactured over seas are usually of much poor quality and do not hold to the wear and tear of surfers. Also it is almost impossible to find a board that is mass produced that works better then a traditional board made in America or Australia. There is a reason why they are often hundreds of dollars less then other boards. Surf boards are made, or created. Foam is the template and what comes out of is the artwork, and that is what you are paying for when selecting an american created board. Your subaru is made for quality, thus quality is what you receive.

Ps. Your Subaru was probably "put together" here in america. Along with Toyotas, Hondas, Hyundia's ect.

 

Forgot to say

Go with the Dan Taylor!!!!

 

The process is simple - call em up or e-mail, get together and talk shapes. ASK QUESTIONS! If you like what you hear, put down a deposit. NOT the whole cost of the board. Local shapers in the mid atlantic aren't making many boards for pros..average surfers are their main customers.

 

I am not wrong. I simply said get the one that best suits your needs. What I was trying to say is don't get something of less quality (not saying DT is!!!) because it is made in America opposed to somewhere else.

 

Custom Board

You should call Bill at cosmic bull sufboards. www.cosmicbullsurfboards.com Talk it through with him.

 

cars are mass produced, and made of steel. Each part is made from a mold and then attached to a car.

surfboards are made of foam that is shaped to an individuals dimensions (unless they are GSI or surftech) and are completely individual of one another. the two arent really comparable as far as being built in the US or in THAILAND (GSI factory).

I sell em at the shop i work for. one of my friends bought an afterbuner and stepped through glass at the stringer in a little over two weeks. granted when he stood up he used his knee, but i duno about the durability. however, this was also the regualar poly/gloss coat construction and the new SLX **** looks legit.

Bottom line is GSI boards are made for beginners or people on a budget who dont care about performance. if you wanna rip, get the dan taylor. if you wanna tell your friends you surf, buy the Webber

 

Agreed with above

As with bruce, I also work at a shop however we do not carry any of those cheaper china boards, we do however carry surftech but those a different story. We consitently have people bring in boards to get repaired that are of the cheaper quality. Usually we do not even attempt to repair since it is likely to break again. Shapers are you friends machines are not.

oh yea, check out ebay if you want a webber, they are $325, new

 

Local NEW JERSEY shapers who can shape you a board that will work as good for you as anything you can buy off the rack from a California, Hawaii, Australia, shaper:

Brian Wynn http://www.wynnsurfboards.com/
Essence Surf http://www.essencesurf.com/
Cosmic Bull http://www.cosmicbullsurfboards.com/
Chaize http://www.myspace.com/chaize_surfboards
Heritage http://www.heritagesurf.com/herit-form.htm

And there are plenty of backyard shapers who could also deliver a great board for less. Go to the annual Anything But 3 East this year September 26th in Harvey Cedars and meet some of them.

We have the talent and the ability here in NJ, but we shoot ourselves in the foot because too many people here are A. Pro whores who think they can ride what Kelly rides and surf how Kelly surfs and B. Are wannabes and media whores who idolize the California or Hawaii culture. This is why we haven't developed a local surfboard market. Embrace the idea of being a NEW JERSEY surfer and an EAST COAST surfer. Trust the local guys and you can get a great board at a cheaper price and have a better buying experience. Meet your shaper in person, talk to him about what you want the board to do and how you want to surf it. Tell him your ability level. I'm not saying don't buy boards from California, Hawaii, etc. because variety in boards makes surfing more fun. But don't be afraid to trust the local guy, just because he's local. Don't think you HAVE to buy from California for the board to be good. I'm sure the Dan Taylor board is a great option, but don't think you HAVE to go that route to get a good board.


As for the car comparison, it's far from the same thing. Yes a mass produced Surftech Cobra or GSI board will work fine for 90% of the surfers out there because lets face it, we are not Kelly or Bruce or Dane. And a machine might be able to reproduce the same rail shape, concave, and rocker to the micrometer. But a machine can't talk to you and figure out what you really need to take your surfing to the next level. A machine puts a SURFER out of business.

Your foreign car actually puts money in the pocket of the american working in the Subaru factory in Indiana where the car is assembled. And cars are not custom made. They are custom chosen for the features that you want. You picked a Subaru because that's what you wanted. Nowadays Ford and GM are almost, if not just as, reliable as Honda and Toyota. It just depends on what you are looking for in a car. Although I do prefer to buy American, that is not what we are argueing here. We are saying that buying from a SURFER and keeping a SURFER in business and getting a CUSTOM board made to meet your specific needs is what matters. Whether the surfer is in NJ, CA, Austrailia or Iceland, it's a surfer who can continue the art of crafting wave riding instruments. Even if I could get a completely symmetrical perfectly shaped magic surfboard from an oversees cheap labor factory, I still wouldn't do it. I'd rather keep a surfer in business building custom, functional pieces of sculpture that possess a handmade beauty of their own.

 

nice......