Surf Shop Experiences

lol wow I always thought they were the same person,dave neilson unless that's someone entirely different?never been there but been following them for some time

 

Nah. Dave Juan and Mike Nelson

 

Nah NYNJ. Nature's shapes. Bunger is actually the shop i mentioned that i hate

 

(As always) buy local and don't expect a bro deal. Especially if you buy from a small surf shop and/or from a local shaper and it's truly handmade. By asking for a bro-deal, you're robbing someone, somewhere...

If it's a large CI-like brand then sure. Much bigger margins - mostly pumped out from a sweat shop in Asia somewhere anyways. Not sure about Chili - probably not handmade but could be wrong.

 

Ironic. The brother of the owner of the shop you're talking about has shaped hundred's of boards. Remember Wetstix? That's him. Nice guy that helped me out shaping a long time ago.

 

Yeah. Mikes a super cool dude... I used to go to bunger when I was a kid but haven't been there in years.

 

You/We are OLD Have great memories & laughs in the stores & contests of all of them except clear light. You probably would remember some of these names from the past. Jay Hall @ Sunshine, Rick Pairo, Chad Hopkins vs Kelly Slater battles @ NSSA events, Bombers had stacked team & Tilly @ OC Surf Sport also had a great team.

 

Always had good experiences at Atlantic Beach surf shop in Long Beach. I always feel like the place is empty and never end up leaving without bs'in for 20 minutes.

 

Not that I really care, or support them, but for the most part, boards shaped for names like CI are either built in their home factory or farmed out to smaller named shapers with tutelage from the head shaper themself. Britt Merrick will be sure the particular shaper can tackle his shapes and make them consitently to his specs. He will require particular rail shapes to be matched, bottom contours, foiling, etc. So say if CI is based out of "san clemente" (not sure where they are exactly) theyt could have a shop out of North Carolina building the same boards with same names, but with maybe slightly different dims. But were not popped out of an Asian Country. Now surftech on the other hand, their CI boards are probably made by little hands.

 

Hard to find a good shop anymore- they arnt what they used to be...

In the past- you could walk in and spend hours just hanging and talking without feeling awkward... that's all changed. I wonder if it has to do with everyone buying stuff off the internet now, idk or maybe it's just the culture and the next generation

Anyways- to the OP- generally surf shops only mark up the boards 100$ from their price. (At least that's they way it was a few years ago. I don't buy new boards anymore- I use CL) so the shops don't really make much off the boards and they don't sell often. But I do agree with you- they usually have always offered some kinda deal- at least throw in a leash and track pad if buying for full price!

 

Good ole OC of my youth!