Yes or NO - global surf industries

Thanks dood! Yeah man, I take it out from time to time. Started surfing in my teens b/c I was struggling with dk...I mean I was never some rail to rail shreddah but I learned on a 6'0" Bushman and had plenty of fun down the line rides.

But now when it throws I'm all about barrels and projecting off the lip on da sponge...but looks like this weekend will require the LB.

Still struggle with dropknee

 

not going anywhere w/this but am wondering if this process has been replaced
with an inter-active web page. firewire has one and i used it to buy my last 3....it was kinda like
i needed a shaper but went ahead without him...with internet support....but the actual purchase was
from local shops who stock what i want.

 

I would agree with you, but most surfboards are not being sold to people hours from the ocean.

 

^^if you want, i can call Jon and get you an appt if you want a custom (trust me, it's worth it)

 

It's your money, do whatever you want with it.

 

That's cool though, it's good to be versed in both, I've never tried a sponge but not opposed to giving it a go, seems like fun with the right conditions. Drop knee seems challenging but I bet with enough practice you'll dial it in.

 

I'd much rather spend my money with an American craftsman than some overseas sweatshop. That said, I too am turned off by the condescending vibe that some shapers seem to have. If you are only interesting in making big wave guns for pros, that's cool, you don't need my business. There are lots of really great shapers that are genuinely interested in helping average guys surf better.

 

It's funny how this is a lot like politics where everything is so partisan and everyone has to be extremely on one side. I have dunno prob 11 boards in my garage. All are hand shaped and 1 is a firewire and the firewire is by far the one I like the most. Thing just flies for the crappy waves around here. But I also just did an inido trip and got a locally shaped board there and the thing was just a magic carpet. I tried to custom order the same indo board to bring home but the shaper wouldn't get back to me.

I like the fact that I can get another firewire that is exactly the same when mine craps out. I dislike the fact that I couldn't get the same board an inch longer or 1/2 wider...that is what custom shapers have over mass produced boards. The truth is the durability of firewires, surftechs, etc has forced all companies to consider how they can make boards stronger for the average Joe. We have all been through a Lost or CI that is worthless after a year of surfing often and it sucks. I am all in with buying made in the USA and getting a hand shaped board made out of tested alternative durable materials but my days of buying a standard PU board are over. Companies that provide great shapes that are durable are where my money will go. I am also through getting custom shaped boards. I have bought 4 of them and I am always disappointed. My boards always work out way better when I can put my hands on them before I commit. Just my opinion

 

stuck home from work w/ a middle ear infection. so...can't speak to quiet flight boards, but malcolm campbell does basically zero marketing. jp at surfy surfy & the folks at moonlight are behind that. malcolm pretty much just lets word of mouth do the work & it is a true custom experience. he doesn't do any work w/ volume, either, b/c his pre-cuts come off the machine w/out the bonzer bottom done & the tails squared off...that's all put in by hand, so whatever # comes off the computer is meaningless for the finished board. if you want a campbell bonzer & there aren't any to feel up at your local shop, contact surfy surfy or email malcolm himself.

sometimes you just have to jump in & take a chance. i've had boards that, on paper, should be perfect for me & i hated them. then others that should be too small/too low volume that worked great. the last couple swells i've ridden a 5'6" campbell mini bonzer 5. conventionally, far too small for a guy my size. the thing is absolute TITS, though.

 

Nice post...you have an interesting perspective. The part of your quote that I clipped is what i was thinking about earlier. I must be easier on my boards or something because I've had many standard glassed PU boards that have done me for several years each. 6'2" Jon Ashton that i have ridden a ton for about 5 years and i know it is just standard 2 x 4 oz on the deck and 1 x 4 oz on the bottom. The deck is all caved in from pressure dings, with no effect on performance. 5'10" Chemistry Disk that I'm sure is machine shaped, and same 4 oz glassing schedule and after three years old with lots of use just has a ton of pressure dings on the deck with no efffect of performance. I've made a couple boards myself that i ride constantly and they are PU/PE construction with 4 oz cloth and UV cure poly resin. I dont even use day bags most of the time...stack the boards in the back of a corolla and surf. I'm 155 pounds and surf year round about 2-3 times a week and never really felt like my PU boards are much of an issue after a couple or more years of heavy use, and appreciate the fact that any and all ding repairs are simple.

 

hardly. they've been around for 40+ years at this point & while they have several thousand devotees around the world, i wouldn't say that are "in" now any more than they've ever been.. i'm certainly an outspoken proponent, but i rarely see someone else riding a bonzer in my area.
& having a website is hardly the same as the kind of advertising & marketing that the bigger names do...ci, lost, rusty, etc...even gsi. i've been places where other surfers have never even heard of the bonzer, let alone seen one in person.

& i've been saying this for a while now, but i've come to believe that surfers have become too dependent on volume. wetted surface area is far more important, i think, as long as the board is w/in the surfers volume range. hence why i can ride a 5'6"x21 1/4"x2 5/8" mini b5 or a 5'8"x21 1/8"x2 5/16" bing dharma at 197lbs.
marketing is bs; people really just need to be honest w/ themselves about how they want to surf & what they want out of their boards. the down the line cruisey types need to stop being told that they want a hpsb type board if they want to progress as a surfer.

 

also, stop getting your boards glassed w/ tissue paper. if you're a recreational surfer (read: not trying to "go pro" or compete seriously) over 175lbs, a 4/4 deck is ****ing stupid. get yourself a 6/4 deck & watch your boards magically last longer.

 

i have ridden my new firewire (addvance) a dozen times now and am still
SHOCKED by how well it rides in crap surf.

 

I also believe that there is a perception of a board being done that isnt always true. I personally will ride my boards until they break, delam, stringer pops etc. Ive had a dhd that I surfed frequently for past 5-6 years, just blew the fin box out of it the other day. Some dudes swap boards whats theres too many dents on the deck, and say the board was shot.

If dings are fixed and you dont store them in the sun a board can have a much longer life in my opinion.

Would I surf a gsi or surftec? Yeah sure why not.

 

This should make everyone real nervous

 

+1 for DCAL- Got a custom Pinecone from Danny 2 months ago built based on knowing the breaks i surf- my ability and weight. Worth every penny- and supports the local stoke.