How did you conjure that out of my post? Oh, so any WRV rider that surfs Indo has no business taking their board there? If I'm surfing Byron bay I should only surf shapes made around Byron bay? Your logic is flawed. The best riders spend time everywhere, (including NJ), if shapers had to shape boards that were so dialed in for one break, they wouldn't make any money...
hey man to each his own. if you want follow the trend far be it from me to stand in your way. The point about clothing is obviously lost on you. Hollister is all about trends. being told what to wear since it's 'cool'...much like CI boards.
does it really matter that much what you ride? Its how you ride not what you ride. fifty years ago guys were riding twenty foot waves on 15 foot planks of wood with no fins wetsuits or leashes.
Go to any surf shop in NJ and look at most of the inventory then sort of calibrate that with the skill level and access to quality surf of their customer base and you will likely come up with a big imbalance. Most local surfers in my opinion are not out there acting like sheep paying extra for a brand they see in mags and videos, my guess is its more of a case of them wildly over-estimate both their ability and their access to good waves and the surf industry and surf shops (wisely) exploits this. don't get me wrong, I'm not calling foul on that, they're there to make a profit and put food on their family's tables first and foremost.
This still makes little sense. So NJ shops carry mostly step-ups and guns? Skill level is decided by what? Airs and slashes? Wave height? Paddling and popping up? Just because someone can't launch off a lip they're not skilled enough to ride a 5'11 tri-fin and should be riding thick and wide fun shapes? And making a profit? Do you realize how little shops make on board sales? It wouldn't be enough to pay the bills, I'll tell you that much. MAYBE 100-150 profit margin per board. Besides, your argument has nothing to do with the fact that I stated CI boards are well-made quality surfboards...
2 for 2! two sentences in a row with ignorant statements. There are dozens of east coast shapers making great boards. You dont have to pick WRV, Wynn, or some guy whos made 10 boards in his garage. Being from Delmarva you should especially know that...Chincoteague is like 45 minutes from Jon Ashton who has been making sick boards for 40 years. The majority of the best riders ARENT riding any one brand. Not CI, not any other. That statement defies comprehension. By the way, I actually agree with you that several of the CI shapes are good boards for around here, and for that matter everywhere else, but so are loads of east coast shapers.
I liked Heritage in OC for it's used board / longboard supply, surfer's supplies definetly is the best overall and 7th st is just over priced crap. However, I didn't enjoy a few of Heritage's employees, one guy that looks like Bill Murray, and this 40ish manly chick can have some pretty nasty attitudes at times. Down here I like freedom surf (nice that it's a 2 min drive from my apartment). Austin Surfboards makes some nice stuff but they sell just surfboards, not really a shop per se. WRV shop is stupid. Their employees are litterally stupid. The other shops don't really sell boards besides a few LOST or chinese boards and mostly sell all clothing.
Lightly Salted Surf Mercado in Asbury Park, NJ. Not as big as some of the other shops around but it definitely has a cool selection and good artwork. Plus, always friendly vibes going around and it's right on the ocean. Couldn't ask for anything more!
lightly salted labrador has that supercool and groovy fake hippie vibe for sure.all surfers gotta eat,so let's squeeze every last dollar out of them and all poser kooks and phony hippies with our surf-themed food establishments and phony hippie surf shops.glide,dude bro,friendly vibes,the surf 'culture'
Hands down Chauncey's in Ocean City, MD. Anyone who says K-Coast is a kook. (I actually think that may be what the K stands for)
in hatteras, its gotta be hatteras island boardsports. the guys there know what they're talking about and know how to keep me coming back for more. and the new shop they're about to open is gonna kill it. freedom surf in va beach is a no brainer. they've got a rad style, great customer service, and stick to their roots. finally, in ocean city, its malibu's. lee knows everything about all the merch he sells. and every kid that works there surfs religiously. and each surfboard in there is sick in its own right. i'm obviously a "mom and pop" surf shop kinda guy and all of these shops are great examples of this.
Agreed. It's full of people who work at a surf shop for the cool factor. Any place you buy a board without having a set of fins thrown in is a load if you ask me. It's like going to a car dealership and having to pay extra for the wheels.
The K actually does stand for something.. i dont think it was even called K Coast when they first opened up in downtown OC back in the 1980s before they moved up to 77th st. It was some word that started with a "k" not kook but some long a$$ed word. Man...memories fade...someone on here with brain cells left knows what i'm searching for. The last time i went in there a couple years ago I was fondling a nice hand shaped Larry Mayo poly keel fin fish and told the clerk how i really liked the shape but 6'0" was just too big. He proceeds to proudly show me three or four 5'6" SURFTECH Larry Mayo keel fin fishes and was like "no problem we've got shorter ones!" i bummed out and left.
From their website: "K-Coast Surf Shop first opened its doors over twenty two years ago in the spring of 1989 on Somerset Street in downtown Ocean City. During that first summer, the tiny 600 square foot shop was originally called Kookaburra Coast, named after the Australian Kingfisher bird."
