What was the single best bargain you've ever scored when buying windsurfing gear? Let's hear it!
Allow me to go first; I'm still pretty chuffed about this one coz it was only a week ago...
Last Saturday, The Windsurfing Shop (Singapore) had it's annual sale, and as usual I was first in the queue, pockets full of cash. And there it was, sparkling in the morning sunlight like a vision from heaven - my baby!
A Powerex 400cm skinny mast in excellent, almost new condition - 90 Singapore dollars!!
According to the current exchange rate, in Aussie money that's $69.21!
I grabbed it (along with 3 other masts and a heap of boardshorts and mast pads and sunglasses and luggage...some of the other guys were hatin' on me, but what can I say? Didn't your mama tell you - the early bird gets the worm!!!
Can anybody top that? (Free stuff doesn't count!)
My mobile phone company has stuffed my billing up, again. This time however I'm not getting charged, at all. In fact I'm building up a slight credit. 9 months and counting.
a proto v8 sail circa 2005 for the pro's to test it was bought by a friend and had one panel at the top fix for a tear but all crisp no specs, no size but later found to be a 6.6 and i called him up 'you can have it just pay the repair' which was 800p or 20aus$
No way anyone can beat Willy's one!
For me a early (2001??) Carve 123 for a carton of beer. Thanks Raggy!!!!
bit of delam in between the footstraps but got 4 or so hours of (hard) use before it got too bad and it needs a $30 repair.... well I already have plenty of div cell and epoxy and glass...
Just (like this arvo!) picked up a brand new Tabou Manta 59 (admittedly the '07 model) for $1,650.
Super stoked with that (more than a grand off full retail).
Love a bargain.
In 2006 i got a 2004 Starboard Kombat, 4.7m Gaastra grind, 5.3m gaastra manic, 430 carbon mast, wave boom to fit both sails and uni joint for $600. Was stoked with that. Ended up selling the gear i didnt want for $500 + couple old sails for $25 in effect getting a two year old board for $75. Couldnt go wrong. Thats my best deal but i usually search around for anything i need as im tight on for cash not having a constant working hours job and all.
Bubs
Dad worked for qantas, got a cheap travel deal. Briz-San fran, weeks accom' in california,a weeks car rental in cal',LAX to hawaii, a weeks accom' wakiki, hawaii- Briz. all up???? $743.
i get bargins all the time, pays off working in a shop that sells gear, but my van to carry my sailing gear was a good one, 2 cases of beer, had 1 months rego. and a pink slip for the next year. i bought a tiga 265 slalom board for $50 sailed it once, hated it, then sold it for $350. but those skinny masts for under $70, thats a steal..
$70 for a new powerex skinny ?????? I only paid $650 for mine
PLEASE, someone tell me that the shop was making a big loss .....
The Very Best Bargain Ever -
As a beginner I sailed a battered Tyronsea 330 with a broken finbox and a broken mast track. It was good because it didn't matter what I did to it, sail it onto rocks, drop it on the road, throw it at the dog. It didn't matter. It was tough and ugly. I bought a ratty old 6.5m sail, an aluminium mast and a cheap mast base to go with it. The mast base was a picture of design elegance, simple pure and light. It was a Bic single bolt affair with a simple recessed plastic lever - and it was CHEAP... "mmm cheap windsurfing bits... must have."
I took my acquisition to the bay and sailed off in a glorious 10kt southeaster. After a bit I started to feel some odd little thumps that became more and more frequent ... jellyfish. I was sailing through the biggest mob of jellyfish ever assembled, a MILLION ACRES of the buggers. After 3 hours of relentless thumping I was somewhere near the middle of this pulsating horde when my marvellously elegant mast base decided to demonstrate to me why it was so cheap. How? well it let go of the mast didn't it.
It was the height of summer and I was as close to nude as I'm ever likely to be with a harness on. Now I'm not saying those jellies were malicious or vengeful (which they had every right to be because I had blithely scythed my way through them with a blunt fin and that must have hurt). In retrospect I can only admire their restraint, but restrained or not JEEEEEEEEEZUS K RICED did they wreak their revenge.
Is it easy to hold a big old Tyronsea 330 on its side in bumpy water while trying to insert the uni in the mast base while being afflicted with the torments of HELL?... Doesn't sound easy does it. Well I'm sure it isn't and I would tell you that with authority if I could remember doing it. I don't remember how I got to shore but I must have done it or I wouldn't be here. (I am here aren't I doc?). They gave me this comfy white coat with very long sleeves and some lovely medicine that keeps the j***yf**h away. (You wont let them get me will you). I spend my days writing long rude letters to Mr Bic and my nights... well I'd like to dream of sailing but I don't dare.
My best is a 64 falcon xp wagon i bought for 50 bucks.I drove that across the nullabour (Noosa to Lano) 4 times fully laden with windsurfing gear. What a sight she must have been out there
.
Sold it for $800 Should have kept her though
....
The best bargain I got was buying a brand new 3 bedroom brick veneer house at Nambucca Heads in 1995 for $90,000.
There will be more real estate bargains coming up in NSW as the economy goes down the sh!tter for a while.
Another good bargain was buying BHP shares for $23 a couple of years back.
Right now there are many bargains on the sharemarket but I lack the funds to buy.
Certainly wasn't the new Chinook two pin cup uni joint for $78 - ouch!
Should've just wrapped the old one in layers of duct tape.
2 one season old kites (9m +13m) with bugger all use and nice n crispy (wait for it) with bar n lines... $700.
Ad was on SB for two weeks and must have seemed too good to be true (I thought so at 1st too). Out of curiosity I eventually had a look at em and couldn't get my wallet out quick enough!! Still have and might(?) upgrade this season after hammering em for 2+ seasons
Pity cause now that is the benchmark and I expect this level of value!! Yep I am a tight-wad but LOVE a bargain!!
Ha ha ha - what a dufus - just realised i made my 1st post on the poley side!!
Oh well - was still a red hot bargain!!
Hope you guys are gettin some wind anyway...