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I'll just answer Laceys question from the original post... and then some...
2+ years ago I wasn't happy with what the Name Brands had to offer, in my eyes boards were too heavy, too big and too expensive.
So I looked at customs and nothing really stood out. Rod's Surf Shapes were definitely different but I didn't think they would quite suit
what I was after.
So I had a go at shaping myself. I had a long history in sailboarding and had worked closely with local shapers and thought I'd do alright
and lucky enough my first board went amazing. The finish was very rough but it worked. Anyway, that shape evolved 3 times and each
board did something different/better.
The problem with customs IMO is you are never happy for long and always want something better. Just like Lacey going through board
after board trying to build the perfect board. The other thing is the quality of workmanship is very high but the overall strength doesn't
quite match that of "some" of the name brands. I've seen this with most of the customs floating around Vicco.
I'm now on production boards again as I believe they got a kick up the bside and are now pushing the limits with development. The fight
to gain market share amongst the big guys is enough for them to be taking R&D seriously.
Anyway, so to wrap it up...for me... as long as the name brands are building quality high performance boards that compare to customs,
the name brands strength of build, warranty, back up service and re-sale value will be enough to keep me coming back and updating.
Sh!t boys, you've all set a Seabreeze record of high word count per post! Lacey, I think Jacko is still with us all in the general SUP buying public... Of course there are some special offers in there, but he still needs to choose boards to ride, even if it is a slightly limited choice from one manufacturer.... at times.... Plus he must choose to demo other selected boards...
i was going to say what i thought. thanks mate
hey im not that far from byron so thanks for that. Is it only Byron you can demo or are there other places that do it as well? Advertise people and let simple people like me know that is possible.
rahams what piece of advice were you going to give,say it
I have surfed all my life and I have owned a number of custom boards in that time, however, I am now SUPing, sailing and surfing on pop outs. The reason is simple, they last longer thereby making them cheaper in the long run. I appreciate the craftsmanship of a finely made custom board, I am comfortable with chatting to a shaper about rails and rockers and all the other crap, but why would I do that if I can get a board off the rack that suits my need?
Interesting discussion about resale value of boards.
I have seen plenty of sports grow at the rate the Stand Up us growing but I have never in 25 years see the dollar escalate so consistently to such a height, at the same time.
It is these two factors that have lead to an over supply and prices dropping on all boards. This then makes it harder to get a good return when you sell your board.
When we started selling SUP's in 2007 the price of imported boards was $2300. Two years later it had dropped to $1800. Last season our cheapest board was $1399. This year it is $1099 with a paddle!
This is going to slow down however if the dollar has finally hit the ceiling.
I guess you cant have it both ways - prices dropping and second hand values not following suit.
As customs are just that 'customised to suit a particular rider, they are always going to be harder to sell and get a good return. They are also generally made lighter for high performance.
It also makes it harder (to get a good return), when you buy into a niche market, that is still developing (race boards) or you go for smaller unknown brands - exceptions being highly sort after, quality product.
Nothing has changed, it happens in every boom sport. It is just made worse with an escalating dollar.
Hope this helps to ease the pain
If you can afford it,know what you want(and what you are talking about) and have a shaper you can communicate with you get a custom board. If not you demo as many boards as you can til you find one that works for you and one you can afford. The origin of that board is irrelevant imo--most people make purchases with their wallet not their sense of patriotism!!!! BTW i can only dream of spending 20k on toys---currently saving for my second board(a VERY slow process when you are on a pension)
Hey breezers firstly just want to say I have found this thread a great read, informative with mostly balanced views from all posters. What I am most impressed is that unlike other 'topical' threads it hasn't degenerated into a heated slanging match.
Back on topic my thoughts are that being relatively new to SUP I will always go for the 'off the shelf' product to start with. Hey it might be a local or an o/s board but it will be my decision based on what I need. If there were two boards I considered suitable I would probably choose the local shaped board but that's me. I like being part of the local community and try and support local as much as I can but that's my mindset and each to their own. As mentioned though that there are limited local 'off the shelf' products available so and o/s board maybe my only choice.
On the question re pimping, I am all for retailers, shapers, suppliers promoting their product as in the end it helps me the consumer make an better informed decision on what in my books is a big purchase. I however wouldn't want to see those who have spent and invested money supporting the site get taken for a ride. Maybe have a separate monitored thread with levels of access for promotion for such posts. Probably cant be done but just an idea.
I am also wondering what's going to happen if/when the AUD falls, will that $1099 board deal AA mentioned go back up to $1500 or beyond. That will be a real test for the market to see
the level of elasticity of demand for SUP's. Dont think we have to worry about the AUD falling too much in the short term though, just came back from an Economic Function in Brissie and the honchos there are saying the exchange rate will fall but will still hover around USD$1 over the next two years. The US is an economic basket case right now with no real upside for a long time.
For me resale was a big factor in buying a board, but now I've progressed to sup's with the volume around 110litres its going to be hard to sell a production board as well a custom of that size because the crew surfing these will want the newest ,latest, greatest anyway so for my most recent purchase went for the custom option and had it made more specific to suit what I wanted.Thanks Dan
.
If I wanted a larger sup with more volume it would appeal to more people so would then probably go for a popout as easier to sell.
P.S Would like to thank the big advertisers on this site for giving me the opportunity to post here.
Jez Mac dont' lie - your already in that rocking chair, didn't you order a custom one from McTav?
I have home made, chinese made, Thai made, and Ausie made boards in the garage and have enjoyed riding them all. Will I buy another pop out? Sure if the board suits the purpose.
The nice thing about a custom is just that it's tailor made to suit you and for people like me on the bigger end of the spectrum the status quo doesn't always suit us or you want something just outside of the norm/funky, an extra 1" there or here. Lets be honest if your buying a custom board your not buying it to sell it so the resale thing is a bit null and void, not to mention people value stuff far more than it should be when it's second hand (take half off each year you own it). The other nice thing about a custom is depending on how close you are to the shaper and with the shaper you can be a part of the process and watch it be created.
