"But something like LINUX, cheap or free, popular and even more stable that expensive WINDOWS. But both live on the same planet and even do not compete much - just different use."
Kind of like if operating systems were airlines, WINDOWS would crash, No one would no how to fly LINUX (or repair it) and APPLE would be too expensive to fly?
If the main aim is to reduce the cost of using the latest gear then I would think that some sort of share scheme would be easier to organise. Given the long hours many of us work, shift work and FIFO it should be possible for a group of people to buy a stack of gear from a single manufacturer/ distributor for a reduced price and then share the gear using some sort of internet booking system.
All that is needed is for a bunch of windsurfers to agree of the brand to be purchased and then agree on the model and then agree on the construction which should be an entertaining process. It would help if the group weren't to geographically seperated but shared an interest in just one of the windsurfing disciplines and if the gear could be stored within walking distance of the beach.
Pretty sure if your not overly concerned with cutting edge performance you could march your ass down to your local shop (supporting the industry) and buy a 2yr old secondhand board ( keeping the money local) for under $1000. You would get a better board than an Chinese pop out, guaranteed.
This is like talking to a brick this thread
Aus301: Some good points about home brew and GPL, but that is getting off topic, so no comment.
Macro: That is a much better approach. I don't know anything about board making, so no help, but if you can find somebody interested in shaping and who would be willing to give their designs to a community project, it could turn into something bigger. There's enough experience on this site to feed into that. Get a design, iterate/refine it with theory and mockups. Then if that goes well, make a full size prototype and test it.
You sound like a project leader. Designers are good at designing, but not good at progressing the design to mass production. It takes the leader to push it to that stage. However, I think you are getting ahead of yourself. It's all good to talk about production, but you need to find a shaper, turn out a design prototype, with some evidence of testing and rationale of your design (not just something that looks good). If you reach that stage and you have that documented proof, I am willing to buy a board.
but please don't steel other designers ideas. That would be a ****y thing to do. Two wrongs don't make a right.
Aus301: Regarding small and fragile local industry, when shapers like Peter Ross and Werner Gnigler eventually retire, who is going to replace them ?. I support anybody who wants to learn how to make boards. A community project would be a fantastic vehicle for that. Two (or more) heads with a passion to design is better than one.
I hate to destroy everyone's dreams but you could not get a board out of Cobra for anything like the dollars people are talking about here. With mould costs from $30 - 100 k you guys are dreaming. Chinese manufacture would be possible but I'd rather have a 8 year old Jp or Starboard any day than those POS.
It is also in Cobras interests to protect its big customers ( Pryde, Starboard Naish etc) so they would NEVER do it!
While your at it Macro why don't we do a SB car, we could cut out all the middlemen and get a Chinese one for half price. I honestly think some people on here are mentally challenged.