Sorry kids, but I just don't get how some manufacturers can charge the amount they are asking for some of their boards. They are all made in China or Taiwan or similar. They all use composite constructions of some type, yet some sell for $850, while others sell for $2000 (similar ratio for carbon boards). Have seen a lot of different boards in action and some of the cheaper ones surf as well, if not better than the pricey ones and they are in as good a condition after the same amount of use.
Maybe having a 100 sponsored athletes pushes the price up?
And don't tell me about R&D etc, etc, they are just big surfboards so that old chestnut is not on.
Its because some sell direct and don't support the market.
And some wholesale to stores, which do support the market.
I agree with Westozwind but if you are talking about cheap Chinese boards or what the Surfboard Warehouse are offering well you need to compare apples with apples....They sell direct & don't have a retail network (other than their own), R&D or team riders.....They put nothing back into the sport & just want to pump out volume & don't care about the industry...Their model can't last as they have beachfront rents & wages to pay but in the meantime they just ruin the industry...Walk into any real surf shop now & a 5'10 JS, DHD or any name brand shortboard will cost you $1200....It's like mountain bikes, I have mates who are happy to drop $10k just on a frame & others who'll ride a $300 Ananconda bike...It will be interesting to see if the cheapies will be around when people do have warranty issues as I just witnessed someone snap a cheapie at Merimbula in small waves...But it is a free market & just like cars some people will buy purely on price & others will buy because of a brand or quality....
Can't see how surfboard warehouse are hurting the industry. So long as their boards are well constructed, good shapes and they give good backup, all the boxes they appear to tick, then that's a positive for the consumer and keeps prices of all brands down. I've never bought one of their boards but may well do one day if they come up with a shape that suits my weight and style. It's the same for the Blue Planet boards and Stonker Torquay, which I have bought. Not quite as cheap as surf board warehouse but much cheaper than the big brands for carbon. Great boards, great prices, win for the little man with the smaller wallet.
Select to expand quoteMickMc said...
Can't see how surfboard warehouse are hurting the industry. So long as their boards are well constructed, good shapes and they give good backup, all the boxes they appear to tick, then that's a positive for the consumer and keeps prices of all brands down. I've never bought one of their boards but may well do one day if they come up with a shape that suits my weight and style. It's the same for the Blue Planet boards and Stonker Torquay, which I have bought. Not quite as cheap as surf board warehouse but much cheaper than the big brands for carbon. Great boards, great prices, win for the little man with the smaller wallet.
I totally agree. I have a number of big brand super expensive carbon boards (and I have owned many more) and I also own 3 of the Surf Warehouse boards, which I love and they are quality boards that perform. But what do they do for the sport?? They allow many more people to get into the sport at an affordable price, many who may have never given the sport a go due to the excessive prices charged by the big brands. It gives people a choice like all the other products we want to buy - if you want a Rolls Royce or you want a Kia, you have a choice.
Select to expand quoteSandsy1 said..
And don't tell me about R&D etc, etc, they are just big surfboards so that old chestnut is not on.
Whilst I agree that some prices border on being outrageous, surely you can acknowledge that over the past 10 years SUP design has evolved remarkably, and surely this comes at a cost? You can't expect brand XYZ in any industry to continually develop a product with no impact on the end purchaser.
Aside from the marketing expenses and the margins of the middlemen, which can be useful: this how you fund demo boards, demo days,... there is also the amount of time needed to build a board:
In the same chinese factory, if the brand specifies that a worker should not spend more than N minutes to glass or sand a board, it will cost less than if he can takes twice the time... and the quality will be better, too. For instance, a "brushed carbon" look is more expensive as it takes more time to nicely sand the paint, but you gain a lot of weight. Or if the sander is in a hurry, he may bite into the glass on the rails, and cover up the damage quickly with mastic.
And since Chinese salary have raised steadily over the years (I read something like 17% per year on average), this explains the raise of the costs.
Many people can now buy a custom board shaped by a local shaper for the same or less than a carbon big brand board. If you do that you support the business, get exactly the board you want, and you might even save yourself money. So if you object to the big brands' prices, buying a cheap Chinese direct-marketed board is not your only option. Support your local business instead.
The end cost is directly related to how many people handle the goods from factory to store. If you want to cut out some hands thats fine but be careful not to cut off the hands that help grow the sport.
We have about 8 bike shops within 2k of us all with different business models. Aldi down the road selling bikes for $200. Bicycles online from $400 and Bike Addiction with race bikes over $10,000. It is called choice - with all power to us, the consumer. A healthy market in action I would say.
Don't get me started on the cost of this sport. It is seriously one of the cheapest around with so much choice and good second hand gear on the market.
Shrink the sport, reduce the choice. Then you would have something to whinge about. Ask any Windsurfer.
When I first started nearly 10 years ago the only choice was C4 and they were about $2,200. Then Naish followed. A paddle was about $400 -$500.
The sport was only in its very early days so we made our own boards by convincing my local shaper to make me one as the price was too much for C4.
So 10 years on the boards have progressed in relation to design/size and weight. The prices are still the same if not better.
One must also think of resale value also when purchasing.
As others before have said, you as the consumer have the choice as to what you send/buy.
Happy supping 
Plenty of people riding cheaper boards are ripping and plenty on expensive boards are utterly spudding it up (and vice versa of course). That said, if people are beguiled by the marketing of the big name brands and want to drop massive wads of cash on boards that are on the whole only marginally more robust than something locally made then good luck to them. I don't buy this idea that if you don't support the big brands by buying expensive boards then you're not supporting the industry though. Supporting the industry is using a local guy to make you a board isn't it? That's what it always used to be anyway.
Select to expand quotegoodnightirene said..
Plenty of people riding cheaper boards are ripping and plenty on expensive boards are utterly spudding it up (and vice versa of course). That said, if people are beguiled by the marketing of the big name brands and want to drop massive wads of cash on boards that are on the whole only marginally more robust than something locally made then good luck to them. I don't buy this idea that if you don't support the big brands by buying expensive boards then you're not supporting the industry though. Supporting the industry is using a local guy to make you a board isn't it? That's what it always used to be anyway.
Only thing is I'm yet to see any of those smaller brands support the clubs, races, large demo days, learn to SUP days etc. (ECS excepted)
While the sport is strong and semi thriving, the indicators are there for another "windsurf "phenomena. Luckily SUP is simple and in reality pretty cheap compared to windsurfing.
This type of thread regarding the price of boards is getting old and appears too often.. Its appears the threads try to justify buying a cheaper SUP. -
If it was all about $$$$, then we would all be paddling an Aldi SUP... - but people want to ride / paddle the best board they can afford which varies according to personal circumstances. People want to go faster, surf better which quite frankly the lower priced board do not provide... 
It appears the comments are aimed at established high quality brands whose R&D over many years have improved the sport for us all. These brands support the sport in so many ways. These brands support the industry, take a commercial risk in importing a range of boards which provides consumers with choice and I hope they make a profit.
Its a cheap shot to complain about the price of quality - BUY what you want to buy (& buy the best you can afford) and ride happy... 
No more whinging please 
Ok I'm going to chime in.
I have been shaping SUP's since 2009. I realised that the first board I tried was too big & heavy to surf with so shaped a few based on my surfboard shaping knowledge. Totally my own designs & shapes.....and they ripped.
We started doing production boards in 2010 and have a huge range of shapes and sizes.
We do a heap of R&D on constructions methods, materials & composites both in our factory here in Sydney & also in our manufacturing overseas, and have a solid crew who ride our boards and love them.
When it comes to supporting the industry as you say.... I work away doing what I can:
It may come as a surprise but retail shops won't stock every brand that approaches them, they prefer the big names that attract customers. I went down that road a few years ago but ended up pulling out as the margins were not there for it worth my while most of the time. (I am looking again but need help in the sales dept. as I'm too busy in the shaping bay )
I don't come on here much and I have never pimped my brand or what I do behind the scenes but for the record: I helped set up and run the Cronulla Sutherland SUP club back in late 2009 which had surf & race events, we also ran the Naish river race & Coreban river race. I setup the Botany Bay SUP club to do Downwind races across Botany Bay every Tues arvo which is still going strong, I put on a charity event called Talin's Rose that raised over 10K for a very sick kid, I was involved in Laird's trip to Australia & I compete in as many events as I can get to. We are also the major sponsor for the Husky SUP club.
We are a family business who shape surfboards, custom SUP's and have our production boards, and I am in this industry because I love it, NOT because I think I can make a quick buck, NOT to screw the industry, and NOT to make cheap boards to sell on ebay.
Surefire Boards is here for the long haul and we will continue to support the industry & continue to push the design of surf sup's and materials.
Deep breath.........exhale......Rant over.
Select to expand quoteSurf4Sanity said...
Ok I'm going to chime in.
I have been shaping SUP's since 2009. I realised that the first board I tried was too big & heavy to surf with so shaped a few based on my surfboard shaping knowledge. Totally my own designs & shapes.....and they ripped.
We started doing production boards in 2010 and have a huge range of shapes and sizes.
We do a heap of R&D on constructions methods, materials & composites both in our factory here in Sydney & also in our manufacturing overseas, and have a solid crew who ride our boards and love them.
When it comes to supporting the industry as you say.... I work away doing what I can:
It may come as a surprise but retail shops won't stock every brand that approaches them, they prefer the big names that attract customers. I went down that road a few years ago but ended up pulling out as the margins were not there for it worth my while most of the time. (I am looking again but need help in the sales dept. as I'm too busy in the shaping bay )
I don't come on here much and I have never pimped my brand or what I do behind the scenes but for the record: I helped set up and run the Cronulla Sutherland SUP club back in late 2009 which had surf & race events, we also ran the Naish river race & Coreban river race. I setup the Botany Bay SUP club to do Downwind races across Botany Bay every Tues arvo which is still going strong, I put on a charity event called Talin's Rose that raised over 10K for a very sick kid, I was involved in Laird's trip to Australia & I compete in as many events as I can get to. We are also the major sponsor for the Husky SUP club.
We are a family business who shape surfboards, custom SUP's and have our production boards, and I am in this industry because I love it, NOT because I think I can make a quick buck, NOT to screw the industry, and NOT to make cheap boards to sell on ebay.
Surefire Boards is here for the long haul and we will continue to support the industry & continue to push the design of surf sup's and materials.
Deep breath.........exhale......Rant over.
Here here!!
I can confirm Mick's involvement in supporting the sport at his own cost, both financially and time wise.
I can also contest to his ability as a shaper and builder. I've ridden every top end brand on the market. And I can now honestly say that the best boards I've ridden are the ones I currently own, which I bought from Mick.
So yes, there is free choice in this market. And the info is in black and white for all of us to see right her on the good old inter web. Shapes, prices and constructions are all there. Just make your decision and live with it. I've bought the big brands for years. Brand new and used. Liked most of them. Loved some. But now I get a massive kick out of discussing what I want out of a board with Mick and then seeing him produce EXACTLY what I asked for.... At almost half the price of a high end name board.
Select to expand quoteSurf4Sanity said...
Ok I'm going to chime in.
I have been shaping SUP's since 2009. I realised that the first board I tried was too big & heavy to surf with so shaped a few based on my surfboard shaping knowledge. Totally my own designs & shapes.....and they ripped.
We started doing production boards in 2010 and have a huge range of shapes and sizes.
We do a heap of R&D on constructions methods, materials & composites both in our factory here in Sydney & also in our manufacturing overseas, and have a solid crew who ride our boards and love them.
When it comes to supporting the industry as you say.... I work away doing what I can:
It may come as a surprise but retail shops won't stock every brand that approaches them, they prefer the big names that attract customers. I went down that road a few years ago but ended up pulling out as the margins were not there for it worth my while most of the time. (I am looking again but need help in the sales dept. as I'm too busy in the shaping bay )
I don't come on here much and I have never pimped my brand or what I do behind the scenes but for the record: I helped set up and run the Cronulla Sutherland SUP club back in late 2009 which had surf & race events, we also ran the Naish river race & Coreban river race. I setup the Botany Bay SUP club to do Downwind races across Botany Bay every Tues arvo which is still going strong, I put on a charity event called Talin's Rose that raised over 10K for a very sick kid, I was involved in Laird's trip to Australia & I compete in as many events as I can get to. We are also the major sponsor for the Husky SUP club.
We are a family business who shape surfboards, custom SUP's and have our production boards, and I am in this industry because I love it, NOT because I think I can make a quick buck, NOT to screw the industry, and NOT to make cheap boards to sell on ebay.
Surefire Boards is here for the long haul and we will continue to support the industry & continue to push the design of surf sup's and materials.
Deep breath.........exhale......Rant over.
Keep up the great work Surf4Sanity. Living and breathing it.
I feel lucky to have met so many great people through Sup. Especially the innovators, shapers and producers of these fun machines that keep the froth and stoke flowing.
If you've come from a windsurfing or kiting background ...it's cheap .sail $1000 board $2000-3000. Mast 450-800. Boom 300-800 . Fins 140-250.
buy what you can afford be it secondhand or superseeded......or custom..
the pleasure of SUPing out weigh the cost,
Select to expand quoteNNSUP said..goodnightirene said..
Plenty of people riding cheaper boards are ripping and plenty on expensive boards are utterly spudding it up (and vice versa of course). That said, if people are beguiled by the marketing of the big name brands and want to drop massive wads of cash on boards that are on the whole only marginally more robust than something locally made then good luck to them. I don't buy this idea that if you don't support the big brands by buying expensive boards then you're not supporting the industry though. Supporting the industry is using a local guy to make you a board isn't it? That's what it always used to be anyway.
Only thing is I'm yet to see any of those smaller brands support the clubs, races, large demo days, learn to SUP days etc. (ECS excepted)
While the sport is strong and semi thriving, the indicators are there for another "windsurf "phenomena. Luckily SUP is simple and in reality pretty cheap compared to windsurfing.
I'm coming at it from the surf angle rather than the downwind as I've never done or been interested in the latter so maybe it's different for that area of the SUP industry where designs may have changed quite a lot over time? But I just can't see what having clubs, comps, demo days, team riders and R&D budgets does to 'support the industry' - which seems to be a broad brush term for simply putting money in the pocket of international manufacturers. I will concede that there are more board shapes available now that the big boys have flooded the market - but I'd suggest that's because they want to sell more boards and they're trying to differentiate from their competitors rather than it being a genuine wholesale shift in the development of better board shapes. I've got about 8 years worth of SUPs in my garage and with the exception of the first couple which were pretty embryonic the general shape of the best performing (surf) boards has changed only very slowly and incrementally in that time. I just don't buy this notion that we need big R&D budgets and team riders to develop the industry. It works perfectly well with organic development I think.
Just my opinion of course, I've frequently been know to be wrong before!
Select to expand quotegoodnightirene said..NNSUP said..goodnightirene said..
Plenty of people riding cheaper boards are ripping and plenty on expensive boards are utterly spudding it up (and vice versa of course). That said, if people are beguiled by the marketing of the big name brands and want to drop massive wads of cash on boards that are on the whole only marginally more robust than something locally made then good luck to them. I don't buy this idea that if you don't support the big brands by buying expensive boards then you're not supporting the industry though. Supporting the industry is using a local guy to make you a board isn't it? That's what it always used to be anyway.
Only thing is I'm yet to see any of those smaller brands support the clubs, races, large demo days, learn to SUP days etc. (ECS excepted)
While the sport is strong and semi thriving, the indicators are there for another "windsurf "phenomena. Luckily SUP is simple and in reality pretty cheap compared to windsurfing.
I'm coming at it from the surf angle rather than the downwind as I've never done or been interested in the latter so maybe it's different for that area of the SUP industry where designs may have changed quite a lot over time? But I just can't see what having clubs, comps, demo days, team riders and R&D budgets does to 'support the industry' - which seems to be a broad brush term for simply putting money in the pocket of international manufacturers. I will concede that there are more board shapes available now that the big boys have flooded the market - but I'd suggest that's because they want to sell more boards and they're trying to differentiate from their competitors rather than it being a genuine wholesale shift in the development of better board shapes. I've got about 8 years worth of SUPs in my garage and with the exception of the first couple which were pretty embryonic the general shape of the best performing (surf) boards has changed only very slowly and incrementally in that time. I just don't buy this notion that we need big R&D budgets and team riders to develop the industry. It works perfectly well with organic development I think.
Just my opinion of course, I've frequently been know to be wrong before!
good nightirene said "But I just can't see what having clubs, comps, demo days, team riders and R&D budgets does to 'support the industry' - which seems to be a broad brush term for simply putting money in the pocket of international manufacturers."
You seem to have added words to my argument and changed it completely. I never mentioned team riders, R and D budgets to support the "industry" I mentioned a few other things that support the development of the sport which is a completely different thing. If the manufacturers both large and small don't help run everything from "try Sup days" to races and at the same time support their retailers, this sport will end up like windsurfing did.
There's a big difference between supporting the industry and supporting the sport.
I've got to agree with Garethg - the topics been done to death.
Lots of options out there. Buy what you can afford and are comfortable with.
Select to expand quoteSurf4Sanity said..
Ok I'm going to chime in.
I have been shaping SUP's since 2009. I realised that the first board I tried was too big & heavy to surf with so shaped a few based on my surfboard shaping knowledge. Totally my own designs & shapes.....and they ripped.
We started doing production boards in 2010 and have a huge range of shapes and sizes.
We do a heap of R&D on constructions methods, materials & composites both in our factory here in Sydney & also in our manufacturing overseas, and have a solid crew who ride our boards and love them.
When it comes to supporting the industry as you say.... I work away doing what I can:
It may come as a surprise but retail shops won't stock every brand that approaches them, they prefer the big names that attract customers. I went down that road a few years ago but ended up pulling out as the margins were not there for it worth my while most of the time. (I am looking again but need help in the sales dept. as I'm too busy in the shaping bay )
I don't come on here much and I have never pimped my brand or what I do behind the scenes but for the record: I helped set up and run the Cronulla Sutherland SUP club back in late 2009 which had surf & race events, we also ran the Naish river race & Coreban river race. I setup the Botany Bay SUP club to do Downwind races across Botany Bay every Tues arvo which is still going strong, I put on a charity event called Talin's Rose that raised over 10K for a very sick kid, I was involved in Laird's trip to Australia & I compete in as many events as I can get to. We are also the major sponsor for the Husky SUP club.
We are a family business who shape surfboards, custom SUP's and have our production boards, and I am in this industry because I love it, NOT because I think I can make a quick buck, NOT to screw the industry, and NOT to make cheap boards to sell on ebay.
Surefire Boards is here for the long haul and we will continue to support the industry & continue to push the design of surf sup's and materials.
Deep breath.........exhale......Rant over.
..and Mick, you are certainly one of the smaller guys who does put back into the sport. Sorry mate, I forgot about you. You've been doing it for years.
