So I’m in the market for a board in the 7’2" - 7’10" range and I’m shopping mostly on craigslist. What I was hoping to do was find a screaming deal on a good board for around 200, but deals like that are few and far between and when they do pop up, they go fast. So I’m willing to spend more now, maybe up to 300, but I want something nice. I want it to be relatively new with not too many repairs.
One thing I keep seeing is eggs that come up from brands I’ve never heard. Most of the time, when I google this brand I find out it’s most likely mass produced somewhere. I usually find plenty of bashing on those brands too.
I get that if I’m buying new I should of course go to a shaper over buying a pop out, you know shop local, support the craft, etc. yadda yadda. But if I’m buying a used board, then all that goes out the window and now it comes down to which mass produced models ride well? Surely there are some out there that ride well (obviously not NSP).
Can someone list a few that are ok?
Also, on a shape as traditional as the egg, how badly can companies like Global Surf Industries screw up? Isn’t it pretty straightforward?
There’s generally plenty of good deals on used boards on Craigslist, so if you’re not finding many, I’m guessing it’s because of the size you’re seeking being less common.
You don’t say where you are located, but that could be significant if you want someone to point you in the right direction for shopping used boards locally.
I don’t know much about popouts or brand names, but my suggestion is to start looking at the boards in person. Look for dings, dents, cracks, repairs, twists, fin options, etc. If you know surfboards you should be pretty well able to look at rails, bottoms, rocker, fin location and setups, etc. and gauge if the shape is gonna work for you.
Also, when you find a board you want, make an offer for what you want to pay, not what the listed price is. You can always negotiate up if you want, but start at your low end and let the seller make the choice.
I’m assuming that you’re aware of the building methods and materials for popouts, and that they generally differ from shop made boards. You should know what you’re buying because at some point you’re gonna have to repair it, or have it repaired.
Hi sorry I’m in San Diego. No I’m not aware of the differences in how popouts are made vs hand shaped. I know there is epoxy and poly, but other than that, not much. It would help to know if/why and what the difference is.
A lot of popouts are made with a vacuum formed shell over cheap eps foam, you’ll melt the eps if you try to repair it with polyester resin, and the shell material generally can’t be matched exactly. I think Board Lady has a website, and others here could probably give you a lot more helpful info, but my two cents is that if you buy a popout make sure you know how to repair with epoxy, and aren’t real picky about appearance. Also be aware some of them don’t have a real stringer, and tend to be flexy. Again, others would have more specifics than me.
Stingray or others could probably give you more local insight, but from everything I’ve heard I would check out Bird’s Surf Shed, 1091 W Morena Blvd
Not sure if these are in SD but I had a Challenger Eastern (Pop out, not original) that lasted me years. It was poly and I made plenty of repairs on it with not problem. Would I get another one, no, but it worked and was a good deal.
I can’t do Bird’s surf shed everytime I go there I am disappointed by the stock for whatever reason they never have what I need. Aren’t Becker and Hayden shapes and some of the other more “acceptable brands” Mass produced?
I think all the bigger brand boards are “mass produced”, i.e. CNC shaped, but that is not a popout. They’re scrubbed and then glassed normally, and are little different than a hand shaped board when completed. For the money you’re spending (2-300) I’m sure you will find a good board in that area, with some patience.
All right but what about some of these other brands that are popping up like Solana surfboards degree 33 are those is bad as pop outs or they Mass produce with more skill?
for example, I see this one and it looks like a normal hand shaped board, but then I read about it, and it’s from GSI! This board looks great. If they make popouts this good, how am I supposed to know which ones are popouts and which are better just by looking?
Bird is not the only shop in San Diego. Mitche’s in La Jolla has a pretty large invintory sure he has some nice local made boards there are a couple of guys here around San Deigo making boards Ace is in Ocean Beach. I don’t think you could swing a dead cat in San Diego without hitting some kind of Egg. The Black Bird isa mass produced
out of Asia not a bad board at a couple hundred you would not be in deep have something to ride while you take time to see what else is out there. I have seen a number of broken 33 surfboards quality does not seem to be all that great. Solana looks like junk But I have never seen one in up close.
Hey thanks Artz, that’s really good info. Yeah I went to Clairemont surf shop, but they only had one. I know that some shops up north have a great supply, but haven’t gotten around to getting up there. Mostly I want to buy on CL because shops mark up a little, so I figure I can get a better board from CL. The problem is these boards are popping up everywhere. I see Solana, that Modern Blackbird and a host of other brands I don’t recognize. Or there is one guy in Pacific Beach who has a bunch of yellowing boards and he wants too much for them. Or there is a new backyard shaper guy who is selling new for $280, but I’m not sure if he knows what he’s doing yet…
I could buy the blackbird, yes, but I don’t want to have to sell and get a new one. I want this to be a board I hold onto for a while, so I’m being a little picky.
A freind of mine was an executive shaper for a large pop out manufacturer ( im not naming him or the company because it might trigger despute ).
We were talking at the beach one day about quality of the boards and his very qualified advice was that allot of the time the quality of build is better in a lardge factory because the steps and processes are broken down to a lot more people that refine and specializes in that one part of production.
He also said that production cost becomes the main focus if you make large volume and in some cases this profit is gained by cheep materials and the only factor considerd is the shelf life in the shop by some brands they do. the shop price is retrospectivly cheep to counter the disappointment in the durability later by the customer so the customer will come back to get another.
We continued the conversation and he added that the top respected brands with long established ledgend status cant aford to have week bad quality boards its to damadging so when the factory makes the boards they do only that board brand and model on a peticular line and good materials etc are only used the workers are fixed to only work on that paticlar board and the price is also higher per unit and this is reflected in the shop price.
So with a pop out you get what you pay for if your paying with peanuts high chance you will get monkeys .
In your circumstance its not nassaserily the second hand price id be looking at its what it cost to get it new.
Or there’always the good old reliable thumb test! Haha
What hydro_skipper says matches with what I’ve seen.
I’ve only really just kicked the habit in trying to find cheap deals in used boards. I bought far too many and learnt the hard way.
As hydro says, there is a pattern
does the maker have a reputation to defend?
It’s great to have it explained so clear.
Of course there are exceptions to this rule. If anything, go a bit heavy to play safe if unsure.
Some countries and areas have a popular brand that tends to be a safe bet.
This is all a threat to independent shapers which is great to be highlighted because it can be addressed.
How?
-I suggest a small shapers guild membership with independent, quality, standardised testing. Only boards strong enough get the seal of approval.
I’ve seen this work with Team Epoxy in Indonesia where this was badly needed due to epoxy supply problems.
Thanks guys this is perfect. It’s what I needed to know to make a decision. If I get tired of waiting I may get one shaped just didn’t want to spend that much, but I do want something nice that will last
…hello Hydro skiper; however, here Huie, me and others think that if you build quality boards and you do all the steps; you have the control to make the best of all of them.
What your buddy is saying reminds me of: “the final touch by the shaper”…all marketing fella; I m telling this because I am one of the unknow guy inside this industry (aka: the guys that do the job)
Saw a nice Dewey Weber ruined in a shop with your “thumb test”. One college kid did it and then another and another etc. etc. You’d get the boot if I ever saw you doing that in my shop. Lowel