Was repairing an outrigger or rowing shell, can’t remember which, and some one comments on how shoddy the workmanship is. They commented that I “oughta design them here and have them manufactured in China or Korea”. I asked why they said that and they felt that the tooling and repeatability, as well as overall end product would be much higher quality. So I says, “well what do you think of surfboards made over there?” They said they didn’t surf but assumed that they would be better quality.
Amazing but true story. I have always thought of the quality of product coming from that part of the world to be inferior. How did it get the reputation as being better?
As someone who has visited and worked with Chinese factories I’d say…mostly low Q, sometimes good. They make some things well, like small appliances, anything low tech. They’re motivated by volume…smart customers put in quality motivators in the contracts, ie, they are responsible for quality and if they fail they pay…prob is when the sh_t hits the fan it becomes a finger pointing contest…they blame design we blame mfgs…they are quite clever at this. Hated going over there cuz I was a new father and got home sick quick…glad to say Im out of the industry…never again.
I don’t agree with the perseption, for the most part, but I was amazed that it even existed. Since when is “Made in China” a mark of excellence/quality?
However, on the other hand they were probably right in that it would be tooled to the “T”. I definately see how we are lagging in the technical aspects of manufacturing. We develop the high tech manufacturing techniques, but they seem to actually put it into practice in a more efficient manner.
It does make me curios to try a Surftech/popout. I hear so many people comment on how “dead” they feel.
Probably good for every shaper/surfer to try one so as to motivate and elevate thier own craft.
i like foregin japanese cars, and a good portion of the american population would probably agree. i think there better quality, my whole family drives toyotas and my dad drove one for 250k before he was hit. i think thats where people get a lot of these ideas that what is built over seas is better.
a machine can make a car or a radio or a tv. but i would never ride a board that has been touched by the hands (or whatever you want to call them) of a computer.