that wetsuit discussion...

[batoes]

Went down the cheap patagonia path via the internet - bloody warm, comfortable and soooo much cheaper than $750 for one here. Now let's just pray the seams hold..........
Have noticed plenty of cheap ebombs on ebay from aussie sellers - not as cheap as $190 though - what a bargain!

[ajohnsen]

Ghandi or is it Numpty ?

Personal experience - "it feels like the companies are closing down the exits as fast as we find them " - yes they are, I bought my last wettie on line from usa 3 years ago (its still going strong touch wood), ppl are only just realising it now and the surf cos are closing the loophole coz the on line sales are increasing.

Fact - online sales are increasing every year and its not because they have higher disposable incomes. People have been bumbling along, willing to pay what the shop charges. And they have done this for a variety of reasons - they like to "fondle " the product, they don't want to wait for it to be delivered, they don;t trust the internet or overseas retailers etc etc. But its changing day by day.

Moral superiority ? I told you I accept it for what it is. Nowt to do with morals. I dun give a tosca what the bloke next to me in the line up paid for his wetsuit.

And I aint no great sage, but I aint no whinging manchild complaining how ya get "ripped off"when "they" is forcing you to buy that latest wettie and I aint someone who is so devoid of perspective that I would waste time and effort trying correct this great injustice that has been delivered upon the world.

Devoid of perspective, you daft pr!ck? Look, I might be the pettiest man in the world and I might be a pain in the ar$e letter writer, but I also know that nothing ever happens from sitting on your hands and watching the world go by. I might achieve zilch, but at least I've spoken up about something that I believe in - justice. And injustice, my apathetic friend, comes in many forms. From multinationals screwing us, to women's rights (or lack of) in Saudi Arabia. What you fail to realise is that it's bigger and deeper than wetsuits or online shopping.

I might also point out that whinging is when you complain about a thing and do nothing about it. That's whinging. Taking action, whatever that might be, is taking a complaint and giving it wings. A whinger is leaden and wants someone else to do the heavy lifting.

And you're missing the point: your moral superiority has more to do with you banging on about how you've been buying stuff online for three whole years and that every one else is just catching up with you.

I wonder, at what point, you would decree something worth making an effort for? Do you actually stand for anything?

Look a little deeper - it's not about wetsuits.

[scod]

It's all yours after this post, say what ya want ya'll get no reply from me coz there is no point.

1. Justice ? I guess the same principal applies to european cars as well. Ohhh the humanity, I can't afford a beemer I have to put up with a mere toyota, its just not right !!!!

2. Telling you I purchased a wettie on line 3 years ago was an example of how I got off my arse to do something about it and that due to others doing the samething more and more it was unlikely I was going to be able to do it again. I think you might need to start using a dictionary. The definition of the word morals doesn't apply here, though I guess from your perspective it might (see point 1 above).

3. This discussion was about westuits, and nothing else. I'm not sure how women's rights in Saudi became part of the discussion. Good to see cheap wetsuits for all ranks higher on your priorities than the poor buggers making the things.

4. Yes I have my own value system and I'm not willing to debate it on this forum however I will say I don't get all worked up over the price of westuits in Australia.

5. Get an understanding of the concept called "the price elasticity of demand" to understand the absolute futility of writing a letter to a massive coproration to complain about the price of its goods when that entity's sole purpose is to make money.

6. As a final point, and then it's over to you to score the final try and claim victory, you do realise that there is more than one brand of wetsuit available don't you ( if you re-read the thread you'll see others have pointed out the alternatives). Just buy a different brand, if enough ppl do it the tide will turn.

To the RS heavies please don't tell me to desist, I just couldn't handle it, I'll stop now.

[ajohnsen]

And right here, scod and I finally agree.

1) there is no point

2) I couldn't resist either.

Thanks for the exercise.

As I said, I'm off to get a Buell.

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[oldman]

Perhaps the surf mags can pick up the ball and run with this one.

Hahahahahaha, I kill myself

He shoots, and .....he scores!

These are big businesses, and buying from the competitor is the most crucial action you can take in protest at being ripped off at retail.

While the internet thingy may have been going for you for years Scod, it was really only the almighty increase in the value of the aussie dollar in the last few years that has made this subject significant.

It was hardly worth bothering getting a product off the internet to save yourself small bickies in the exchange rate, but since the dollar went above 90c and on to parity, it now makes a laughing stock of the international price regime.

I'm with Robzig on this, it's the knowledge that you are buying the same product, manufactured in China usually, that rankles. If you were getting a different product, fine, but that isn't the case usually. The warranty issue should add 5% max to the cost, unless they are selling a shoddy product.

[Karlos]

Email Rip Curl and let them know that you're unhappy with how you're treated and that if they want to foster brand loyalty, address price instead of trying to shut off avenues that we're forced to take to avoid being gouged.

Rip Curl Australia [email protected]
Rip Curl USA [email protected]

The squeaky wheel and all that.

Done.

Still no reply. What a surprise .

I dropped them one as well last week & needless to say, I ain't holding my breath.

[Trev]

I have to say I've been following this topic with only a passing interest (I buy a wettie rarely these days ).
But I did feel scod was making good points and others were taking what he said and adding deeper meanings to it. Scod's last reply above raises some valid points.

We can't all be activists in everything we do, no matter how much some might think it should be that way. Otherwisw there's be a good argument for us all being in unions. I make my own decisions and live with them. I've had a number of "discussions" with big companies about a range of issues over the years. Some I've won and some I've lost. But I don't expect all my mates to jump in and support me when I'm taking one of those companies on.
My battle. I'll fight it.

[ajohnsen]

Trev, I possibly over-reacted at the beginning of this and, in hindsight, I think that both scod and I were coming at this from different angles.

Certainly, he made some good points. I don't advocate that everyone should take up the (or any) cause. I took umbrage at the inference that it was a pointless waste of time.

[Beaver]

Got my Buell in the mail the other day.

Took about a week. Wetsuit is soo nice.. Will be interesting to see how it holds up.

Cant believe that bs about ripcurl asking kingofwatersports not to sell to Aus what a joke! Bunch of rip of merchants. Buells are cheaper and better quality. Cost me $315 AUS with postage. Stoked so far.

Why not buy online your a fool not to. I now buy on the American iTunes store too. Get movies which arent available here for heaps cheaper!

I cant understand how retailers can possibly continue to enforce the price disparities.

There taking pretty petty steps to try to cling onto their business. Apparently several Snowboard shops now charge people to try on their boots etc. because everybody would try them on and buy them online for less than half the price! Are we gona start seeing this in surfshops?? Screw that!

[Beaver]

PS. for those wishing to have products sent to AUS with shipping restrictions there are companies set up purely to have things posted to a regional address in the US and then passed onto Aus.

They probably have it for the UK too.

Cleanline surf for example have free local shipping. You could have it sent their fopr free then onto AUS.

Ship it to is one example

http://www.shipito.com/?gclid=CJyc_artw ... HAodzFE3eQ

I probably should've done this for my wetsuit because by the looks of it their charges are alot cheaper than the $50 postage i forked out.

I found a similar one for the UK.

http://www.alfasent.com/quote.php

[oldman]

Nice work beaver, very useful.

Finally, my Buell wetsuit arrived. What a drama.

Tried it on, but it won't get water tested till Thursday or Friday.

Amazing material, so stretchy. Don't mind the chest zip, but getting that done up proved the hardest part.

Maybe a tad tight, was really between sizes and maybe should have gone up instead of down, but that may not be right in the longer term.

Damned warm, seems like there will be minimal water flush, there ain't anywhere for it to get in!

Got a free pair of booties too for my troubles. Reasonable recompense for a 6 week or so delay.

One size too small. Haven't worn booties in years. Will give them a go sometime.

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[oldman]

Yeah, was thinking that. I suspect in the water it won't be an issue. Can't remember buying a wetsuit that didn't feel a little on the tight side initially. I agree that you don't want something that is flopping about.

I said I would tell you all the dramas when it finally got here.

I bought it online early May, through the website. First transaction failed, tried again, second transaction failed, BUT, both transactions were recorded against the card while not reaching them. Money gone!

For those who have successfully ordered over the website, you can thank me for my trail-blazing efforts. Got it sorted out through a series of emails but it took a week or more.

And then trying to get Emily on the phone was quite a job. Time difference etc doesn't make it straightforward.

Finally got it ordered and it was sent over, but they got the address wrong. Yep, it got sent back to the USA. This suit has travelled some 20,000 kms (or more) already.

I sent them an email and asked them to check the address, but it came back again with the wrong address. At least they didn't send it back. Got an email last Friday to contact Fedex, and finally got it sorted out.

Much more painful than it should have been, but a pair of booties as reward.

Haven't been a booties guy for more than a decade, but I do notice that the pads of my feet start to go numb after a while. May give them a try when I go for an early. That sand can be like razor blades on the way down to the water.

Oh well, $320 delivered. I'm pretty confident it will be the best I could get for that money.

Now, to see how long they last, see how the fit goes over a period and how warm and comfortable it is out in the water.

[black duck]

^^^
well, thanks a mill trail blazer. Your pain was my gain. New Buell arrived today, that's 11 days after intitial order. Not bad.
Wetsuit looks the goods too - but yet to try it on.

Maybe a tad tight, was really between sizes and maybe should have gone up instead of down, but that may not be right in the longer term.

I'd rather go small than big. Reason being they'll stretch somewhat over time as they wear and nothing worse than a floppy loose wetsuit. And when they're too small, realistically they stretch so much these days that it's hardly a hindrance like it would be with an old-school wetty.

I actually go the slightly the other way. While the stretch factor is great, my experience is that if you go too tight, the wetsuits over-stretch with time and the neoprene seems to wear out much faster (at least with Ripcurl suits). My old 3/2 e-bomb has less coverage than a rashy around the shoulders. I have an older RC suit that is slightly too big and it hasn't worn anywhere near the same extent. Just a theory, but it has some leverage in my head.

Thanks also to Robzig / BDL77 and others who gave the good oil on Buell.

Now to put the theory to the test...

[ajohnsen]

Thanks Olds. That makes my mind up with the size.

Now, if I can just get Emily to get back to me!

[spongeInside]

wow seems like I've been out of the wetty loop for ages.
I'm still rocking my West steamer I bought years ago (bottom of the range and it's lasted 3 seasons perfectly).

I just went into Surfection Mosman and had a look at some of Oneill's/Billabong's/Quik's/Xcel's latest and greatest and I can't believe the difference in the neoprene. It's about half the thickness and so stretchy compared to the old steamer I've got.. they're so much lighter as well.

I don't really need one as the West wetty has held up fine, but I kinda have to get one now that I've seen how much better they feel... I'm thinking even the new 4/3's would be as flexible (if not more) than my old 3/2..hmmm decisions decisions. The B'bong XG5 and O'neill Psycho2 looked pretty damn good for the money

['llo-and Behold]

Although ripaquikbonk claim it doesn't happen, wetties shrink, so bigger might be better for longevity.