RealSurf Surfers' Forum

You're probably right, but I guess quality control may be an issue if it's done under licence. The home factory may just take extra care as they are looking after their brand. Whoever does em in Oz may not be so critical with finishing, glassing etc. Maybe I'm smoking crack. I dunno.

steve shearer wrote:FW Minnie Driver

That board seems a little odd for smaller waves though doesn't it? Wouldn't it be better for small but still sucky waves? It's a nice outline but the wide point forward shortboard throws me off a bit. Wouldn't it be easier to throw around in smaller waves with the wide point back ?.

bomboraa wrote:Oldman did you look at the Simon Face Dancer? I fondled both a Face Dancer and a JS Revolution of the same length.

I bought the 5th one that was brought into Australia, literally, number 5.

But I bought the wrong length at 6'6''. Lovely board and I had a batch of good surfs on it, but it was too much board for me.

But it did turn me on to Simon boards.

Went looking last Saturday and picked up a very nice 'Spud Nick' Simon board, 5'11''. May have linked to that previously. I think I am going to be very happy with it.

Current surf conditions are not quite my cup of tea, but took it out for a short surf on Wednesday arvo just to get a feel for it. Very nice, paddles well, but just beautifully balanced. Was picking up waves with barely a paddle, even some that I have been struggling to get onto with other boards.

BTW spork, thanks for your comments on the Bourton cathedral hull type boards. I'm attracted to them but I imagine that they might need specific conditions, not so suitable for east coast beach break.

BA wrote:You're probably right, but I guess quality control may be an issue if it's done under licence. The home factory may just take extra care as they are looking after their brand. Whoever does em in Oz may not be so critical with finishing, glassing etc. Maybe I'm smoking crack. I dunno.

My experience is that the Thailand produced boards have been first class, better manufacture quality than many local suppliers. Simon's are generally Thai produced under licence. This is my third Simon, and I have had a few others as well.

Re the mini driver, my mate has one and he loves it.

A little under what I want in volume though, but he says it is the best board he has had for a long time.

Thought Simon PU boards were made in Oz?

Hatchnam wrote:/\ for FW I like the look of the futura. Wide point slightly back from centre, pinched in ass end with the bitey little swallow, flatish rocker. That thing looks like it'd chomp up small waves

http://www.firewiresurfboards.com/surfb ... did=futura

No way that Futura needs that super pointy nose. Hate that.

BA wrote:You're probably right, but I guess quality control may be an issue if it's done under licence. The home factory may just take extra care as they are looking after their brand. Whoever does em in Oz may not be so critical with finishing, glassing etc. Maybe I'm smoking crack. I dunno.

Not necessarily. Licensing has been going on quite a while now and for experienced board makers it's a well travelled road on which quality control is an early stop. With Mayhem/...Lost, Matt sent out the first batch as examples then the licensee here in Oz took over and seems to be doing an excellent job, possibly better than home town. There will be differences between a label's product in one or another country but these days it mainly relates to the materials, like the blanks will be slightly different. That's no drawback in Australia, I think Mayhem uses Burford's 64PK ultralite, which might be the best hi per shortboard blank in the country.

too much detail?

My understanding is that the Lost boards here are produced by Chilli on the Northern beaches (or by the people who work for him). If you order a custom here I think they just access the files directly and do the whole thing from here. Like I don't think the file gets sent from the USA as such. They just take their fee per board. Like Maurice Coles are produced by Lost in the USA. That is just how the industry has evolved to gain more of a global reach.

Like Merrick boards here. They come out of a computer on the Northern Beaches in many cases.. Not that there is anything wrong with that.Production quality was very hit and miss for some time but I hear the quality has stepped up. The challenge has been that they were glassed and sanded all over the place to keep up with the large volumes.

Nick Carroll wrote:

BA wrote:You're probably right, but I guess quality control may be an issue if it's done under licence. The home factory may just take extra care as they are looking after their brand. Whoever does em in Oz may not be so critical with finishing, glassing etc. Maybe I'm smoking crack. I dunno.

Not necessarily. Licensing has been going on quite a while now and for experienced board makers it's a well travelled road on which quality control is an early stop. With Mayhem/...Lost, Matt sent out the first batch as examples then the licensee here in Oz took over and seems to be doing an excellent job, possibly better than home town. There will be differences between a label's product in one or another country but these days it mainly relates to the materials, like the blanks will be slightly different. That's no drawback in Australia, I think Mayhem uses Burford's 64PK ultralite, which might be the best hi per shortboard blank in the country.

too much detail?

Fair enough. Looks like I've got an inferior American board (joking).

Good to know anyway. If I really like it, I can get a local one knowing it'll be pretty much the same if not better.

Matticus Finch wrote:

oldman wrote:But I bought the wrong length at 6'6''. Lovely board and I had a batch of good surfs on it, but it was too much board for me.

If you decide to get rid of it maybe let me know, pretty close to spot on for me.

BTW - I missed seeing you tap dance across the hot black sands by a matter of weeks Oldman.

Sorry matticus, sold it a few months ago.

Re the black sands, that's funny. Who told you I was there? I know that Chris and Maz were staying for a fair time after I had left. Met Greg Healy on my recent stay there, but he left before us, as well as all the usual critters.

Had a strange trip that recent one. Was there in April this year and had 10 days of just sensational conditions and waves were linking up all the way and I was surfing great, by my standards. Got a hundred great waves and plenty of waves that would beat the best at my local.

This time, the swell was still there but things had got funky, the locals said it hadn't been good in months, and it just wasn't working consistently, wasn't lining up, not so many glassy days, my surfing went bad, lost confidence, made rookie mistakes all over the place.

But met some great people, Chris and Maz and Greg particularly.

Don't know when I'll be back, but I'm working much harder on my surfing and determined to get back to my best (it's a relative term!)

Nice pic matticus, takes me back instantly.

Yeah, April was good, I had only been once before then and it was pretty good previously, but just amazing in April.

I think I know which board you are talking about re Chris. In October he had a canary yellow round tail that looked very nice.

Pity to hear you're a bit broke. Saw a face dancer, 6'6'', going new at a knock down $650 at Surf Culture in Bondi Junction this morning.

Had a few other Simon's there as well at a knock down price, which is funny, because I've never seen a Simon in there in the past 18 months.

Nice couple Chris and Maz. Was a highlight of the trip for me given that the surf just wasn't so good for me.

No, I wouldn't have held it against you if you had a HK. I had bought one only a couple of months before the trip thinking I would go away with it, but decided to offload it when I had too many disappointing surfs on it.

On the other hand, two mates who were on their newly purchased HK have still got them. Takes a certain type, and I'm not one of them.

oldman wrote:

Matticus Finch wrote:
Don't know when I'll be back, but I'm working much harder on my surfing and determined to get back to my best (it's a relative term!)

How are you doing that Olds?

steve shearer wrote:

oldman wrote:

Matticus Finch wrote:
Don't know when I'll be back, but I'm working much harder on my surfing and determined to get back to my best (it's a relative term!)

How are you doing that Olds?

First of all, I'm just fitter and in particular stronger than I have been in a long while. Been doing weights regularly now for about 18 months. Only about 20-25 minutes, 2 or usually 3 times a week, 3 sets of 10 to 15 depending on the exercise, fairly solid weights, for a series of 5 or 6 actions exercising legs, lats, shoulders (front and back), triceps, and you get a little bit of biceps/pecs out of them as well. Just really good to keep some power as I just haven't been getting out enough to keep any surfing fitness, so this helps maintain things in between.

Gave up smoking about 6 months ago, now I just have to give up nicotine. Been using a spray thingy which makes it so easy.

Plus just trimmed off a few kgs round the middle. Was never really fat, but past 50 those middle sections can just thicken up.

And finally, been going out in surf that has been just crap so that I don't go 2 or 3 weeks without getting in the water, and getting out for a body surf in the warmer months when there is a 1-2' wave with a thousand surfers on it.

So, in short, a bit fitter all round and getting in the water more regularly.

When surfing in the rubbish that you often get around this time of year, in particular paying attention to getting the pop-up done quickly and efficiently, so even when it is crap I am working on something.

And I've been buying new boards and offloading them if they just aren't working for me, trying to get my head around what works best for me, not what works for everyone else.

Matticus Finch wrote:Oh I didn't have the HK, I meant our mate in common who told me I just missed you did. And he loved it!

Yeah, he's loving it. His partner basically took his HK off him, IIRC, and so he has another, and maybe another HK. He doesn't mind buying a new board our friend, he's worse than me.

I keep in contact with him, he's doing well and currently planning his next trip round March or April next year.

I love the Bourton cathedral hull in Vicco beachies, slabs, reefs. I reckon they go great. Got a Silver Bullet atm and a Pinger for a grovel board on the way. You get in early and can really get your weight forward taking off late but still feel secure. I've had no probs catching etc, though coming from thrusters the quad's a bit weird at first.

Nick Carroll wrote:

BA wrote:You're probably right, but I guess quality control may be an issue if it's done under licence. The home factory may just take extra care as they are looking after their brand. Whoever does em in Oz may not be so critical with finishing, glassing etc. Maybe I'm smoking crack. I dunno.

Not necessarily. Licensing has been going on quite a while now and for experienced board makers it's a well travelled road on which quality control is an early stop. With Mayhem/...Lost, Matt sent out the first batch as examples then the licensee here in Oz took over and seems to be doing an excellent job, possibly better than home town. There will be differences between a label's product in one or another country but these days it mainly relates to the materials, like the blanks will be slightly different. That's no drawback in Australia, I think Mayhem uses Burford's 64PK ultralite, which might be the best hi per shortboard blank in the country.

too much detail?

Hi Nick,

Just a thing about an American designed board being made in Aus using local blanks, Aus blanks tend to have more flotation than yank blanks, do you think this is allowed for when they transition these models to Aus. ?

Should Shearer apologise to me or not?

Whoops sorry, once again I've misinterpreted the heading ... I thought it was about getting of your soapbox or high horse or whatever.