are surftech boards any good??
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Re: are surftech boards any good??
A lot of the pros still like EPS for small wave surfing. More fun for fast whippy turns and pop for airs.
Re: are surftech boards any good??
Ding repair you say, just buy a tube of Epoxy UV REZ. In an emergency, squeeze it on, tidy it up, leave in sunlight for 5 minutes and you're done.
I've had a few epoxy repairs, no-one has said we don't do them. Cost about 25% more max.
I've had a few epoxy repairs, no-one has said we don't do them. Cost about 25% more max.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan
Re: are surftech boards any good??
FFS, no it wouldn't. I had a side finbox and 6" of rail destroyed by baggage handlers, it was just another repair, I dont even recall the cost, it was modest though. Hardest thing is matching colors.steve shearer wrote: ↑Wed Apr 19, 2023 12:21 pmI think one of the main effects of the Surftech/Asian made board "era" was the influence it had on PU/PE construction.
Better blanks, better glassing made for a much better product, that still felt like PU/PE and was easily customisable and repairable.
I bought a Pyzel off the rack last year in June, pretty much rode it every day and it's barely dented.
I just ripped the fin box out colliding with a hard object- but that is an easy pro repair.
If it was a Tuflite or FW, it would be a nightmare repair.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan
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Re: are surftech boards any good??
- marauding mullet
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Re: are surftech boards any good??
So Steve has picked up this old thread because…….”I'm researching the rise of "tech" boards and Surftech was huge in the Market from, say, 2004-2010?”
But you could be forgiven for thinking the reason was more along the lines of pouring scorn on the boards and anyone who still rides them. His mind seemed made up right from page 1
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Re: are surftech boards any good??
No, just starting from the fact which is they have practically disappeared and trying to work out why.
They didn't disappear because they were great despite a huge marketing push and entire shops selling nothing but Surftechs.
As Foamy said, EPS has been taken up by some pros for small wave applications. Not many though. I think ACE Buchan was one of the few to ride them regularly. A few more have used them in the Wavepool.
Toledo is riding a Carbon Dark Arts in small surf, as has JJF (not anymore).
Not Tuflites though.
No one still rides them, even our greatest proponent of them, Cranked, no longer rides them.
He traded them in for poly's.
"Just traded two McCoy Nuggets (7' Surftech and a 7'2 TSA FX) for a 7' TSA poly Nugget.
Why? It fits better with the rest of my McCoys. So now its 6'8, 7', 7'4 and 8' Nuggets. I wanted a poly because they are better in the wind blown chop (thanks Steve) that is reasonably frequent at a more south facing break I often surf."
They didn't disappear because they were great despite a huge marketing push and entire shops selling nothing but Surftechs.
As Foamy said, EPS has been taken up by some pros for small wave applications. Not many though. I think ACE Buchan was one of the few to ride them regularly. A few more have used them in the Wavepool.
Toledo is riding a Carbon Dark Arts in small surf, as has JJF (not anymore).
Not Tuflites though.
No one still rides them, even our greatest proponent of them, Cranked, no longer rides them.
He traded them in for poly's.
"Just traded two McCoy Nuggets (7' Surftech and a 7'2 TSA FX) for a 7' TSA poly Nugget.
Why? It fits better with the rest of my McCoys. So now its 6'8, 7', 7'4 and 8' Nuggets. I wanted a poly because they are better in the wind blown chop (thanks Steve) that is reasonably frequent at a more south facing break I often surf."
I want Nightclub Dwight dead in his grave I want the nice-nice up in blazes
Re: are surftech boards any good??
It's confusing. I dont think they have been made for over a decade now. There was a production line at the originall manufactures. Each board had it's own mold. They stopped doing molding process and I don't know what they do now, but they are very expensive, and not marketed or constructed as Surftech.
I owned at least 30 odd Surftechs over a 25 year period. I used to get about 80 to 85% of the purchase price as a trade in so there was no reason not to buy.
I owned at least 30 odd Surftechs over a 25 year period. I used to get about 80 to 85% of the purchase price as a trade in so there was no reason not to buy.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan
Re: are surftech boards any good??
Now I think they are $1,200 to $2,500 and by no means bomb proof like the originals, so why bother.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan
Re: are surftech boards any good??
The Firewire wood veneer weather and crack. Aloha are bombproof but have a very limited range.
Best I've found is Elemnt, based in Byron and importing them from China. You can see their range and prices on their website:
https://elemnt.surf/
Best I've found is Elemnt, based in Byron and importing them from China. You can see their range and prices on their website:
https://elemnt.surf/
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan
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Re: are surftech boards any good??
That’s based on construction method I presume Cranky.
Funny I was looking at midlengths like those.
Then I just went Fcuk I’ve still got my 7’11” Carver.
McTavish is selling Carvers for $2 K these days.
Funny I was looking at midlengths like those.
Then I just went Fcuk I’ve still got my 7’11” Carver.
McTavish is selling Carvers for $2 K these days.
Put your big boy pants on
I mean, tastebuds? WGAF?
I mean, tastebuds? WGAF?
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Re: are surftech boards any good??
Why would you need 30 over a 25 year period if they were bombproof?
Surely you'd keep them.
Or at least the ones you liked.
Isn't that the whole point of having a durable surfboard?
I've got 2 PU/PE McCoys under the house, both made in the early 90's and still going strong.
No effing way I'd get rid of them.
Surely you'd keep them.
Or at least the ones you liked.
Isn't that the whole point of having a durable surfboard?
I've got 2 PU/PE McCoys under the house, both made in the early 90's and still going strong.
No effing way I'd get rid of them.
I want Nightclub Dwight dead in his grave I want the nice-nice up in blazes
Re: are surftech boards any good??
One of the best things about durability was the trade in price.
Keeping 30 would cost me $30,000+, I don't have a budget to support that. I usually have about 6 boards at any one time. But because they do not age much at all I can trade a board a year or so old for a new one and only have to fork out $200.
I did keep the ones I liked, which were the McCoys for a long time.
But there were boards designed by some of the world's best shapers and it was most enjoyable to try them all out for such a small cost.
It seems Surftech and Tuflite are still going strong:
https://surftech.com/collections/tuflite
I haven't seen any in Perth, but they were hitting $1,200 years ago and I can pickup Asian made epoxy ones for around $600.
Keeping 30 would cost me $30,000+, I don't have a budget to support that. I usually have about 6 boards at any one time. But because they do not age much at all I can trade a board a year or so old for a new one and only have to fork out $200.
I did keep the ones I liked, which were the McCoys for a long time.
But there were boards designed by some of the world's best shapers and it was most enjoyable to try them all out for such a small cost.
It seems Surftech and Tuflite are still going strong:
https://surftech.com/collections/tuflite
I haven't seen any in Perth, but they were hitting $1,200 years ago and I can pickup Asian made epoxy ones for around $600.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan
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Re: are surftech boards any good??
Yeah, I was a bit confused by the discussion actually because I regularly check them out online. Bigger range in the States.
As I said before there’s a guy with a brand new Lopez board at Bondi.
As I said before there’s a guy with a brand new Lopez board at Bondi.
Put your big boy pants on
I mean, tastebuds? WGAF?
I mean, tastebuds? WGAF?
Re: are surftech boards any good??
99% of my purchases of surfboards have been with just one retailer in Perth. I keep him supplied with a lot of really good condition second hand boards and he gives me great trade in prices.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan
Re: are surftech boards any good??
Thats a bit of a waste, hey ... unless it's one of those Costco ones.
The moving finger writes and having writ moves on ... now all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel even half a line ... nor all thy tears wash out a single word of it.
Re: are surftech boards any good??
It's a long time since I bought a Surftech, 10 years? I only think about them when I'm arguing about them here on Realsurf. Geof McCoy had his own epoxies made in Asia and I rode them exclusively for about 6 years. Then about a one year romance with conventional construction that was mared by continual damage and repairs and finally a snapped board that sent me quickly back to epoxy.
“I don’t necessarily agree with everything I say ”— Marshall McLuhan
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Re: are surftech boards any good??
No it’s a racy looking rounded pin in bright red. Not an old guy either. He seems to be a full frother too.
Exactly what I thought when I saw it. Unless he’s trying it out for Indo it’s totally unsuited.
He seemed like the kind of guy Skip might know. He seems to know a lot of locals.
Put your big boy pants on
I mean, tastebuds? WGAF?
I mean, tastebuds? WGAF?
Re: are surftech boards any good??
I don't like epoxy, find them too chattery on a wave, probably psychosomatic but it feels there is more friction than traditional glass boards and the flex is significantly different.
Maybe if I learned on one and that's all I knew, perhaps it would be fine. Just feel traditional PU is better.
Maybe if I learned on one and that's all I knew, perhaps it would be fine. Just feel traditional PU is better.
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