Aussie (local) Shapers

[joshalohasurf]

if u read the other post i just got a new board. MD (mike davis) from kiama.........never hearda him but shit that board goes well and now i think off it im all for local shapers. preffer them over big names (mctavish Etc) any day. i found that big name shapers dont spent as much time on there boards but if you go for a local shaper (ie o donnel, Hayden Shapes, MD, luke short ETC) and order a custom they really look after u anyways stoked with my new board.

[Longygrom]

Local shapers are more likely to shape a board better than the big names, because they know the waves better, they have experience of selling boards to locals in the area and they know what suits what

[Fireball51]

I half agree with you. I think the advantage of a local shaper is that they do understand the set up that occur locally but that is no damn good if they are unable to design a board that suits your experience and that can be a problem, especially if they are a shortboarder basically. They don't have the knowledge to build a longer board whereas McTavish and crew know them intimately and have the bucks to put into heaps of research and development and if you tell them where you surf IE WA they will make the board work for you for those conditions.