Webber Afterburner

[buzzy]

I really like this style of board. For some reason I don't have one in my quiver at the moment. Part of that is while they surfed great they didn't appear to be very durable, and hence a couple of snappages.

Anyway, I was looking in a surf shop the other day and saw some Afterburners and was thinking "time to get one." But from what I could see there were three options -

1. A CAD shape (finished I hope by hand shaping) with conventional fibreglass. Probably the same light jobs I'd experienced in the past.
2. A light epoxy job imported from China with super deep concaves...almost channels. The guy in the shop didn't seem keen.
3. The surftech epoxy.

There's a 4th option I guess, which is a custom from Webber, but I hear he can be unreliable.

If I could pick the ideal board it'd be to my dimensions, with a nice tough epoxy finish, but not for lightness - for durability.

Anyway, what do people reckon about the best options for this type of board, bearing in mind I'm prepared to trade off a little bitof performance for durability. I also don't want a board shaped by a bloke in China with concaves as deep as the Panama canal.

[oldman]

Is this a gee-up?

I put one in a thread a week or two ago for sale, but just hitched a ride on Iggy's already started thread.

It's a few years old now but is in spanking condition.

Dims are 6'6'' by 19 7/16ths by 2 1/2.

It's a Thailand CAD shaped model, I think they are all CAD shaped these days, certainly Greg isn't doing them, unless you got a custom? It's a little on the heavy side compared to my bamboo board, which is virtually identical but lighter compared to a normal pu board. The lighter board suits me better. The plus side is that it seems virtually indestructible. Cleaned it up the other day and found a few slight depressions on the deck, none on the base, and in beautiful condition.

Saw some in the shops on the weekend and I think I saw version one and three of what you are talking about. The surftech epoxy would be lighter than the standard pu I assume, and if I was getting it again I would go for that probably.

They were in the shop with a marked price around the $750. Even negotiating down it's still an expensive proposition I reckon.

Mine is going for $300, with the tail pad already on.

Performance wise, a good all-round board, which is what I bought it for, but I'm now looking for different boards for different conditions.

Cheers buzzy. Even if it isn't a gee-up you've saved me the trouble of starting my own thread. Here's a mr green for your troubles.

[otway1949]

I thought a Webber afterburner was what happened to your ring in the morning after doing a tandoori chicken on your BBQ the night before with several good beers

[oldman]

I thought a Webber afterburner was what happened to your ring in the morning after doing a tandoori chicken on your BBQ the night before with several good beers

Only if the chicken was barbecued on a Webber.

[otway1949]

One set fire to the bush outside the Merimbula camping area a couple of years ago, the surf was good too with the NE wind whipping it up.
Confucious say where there is smoke there is sure to be arson around

[pridmore]

I really like this style of board. For some reason I don't have one in my quiver at the moment. Part of that is while they surfed great they didn't appear to be very durable, and hence a couple of snappages.

Anyway, I was looking in a surf shop the other day and saw some Afterburners and was thinking "time to get one." But from what I could see there were three options -

1. A CAD shape (finished I hope by hand shaping) with conventional fibreglass. Probably the same light jobs I'd experienced in the past.
2. A light epoxy job imported from China with super deep concaves...almost channels. The guy in the shop didn't seem keen.
3. The surftech epoxy.

There's a 4th option I guess, which is a custom from Webber, but I hear he can be unreliable.

If I could pick the ideal board it'd be to my dimensions, with a nice tough epoxy finish, but not for lightness - for durability.

Anyway, what do people reckon about the best options for this type of board, bearing in mind I'm prepared to trade off a little bit of performance for durability. I also don't want a board shaped by a bloke in China with concaves as deep as the Panama canal.

Webber is a great designer and he has done some great stuff in board design. If you dont want to get the board from China ( well done ) then there is a 5th option, you can always get an Australian shaper to do a copy of the design you want, you can get the dims you want and the glassing for durability too, plus the dollars stay here .... if I was a shameless shaper who wanted to offer my services here I would probably tell you that my customs start from $499 and that you can check out my stuff at http://www.moresurfboards.com , but I better not coz prob pisss people off....

or just buy oldmans 2nd handy...

[mah]

i'll give ya 50 bucks a little less than what it cost to make

[pridmore]

i'll give ya 50 bucks a little less than what it cost to make

no worries, for me to make you one it will cost $600....

[the trout]

If I could pick the ideal board it'd be to my dimensions, with a nice toughepoxy finish, but not for lightness - for durability.


option 5
cdd in epoxy i got two tough as.

[pridmore]

you could get a custom CDD/epoxy afterburner copy for less than $750....and thats by an Aussie shaper... , or buy Oldmans 2nd handy and can almost afford another custom of another design to have a bigger quiver....

[mah]

i only by my crap from china/thailand or taiwan

[pridmore]

you could get a custom CDD/epoxy afterburner copy for less than $750....and thats by an Aussie shaper... , or buy Oldmans 2nd handy and can almost afford another custom of another design to have a bigger quiver....

Last time i looked Greg webber was an Australian shaper.

hey yeah, nah what I meant was if he was looking for an option to buying something made in asia ( which he was asking about ), than perhaps get another Aussie shaper to do a copy of the shape he wants...Greg is a great designer and if you can get one shaped by him, do it, but if looking for options to sending dollars to asia then thats my suggestion....

to tell you the truth , I am over the whole defending the Aussie made shapes and stuff, too many people want to argue and I just cant be bothered anymore...although there definitely has been a change from what I have seen lately, I have had several guys wanting to trade in Asian made boards for hand shapes and are happy to pay the dollars so I think most guys are onto it now which is good but I am sick of this topic....plus someone said to me the other day, 'what about the little Asian guys just earning a measly few dollars to feed their families ? ' so whatever, just ride whatever and wherever its made....

[ric_vidal]

Its really not that hard to get an Australian made webber. No more difficult than getting any other board.

Probably very true. Plenty come into Rich’s place for repair, mostly of foreign origin. No surprises why most people like them if you ask me - volume.

Seems to be pushing the deep doubles, well that’s what the GSI versions are... think that might slow his sales down rightly or wrongly, for an otherwise conservative market.

Anyone ridden one?

[sandfly]

I had a PU Fatburner with the deep doubles for small waves, went like shit!

But that is only my opinion.

Bought a JS Sonic which has been ideal for me in small Sydney beach breaks

[oldman]

you could get a custom CDD/epoxy afterburner copy for less than $750....and thats by an Aussie shaper... , or buy Oldmans 2nd handy and can almost afford another custom of another design to have a bigger quiver....

Go Prids. Great suggestion, just buy oldman's board, it's a freaking bargain.

Its really not that hard to get an Australian made webber. No more difficult than getting any other board.

Well you got me there Dino. Which of the 300,000 webber boards are oz made? Are they just the ones that don't have a tiny sticker of origin somewhere (in size 4 font), because no chinese manufacturer would ever forget to put a 'made in china' sticker on it.

For some there may be a lot of difference between a machine shaped webber made in oz versus a machine shaped webber made in thailand, not sure that the money either ends up in oz or just a tiny percentage. I doubt that putting a board through a shaping machine in oz is gonna mean great wads of money staying here.

Any info on that appreciated. I have heard it would be quite difficult to get a webber personally shaped by webber unless you know him or have a connection.

Happy to be enlightened, but I have gained these impressions from things I have read on realsurf forums, and they never lie!

[hamish]

Nice to see you back Buzzy.
I thought briefly about the Webber afterburner when looking at new boards earlier this year- very briefly. The made overseas thing really put me off. I went for a grant Miller V Skate instead and couldn't be happier.
Not only is the board fantastic (Me 6'5 board 6'8 x 20 x 2 3/4) but Grant has called a few times since I got the board to see how it's going and get any feedback. This has never happened before.

[Davros]

Looks fun