that wetsuit discussion...

[Morgan The Moon]

I've just gone down the King of Watersports road.

I like to buy local, I'll even pay a slight premium for it, but not over 200% for what I can get it online.

Went for O'Neill Superfreak, with discount code (easily found on the web), minus VAT and instead of $350 AUD, it gets delivered for $150. I did go for free delivery so it may take a while, but I'm not that desperate for a steamer at the moment anyway.

[PeepeelaPew]

...

[Cpt.Caveman]

Purchased a 3/2 E3 E-bomb Pro Model. Its a great suit so far, so soft and stretchy it feels like wearing marshmellow all over.

Super warm for Sydney's current conditions with warm water and cold air temps. I was surfing in a strong cold southerly wind last week and was so warm I had to keep my feet out of the water and in the wind to cool down. I kept having to take big scoops of water into the suit too.

I can imagine it'll be perfect when winter water temps arrive

[scod]

3 years ago I bought an 3/2 oneil psycho steamer from beckersurf.com for about $200 shipped. The seppos were moving to the warmer season and this wettie was run out stock, end of season.

washed it out regularly, looked after it, still in great nic.

I'm well aware of the false economy of buying overseas but bugger it, the wetsuit was $600 in oz !!!

[steve shearer]

So where'd ya get yours from Captain?

I;'ve been trying to find a 2mil long arm springy which is perfect for most days around here.

Can't seem to find one.

[bohdidontsurf]

Steve , I was looking for the same. Check your PM box.

[Beaver]

Thanks for the link!

His website is a little hard to use, pretty confusing.

He seems to be sold out or they just dont have alot of the sizes/colours.

And no info on shipping?

I told you they were hard to get your hands on

But I vouch for Ryan Buell's ability to create one of the best, high performance wetsuits around.

I'm lucky to have a couple but then again I think I have had every wetsuit ever created ha ha ha ha.....my wife does not approve.

About to take a plunge and go with the Buell I think.

Mostly so I'm not buying from RipCurl.

Just to clarify You would recommend Buell>E-bomb.

You sdo seem to be the wetsuit genius on here haha.

[robzig]

[oldman]

Purchased a 3/2 E3 E-bomb Pro Model. Its a great suit so far, so soft and stretchy it feels like wearing marshmellow all over.

Come on captain, 'fess up. How much?

I'm well aware of the false economy of buying overseas but bugger it, the wetsuit was $600 in oz !!!

No false economy in it at all scod. It's the funniest thing, but Australia has just woken up to the fact that we are overpaying for a shiteload of goods compared to world prices, and because of the internet we can now buy those cheaper overseas goods.

A wetsuit made in china and shipped to USA should not be selling for 50% of the price it sells for in Oz, EOS.

This could lead to a revolution in pricing of a huge range of goods across Australia.

I've been trying to find a 2mil long arm springy which is perfect for most days around here.

Steve, I picked up a long arm springy RC Dawn Patrol last summer for about $175 last summer. It is the best suit I have owned and has inspired me to update my winter apparel. It feels great on, like wearing a suit of rash vest material almost. Never felt so free in a wetsuit.

Mind you, my old springy was real old and almost cardboard stiff.

I've gone the Buell wetsuit steamer as well. Will let you know how it goes. Unfortunately there was some bug in the website and I ordered once and it said it had rejected the order because my card numbers weren't right, (or something like that) so I re-entered everything and it did it again.

This morning there's no money in my account. It went through both times. Will let you all know if I have any trouble with Buell sorting this out too.

[scod]

Purchased a 3/2 E3 E-bomb Pro Model. Its a great suit so far, so soft and stretchy it feels like wearing marshmellow all over.

Come on captain, 'fess up. How much?

I'm well aware of the false economy of buying overseas but bugger it, the wetsuit was $600 in oz !!!

No false economy in it at all scod. It's the funniest thing, but Australia has just woken up to the fact that we are overpaying for a shiteload of goods compared to world prices, and because of the internet we can now buy those cheaper overseas goods.

A wetsuit made in china and shipped to USA should not be selling for 50% of the price it sells for in Oz, EOS.

This could lead to a revolution in pricing of a huge range of goods across Australia.

I've been trying to find a 2mil long arm springy which is perfect for most days around here.

Steve, I picked up a long arm springy RC Dawn Patrol last summer for about $175 last summer. It is the best suit I have owned and has inspired me to update my winter apparel. It feels great on, like wearing a suit of rash vest material almost. Never felt so free in a wetsuit.

Mind you, my old springy was real old and almost cardboard stiff.

I've gone the Buell wetsuit steamer as well. Will let you know how it goes. Unfortunately there was some bug in the website and I ordered once and it said it had rejected the order because my card numbers weren't right, (or something like that) so I re-entered everything and it did it again.

This morning there's no money in my account. It went through both times. Will let you all know if I have any trouble with Buell sorting this out too.

I'm not aware of buell, I know there is a Buell motorcycle manufacturer which I believe is part of Harley Davidson, hope your wettie don't leak water like a harley leaks oil

This is a discussion on wetties and I don't want to de-rail the thread (and I don't want to start a new one on the topic for various reasons) but it is my opinion that the "revolution on pricing", which I agree will happen in the long term, will ultimately be detrimental to the average punter. Its not something that will come crashing in, like a recession or worse, because its impact will be gradual, just like the take up of internet sales, which at the moment account for a very low % of retail sales (though how reliable the data is I don't know). In short, lower retail margins and lower retail sales have the ability to affect the "wealth" of any one with a super fund. Its a tough message to sell, and Gerry Harvey is exactly the wrong spokesperson (prolly isnt a good one).

Best bet is that if the take up is slow and most of the oz public stay asleep, that way you can keep your asset base and buy the cheap stuff from o/s ( just becareful with the electrical components, plugging a 110v device into a 240v wall socket is prolly not covered by u warranty )

[oldman]

but it is my opinion that the "revolution on pricing", which I agree will happen in the long term, will ultimately be detrimental to the average punter

It's really complex scod. You seem to have put some thought into it but I'm not sure anyone really knows. I'm not concerned, and think the average punter will reap genuine benefits long and short term, but there is room for doubt.

However, the first point is a given, we are over-paying on a heap of standard goods for no good reason. Sporting goods seem to be at the top of the pile or rip-offs, excluding actual surfboards where the margin is 4/5ths of 5/8ths of nothing. If you buy any electrical from overseas you had better do your homework. Caveat emptor.

This will effect retail quite significantly, but frankly, having people wasting their lives providing crap service at a Westfields outlet hardly represents the best possible use of a human resource in the economy, and as a personal pursuit virtually anything is more meaningful than being a shop assistant. I don't mean to be mean to shoppies here, I'm just saying that there are a huge number of activities they could be employed doing which would be more nourishing for the soul and more economically productive.

The only real issue re superannuation is a slowing in big retailers profits and a major blow to Westfields. If you have shares in Westfields then you are long term on a terrible loser. They are the virtual monopoly suppliers of a product that is looking more and more like a dinosaur.

Real increases in money in the pocket from paying much less for retail can only go to enhancing other parts of the economy, or paying off debt. either is a great thing for the country.

Westfields and the major retailers make up approximately 1 bee's dick of the superannuation portfolio for the average punter, so I see no problems there.

But interested in your perspective. Times are a changing, that's a certainty. Change is always accompanied by the hanrahans ' we'll all be rooned', but invariably they are overblown claims. Witness the industry debate on the carbon tax. It is complete and utter bullshit.

As for hijacking threads, I have never had any concerns for that.

[petulance]

However, the first point is a given, we are over-paying on a heap of standard goods for no good reason. Sporting goods seem to be at the top of the pile or rip-offs, excluding actual surfboards where the margin is 4/5ths of 5/8ths of nothing.

Nah, the very top of the rip off list would be software / media downloads. Stores like Apple iTunes (media) and Steam (PC Games) determine the pricing depending on where you are connecting from. Most of the time there will be a 30 - 50% difference between the Australian and US pricing. All because we are connecting from Oz.

At least sporting goods have to be physically shipped from overseas to Oz. Software downloads on the other hand ... no one can say that it costs more to transmit the bits and bytes over to Australia or that the bits and bytes have to meet Australian standards.

[scod]

Ok, let the hijacking commence.

There are two possible effects of internet sales if they become a significant portion of total retail sales. There may be more.

1. Lower local sales and lower margins will mean less jobs. The retail sector is the largest employer of ppl at about 1.5million bods. If the sector has less jobs and another sector doesn't replace them ( no demand, or the ppl are not qualified for the available gigs) you get the multiplier effect in reverse ie less jobs, less income earnt, less spent, less jobs and so on.

2. A lot of super funds use the property sector as a core asset class coz its value doesnt shift dramatically like shares. This includes both retail property and commercial property. A super regional shopping centre can be valued at $800m, given that the market views property as being almost risk free, with a slow but steady growth rate, this asset class is used as a base. A shopping centre value can be calculated ina "quick and dirty' way by taking the net income (rent less expenses) and dividing it by a cap rate ( basically the market's view on how much return this centre should provide) so $45m at a cap rate of 6.25% yields a value of $720m. The rent a shopping centre can charge is dependant upon the sales that the tenants are expected to achieve. If the sales decline, the rents decline, which means less distribution to the unitholders who are the super funds. There may also be ramifications from lower values and the impact of that on the finances used to purchase the assets (sometimes banks have financial covenants that say asset to loan ratio must not be lower than XX%.

This is just an opinion of what the result may be, its not a condoning of big business, or the rent determining mechanisms or the best allocation of resources.

This effect wouldnt just come in as a big wham, it will be gradual, like the eroding of local retail sales.

[Cpt.Caveman]

So where'd ya get yours from Captain?

I;'ve been trying to find a 2mil long arm springy which is perfect for most days around here.

Can't seem to find one.

I purchased it from the Ripcurl factory outlet at Birkenhead Shopping Centre in Drummoyne, Sydney.

I'm pretty sure it was last years stock that didn't sell. $575 down to $385. Pretty good in my books

[Morgan The Moon]

... I'm not that desperate for a steamer at the moment ....

I'll take that back. It's been freezing for the dawny. Wish I had my wetty. One of the benefits of shop bought is its in your hands. Still, bit of cold on one hand, $200 bucks in the other......

[Beaver]

So where'd ya get yours from Captain?

I;'ve been trying to find a 2mil long arm springy which is perfect for most days around here.

Can't seem to find one.

I purchased it from the Ripcurl factory outlet at Birkenhead Shopping Centre in Drummoyne, Sydney.

I'm pretty sure it was last years stock that didn't sell. $575 down to $385. Pretty good in my books

Pretty good. But not that good considering you could buy this years Ebomb (the model up), for $300 bucks from the states incl shipping.

[Moore]

2011 West Lotus' available online over here at the mo for £120 Great suit, ridiculously cheap

[alakaboo]

well i take back my earlier praise for their service, the Radiator mob managed to send me a short arm steamer in order to try the next size up.
Still had the same problems with cut behind the knees, in the armpits and across the shoulders.

Back on the fricken merry-go-round.

Still interested in the idea of titanium lined thinner steamers. Was checking out the Triple-X site and they seem to get good reviews, but I'm a bit concerned about the 'unisex fit'.
Last time I had a wettie that was unisex fit it meant my balls got crushed so badly they went and hid for 3 months.

Any reviews from people with figs?