Where do you buy your windsurfing gear?

[Anonymous]

I'm curious - where do you most of you buy your windsurfing gear? Online? From other sailors? In windsurfing shops? If so, what shops do you most often frequent - do you always go to the same store, or do you shop around a bit?

_ Josh

[Mystery Bob]

Mostly the best deals are at the beach, some at Craigslist.com, but the shops have the largest most diverse selection when you need it. I prefer Hi-Tech Surf Sports, Second Wind and Kanaha Kai, all on Maui. Shipping may be more to the mainland so check availability in your area first. It's doubtful many shops can match the variety of state-of-the-art stuff offered by these three. One other option is to purchase directly from the maker's shop ie: Hot Sails Maui for sails. Good luck.

[BrianM]

Same dealer, all the time! Fair deals and great customer service! They have an online presence. My nearest shop is about 4 hours away so shopping online and/or traveling is the same to me.

[rrd280]

if your looking for a new or used board or sail then the best place to look is at
http://www.boardwise.co.uk/
its a great site with cheap boards and sails new and used.
i bought my first low litre speed/ free race board from them and saved £910.
ok it was second hand but still a great deal considering the condition.
have a look and im sure youl find yourself some cheap and good kit.

[Overpowered]

Local when I can, otherwise, online. Local shop presence/supplies seems to have dropped in the past several years, sometimes I have to call the main distributor to get stuff.

[Swiftsailor]

if your looking for a new or used board or sail then the best place to look is at
http://www.boardwise.co.uk/
its a great site with cheap boards and sails new and used.
i bought my first low litre speed/ free race board from them and saved £910.
ok it was second hand but still a great deal considering the condition.
have a look and im sure youl find yourself some cheap and good kit. That's rather funny. What if you live in Australia? I don't buy boards that aren't local and I can't pick up myself. Everything else I've bought online or through e-bay if I don't pick it up in the local shops. If it's a question of a broken part or something I need, I have to buy at the local shop. Otherwise, if I can avoid that and have the time, I'll shop for it on the internet. Most shops have an internet store so you actually can access all shops that way.

[Anonymous]

Follow-up question: Do you buy more boards new, or used?

[Overpowered]

New, but less frequently....

Unless I can't get a board I like new, then I go used.

[Swiftsailor]

In the past three years I've bought two boards, one new and one used. Currently, I'm purchasing a new board. The new boards have been the previous years models. I bought a used board a year ago in the first week of January, but haven't had a chance to use it.

[Spennie]

One thing I've noticed as a Team Rider for 2 different shops through the years is that people will go to their local shop for help in selecting a board or sail, and after the shop owner has helped them (maybe even let them demo!), they'll go online to buy so they can save $25..

Nice.

In case the public doesn't know, shops make very little money on the stuff they sell, most shop owners just love windsurfing, so to cheat them out of a sale after they've helped you is just plain sh%#*y.

[Swiftsailor]

Spennie, it's rather nice that you answered the question posed. As a Team Rider you prabably didn't buy anything. I worked in Ski Shops for years and saw the same kind of thing happening. However, I often find the shop owners that have survived the internet boom often have an arrogant attitude. Consequently, I now spend as little time as I can in their shops and buy as much as I can over the internet. On top of that I have bought through E-bay from a shop I never visited in R.I., drove out of state to pick up the board, and then had to suffer an arrogant remark about the low price I optained. That certainly didn't give me a lot of reason to return. You don't have to pick the brains of shop employees anymore to get what you want. The internet supplies enough information. An intelligent buyer will now spend as little time in the shops as possible. :idea:

[pneumaticdrill]

As a Team Rider you prabably didn't buy anything. I often find the shop owners that have survived the internet boom often have an arrogant attitude...(blah blah blah)... and then had to suffer an arrogant remark about the low price I optained..didn't give me a lot of reason to return. An intelligent buyer will now spend as little time in the shops as possible.

Swifty, Cosmi, Broadreach, Sinbad...whoever you are today, I'm sure the shop keepers are glad you stay away. :evil:

As an intelligent consumer you prabably could go online and optain a good deal on a clue. Of course we all know that Team Riders get their clues for free. :-D

[Spennie]

As a Team Rider, I represent the shop on the beach, which just gets me a nice discount. You're thinking of a sponsorship.
I'll pay more from a shop, sure, it's called support, maybe you've heard of it? In return, a shop will support you back, like when you have warranty problems. If you break your new boom, you'll pay $60. to ship it to the manufacturer, wait 2 - 6 weeks, and get a new one. I will drop mine off and pick one out of stock the same day. Don't think that's worth $20.? Fine, you get what you pay for.
One last thought: Do you think the shopkeeper's attitude may have been a reflection of yours?

[ktrubin]

K, I'll chime in.


I haven't bought a lot a windsurfing equipment, but I typically end up buying it used from a shop. My first decent set of windsurfing gear was bought in 2001 from a shop and I still use that equipment. When I realized how durable things are, I decided that I could still buy nice stuff that was two or three years old, and it works great for me. I wish I could buy the latest and greatest gear, but I can't afford it. I shop around on the net and I'll buy little things this way, but I'm beginning to realize that buying it from a dealer has some value....so I have ended up saving board purchases for dealers. I haven't bought a sail in 6 years, though. I think my 6.0 has more days than a hooker.

[PeconicPuffin]

Not buying at your local shop, if there is one, is a fundamental error in my opinion. The upside to local purchases is support, familiarity with you, familiarity with the conditions etc. Not sure if you're rigging the sail properly? Bring it over!

The downside to not supporting the shop should be fairly obvious.

The question to ask yourself is Does a local windsurfing shop improve my windsurfing life? Not "what can I save by going online."

Also, I haven't been in a shop since the late 90's that wouldn't match or nearly match the price another place was offering.

[apkusa]

I use my local shops.

I have found prices to be fair and service to be good.
I am lucky that there are several local shops with a broad range of gear avialable.

First I feel it is important for the sport to have a local suppliers and they have a business to run so buying there give them the $ to be here for me and others. Our local shops also sponsor a lot of local events. They also provide lessons for new and existing participants. All god reasosn to support them.

I have found most shop owners to be knowledgeable and willing to help with service and warrenty issues.

I am interested in a good value but not too concerned about getting the lowest price.

I now only buy new. But rember the days of searching for good used gear.

[Swiftsailor]

Although I tried to submit some humour into this thread and it was blocked, I want to make it clear that in the U.S.A., it's Buyer Beware!!!

[Swiftsailor]

In addition, I haven't looked at a Windsurfing Mag in years. Yesterday, I saw a couple in the Hyannis Mall Bookstore and passed on a purchase. My buying information has come from shop owners and the internet.