How much will the cost go down for surfboards?

Question

china is now producing 250,000 surfboards just this year. how much money do you think they will be worth from the usual 700 bucks? would you ever get one?

Answer 1

All traditional board manufacturers have been feeling the pinch for the past 3-4 years.  You see the mass-produced boards from China, and boards from Taiwan, in retail shops all over, and at prices $200 to $300 less then custom boards made in the US.  

Since there are a number of shaping machines in China now, several name manufacturers are having some of their boards made there and then shipped here to sell.  These boards are sold under the same label, but usually about $200 less then the US boards.  I had a chance to ride a longboard almost identical to my custom board but 2" longer and produced in China based on the template sent there.  It felt different but still performed almost the same.  I personally prefer my custom boards.

Most manufacturers have the opinion that there will always be a market for custom made boards tailored to the surfers individual needs.  Unfortunately, the price of these boards will continue to increase with labor and material costs.  However, for beginners and those who aren't skilled enough to feel the slight differences between the custom board and a similar (but not made to fit) board, the foreign mass-produced boards will continue to gain market share.