What's the best non-corporate place to buy a surfboard in Orange County?

Question

My brother's visiting me and wants to surf. He's looking to buy a board. He didn't specifiy new or used. Any recommendations? Recommendation for surf spots are also welcome.

And please, don't say Ron Jon. We like supporting local businesses.

Answer 1

I would try eBay. Many surfboards for sale will be "pick-up" only, which is no problem if your in the area. You should find the best deals there or craigslist.  Even local surf shops will usually charge a hefty 20-25% commission for people trying to sell their surfboard through them.

- Surfboards on eBay as well as local surf shops in that area.  http://www.surfing-gear.net/local-surf-s...

As far as surfing in California - check out Huntington Beach and especially Bolsa Chica State Beach if your looking for room to spread out from the crowds. http://www.surfingcal.com/popular-surf-s...

Answer 2

costco

Answer 3

http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/spo/

This is the best place for the cheapest deals.  Mostly used boards being sold with no middleman.  Craigs is a place for users to buy and sell their goods or offer services or find jobs.  I bought and sold, in my lifetime, around six boards.  I just bought a 8'0'' funboard the other day for $240 (I bargained down), and its in great condition, like new, few pressures, smoothie bottom and top, came w/ leash and fins.  Can't beat that deal.  Shortboards sell as low as $80 and longboards I see for sale as low as $140.  Depending on condition of the board, but craigs is the best place.  100s of boards are being bought and sold daily/ weekly.

I live in hawaii but im sure its the same in the OC.

Answer 4

I'm not too familiar with Orange County in particular, but you're lucky in that California has a ton of local shapers. UM surfboards, shaped by Michael Walter are pretty good, and local as well. They aren't hugely corporate, but they are well-known. You could look at Santa Cruz Surfboards, Momentum Surfboards, the former of which is less local. All these are shortboards, I don't know any longboard shapers.

As an alternative, you could visit some local shops and ask them, they'd definately be familiar with the local guys and can reccomend what you're looking for. Also, some shops do sell used boards. However, a surfboard can be relatively expensive (anywhere from a couple hundred to more than a thousand dollars), so it might be easier and cheaper to just rent one.

Answer 5

Bruce Jones Surfboards              



"High Performance Surfboards. Clean, Simple, Totally Functional!" Molded Expoxy Boards, Custom Basic Boards, Custom Used Boards, Modern Longboards, Hybrids, Noseriders, Thruster Shortboards, Big Boy's Thrusters, Hybrids, Eggs, Fish, Funboards, Assault Vehicles, Brock Jones Performance Models "A thinner, lighter board with Modern Rails (low tucked rail in the center with a sharp tail edge) with enough tail rocker for easy quick turns and just enough nose rocker to keep it from pearling in most situations. The right board for great maneuverability in tight situations!", Retro Noseriders, High Performance Modern Longboards "More nose and tail rocker, narrower and thinner than our Modern Longboards, make these very easy to turn, great in longboard situations where noseriding is not a consideration!", Super Floater Modern Longboards.  Sunset Beach

Bruno Surfboards              



"Bruno Troadec started shaping surfboards in 1976 in Brittany, France. Besides shaping his own brands, he has shaped with d**k Brewer, Terry Fitzgerald (Hot Buttered), Peter McAllum and Ned McMahon (T & C), to name a few. Just within his own brands of "Plastic Machine" and "Bruno Surfboards," he recently surpassed board number 10,000.... Bruno also continues to hand shape his surfboards and works closely with his clients to create the best boards for their surfing style." Short Boards, Hybrids, Sanaii, Fish.  Sunset Beach, Westminster

Chuck Bassett Surfboards              



"Chuck Bassett builds vintage, classic and big wave gun balsa wood surfboards. This is a fine woodworking operation devoted exclusively to building surfboards in the 9' to 11' range with various hardwood stringer designs for those wanting authentic surf culture in their collection. Navigate through his web site by clicking the various hot buttons below. You will no doubt gain insight on one person's experience growing up surfing south Orange County beginning in the early 1960's, and see and learn how wood surfboards are built. As surfboards become available for sale they are pictured in the 'gallery' section accompanied with a full description."  San Clemente

Clone Surfboards              



2004: "Responsive, artful, performance boards at an unbeatable price. Beautiful, lightweight, strong, and fast. Clone® surfboard design... The future of surfboard technology today! Longboards from $349 Fun boards from $250 (all new!) Shortboards from $249 Surfchairs from $250... Jim Mizell, the creator of Clone® Surfboards, started surfing in 1959. He has been making his own surfboards since 1970. Jim lived in Hawaii for ten years where he surfed some of the best and biggest waves in the world and learned the art of board shaping from the true craftsmen. Back on the mainland, he shaped thousands of conventional boards. But surfboards are fragile and their materials can be toxic. Boards that last longer mean less waste and a lower environmental impact. Mizell went to work developing a well shaped surfboard that would be stronger than any board on the water. The result is a cleanly molded surfboard of epoxy laminated wood veneer and a lightweight styrene core. This patented construction enhances the board's strength and reduces dings, dents and delamination. The board's increased longevity and reduced need for repair results in lower environmental impact. The patented process also removes some toxic chemicals from manufacture."  Santa Ana

Cole Surfboards              



Cole Surfboards include: High Performance Series, Diamond Back, Skeleton Fish, Flight Deck, Firefly, Bullet Fish, The Big Guy, Pistol, Big Gun, Fun Shape, Longboard, Black Label Series. Cole Surfboard Dealers include: Billabong Santa Cruz, Central Coast Surboards (SLO), Greenhouse Boardshop (Arcata), Proof Lab (Mill Valley), Right Coast Surf Shop (Seaside Park, NJ), Rip Curl (San Clemente), Tres Palmas Surf Shop (San Juan, PR), Unsound Surf (Long Beach, NY), Surf Skate Supply.com.  San Clemente

Dano Surfboards              



Dano Kustom Surfboards: Thumb Tail, The Nose Glider, The Doublender, The Ace, The Jewel.  Costa Mesa

Dewey Weber Sports              



Surfboards, Skateboards, Clothing, Accessories, Stickers. Surfboards: The Dewey Weber Professional, Performer, Legend, Stylist, Feather, Strato 2, Mini-Performer, Feather-Fastback, Pig, Flying Pig. Hatchet Fins: Performer, Sparky, Pig, Legend. Skateboards: Classic Wood, Flying Pid, Legend. Shirts: Dewey Weber Logo T-Shirt, Logo Longsleeve, Logo Hooded Sweatshirt, USA Teeshirt, USA Longsleeve, USA Hooded Sweatshirt, Sun T-Shirt, Sun Longsleeve, Sun Hooded Sweatshirt, Feather Fastback T-Shirt, Feather Fastback Longsleeve, Weber Team Jacket, Weber Team Trunks, Weber Malibu Tee, Performer Tee, Icon Tee, DW Stripe Tee, Secos Tee, Surfer Girl Tee. Hats: Fitted Dewey Weber Logo Hat, Logo Beanie, Youth Fitted Logo Hat. Stickers: DW Dewey Weber Large, Small, USA, Icon, Sun Sticker. Dewey Weber Coffee Mug, Dewey Weber Surfing Poster, Dewey Weber Towels, Dewey Weber Rack Pads w/ Straps, Dewey Weber Rug, DW Board Bag, Longboard Leash, Large & Small Dewey Weber Patches. See Dewey Weber.  San Clemente

Ellis Surfboards              



Funboards, shortboards, longboards. Squash tails / Square tails / Fish's / Swallow tails / Winged swallows / Pin tails / Guns / Tow boards / Hybrid / High-performance to Classic Nose Rider models.  San Clemente

Exile Skimboards              



"Exile Skimboards LLC was officially born in the Spring of 2002, but it was a long time in the making. Company founders Aaron Peluso and Andy Chiavetta had already spent years preparing for what they felt would be a ground shaking introduction to the skimboarding world. Since the early 1990’s Andy Chiavetta had been building boards for close friends as well as a handful of customers. While these boards were never available to the general skim market, years of design and construction experimentation led to a very refined process. Since 1994, Aaron Peluso has owned and operated SkimOnline.com, which has since become by far the most viewed skimboarding resource in the world. Working on the website for over a decade, he has had the privilege of watching the sport blossom first hand. His interaction with skimboarders all over the globe gave him not only good contacts, but also a unique insight into what riders look for in a skimboard."  San Clemente

Glyder Surfboards              



"Specializing in custom handcrafted surfboards from 8' to 10' lengths. Located In Huntington Beach, CA. USA. Glyder surfboards include a very unique money-back-guarantee in writing. Buy it, ride it, if not completely stoked, return it! You won't get this offer at any local surf shop!"  

Guy Okazaki Surfboards              



"Guy Okazaki has been shaping and surfing fine tuned surfboards for decades. His custom designs are hand crafted precision works of art. These skills were handed down from his father, starting in Hawaii and moving to California. In Venice, CA, Guy met Dewey Weber and Harold Iggy at their little shop on the beach. This led to part time employment with Weber Surfboards until their move inland. My boards begin with First Quality foam blanks. Models of blanks are chosen for close tolerances. The rockers are of custom specifications developed with Clark. I combine a variety of foam weights and stringers to meet the needs of the customer. All boards are totally hand shaped to achieve a sense of creativity and art. I cannot feel passionate over a blank that has come out of a machine. Boards are glassed at Spanners, a state-of-the-art facility. Their quality controls and use of superior materials really show in the finished board." Shortboards, The Alien, Big Boy Tri, Funboards, Longboards, Backpacks, Boardbags, Boardshorts, Deck Pads, Leashes, Rashguards, Sandals, Sunglasses, Wax.  Huntington Beach

Harbour Surfboards              



"Since 1959, when Rich Harbour went into his parents' garage with a saw and a piece of foam, Harbour has crafted more than 23,000 surfboards and counting. Today, vintage Harbour Surfboards are collected by enthusiasts around the world eager to grab a piece of true surfing history. Harbour Surfboards was established more than 40 years ago and remains as the worlds oldest surfboard manufacturing shop at the same location and a driving force within the surfing industry."  Seal Beach

Hobie Surf              



"Hobie Alter. He started out shaping surfboards, he ended up shaping a culture." Surfboards, Bodyboards, Footwear, Skateboards, Women's Swimwear, Sportwear, Water skis, Sunglasses. "Hobie Diamond T's Hobie Classic T's Hobie Surf T's Hobie Cat T's Longsleeve T's Hobie Kids Sweatshirts Walkshorts Boardshorts Elastic Waist Swim Sunglasses Bags Skate/Bodyboard Hats DVDs Videos Books Calendars & Cards Stickers/Posters Surf Gear Home Store Gifts & Novelties"  Dana Point

Infinity Boardshop              



"Long Boards, Short Boards, Tandem Boards, Wave Skis, Snowboards, Skateboards, Body Boards, Wetsuits. O'Neill, Billabong. Surfing Supplies, Repairs, Used Boards. Victoria Skimboards. Infinity Surfboards was founded in 1970 and built from the ground up by 3-time tandem surfing World Champions Steve and Barrie Boehne. The Dana Point shop is one of the last core surf shops that builds their own boards on site. With a combined shaping experience of over 120 years , the shapers at Infinity meticulously hand carve everything from longboards, shortboards, guns, tandem boards, paddle boards, and knee boards to waveskis. Other than our in-store surfboard lineup of over 250 boards the shop carries wetsuits, clothing, skateboards, surf accessories and everything else you'd expect at