CF Dave,

That article makes me feel ILL... 12 days in China getting their designs built. Yeah AWESOME....

The market is getting so flooded with dumped china built surf and SUP boards its sickening. Specially when we can build those here in the US not only better quality and at least we have the EPA looking over our shoulder watching the polluntants to protect the enviroment.

 People do not even realize their overseas built board has paint on them that has been illegal in the US for 20+ years because its to toxic for the people spraying it and the enviroment.

I would also like to share if I had a few million dollars I would get some lawyers and jump in the lawsuit against the US for allowing china to dump product. Because I get offers from China all the time to build my boards and if I buy a whole 40' container of SUP's I can get the boards + paddle and pad including shipping for 330$ each. I cannot even purchase the materials in the US to build one SUP for 330$ and they sell finished boards for that. Something wrong with free trade when we are the only country who abides by it. Wanna pay off the national debt put tarrifs on imported goods to bring the price up to being where we as americans can compete.

People do not even know that their good deal China board is marked up that much when we american manufacturers and retailers of US made boards are lucky to make 20% on good quality american made boards. And all the while we help put americans to work...

 One the other hand I have been standing my ground, educating people about this issue and building the best SUP's possible with the best materials availible with good old american craftsmanship and experience. And it somewhat pays off I got alot of orders after the last Surf Expo apparently people were sickened by the shear amount of China boards at the show.

Say a 11' SUP costs me over 450$ in materials to build, not including the 20 man hours in labor. And for my "actual" top quality carbon fiber paddles, the filament wound american made carbon fiber handle costs me 130$ just for one handle tube. Pretty crazy when I can get so called carbon fiber finished paddles from China (more like black dyed fiberglass) so cheap I could retail them for 130$ and make 50% markup. 

But I am busy so although this pisses me OFF I am thankful people are getting educated and are wanting better things made just for them that are as eco friendly as possible " I use no VOC's in the manufacture of my boards and paddles" and my waste foam is recycled and my scrape glass goes to a guy that makes fins and small parts.

Peace,

Ron Neff

Absolute Trip SUP and Surf boards

Big gripe for me.  Labor costs aside.  Why are companies allowed to import products that are built in other countries in violation of all of our environmental regulations.  It exports our pollution to other countries and puts domestic production at a severe disadvantage.  It just isn't right.

Shaper:  Who is making your handles?  I've got Slovakian (Jantex) blades on American made ZRE shafts for my kayak paddles.  Zaveral makes good stuff.

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GreenLantern,

absolutetrip.com new website will be up soon I have been so busy word of mouth I have not advertised much. I guess being the only shaper who rides SUPs pretty much exclusively gives me a bit of a edge. Yep have demos and prices are pretty simple 120$ a foot/ 10$ a inch and hand made to order. All S-2 glass and 2.2lb EPS construction. I am in NSB.

Scombrid I get Rockwest to build my paddle handle shafts I am looking for a filament winding company that will layup carbon with 10-50% fiberglass to add more controled flex to the handle I am useing a little heavier wall tube than the other paddle manufacturers as I give a 1 year warranty on them and I have broken alot of paddles myself and hate throwing 350$ away in just a few weeks.

Look everyone is trying to make a buck, and China is helping the cause. Welcome to capitalism