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I'm not sure how many on here have tried to sell boards outside of this forum but it is a challenge. I was at a board swap yesterday and every comment was oh those look fun for goofing around or the kids didn't have any money. One guy wanted to trade one of the boards for a shortboard. I told him he would need to include his physique with that. I don't know but I've been on alternative way of riding waves breaking away from the mainstream on a lot of things. How I live and my beliefs on a lot of things. I won't get into much about that though. People are just so afraid to break from what surf community says you should ride. I'm note saying you have to go full on paipo but it could be a option for when you want to change it up. Rant over.......

Altho' I have actually sold a couple of the boards I've made to like minded souls, having gone "full on paipo" some time ago, I totally get it.
We are The Lunatic Fringe.

Something I really can not understand is those who would rather quit riding waves altogether than ride prone......

when people see me selling some boards in my yard they say oh what nice skim boards ????

...and yet they'll spend big bucks on a stupid SUP and think they are just the coolest thing ever. I just have to laugh...

For the average punter it's an easy choice. You can get a SUP, learn to stand up on it relatively easy and get all the waves you want or start all over as a beginner, be at the bottom of the pecking order and get looked at funny. Riding a standard surfboard has a longer learning curve but fits the image of people who say "I've always wanted to surf". Standing up on a board is fun for sure but so is riding prone.

Until Kelly Slater starts riding a paipo we can enjoy the shade of obscurity.

Pes78 wrote:...People are just so afraid to break from what surf community says you should ride. .......

Maybe you should consider breaking from your current surf community instead. Folks are more receptive to paipos in other places- Norcal & Hawai'i for example. Looks like there's decent interest in Europe & Latin America too.

Given the crowd density, average conditions, and that most surfers are stand ups in many areas of SoCal and other places, I can see why a lot of people would never consider going out in those line ups prone though.

I would like to move up North but I'm sticking it out for the rest of the year. I have some things in the works and with hopefully be not working for a few months beginning next year. Hopefully I can get a job in the Sierras and be able to make trips to the Bay Area. There's another swap this weekend so we'll see how it goes.

Hi Paul great point of conversation you raised
I personally believe an individual surfer should NEVER limit himself to one riding style nor one Wave Riding Vehicle
As we age and have a harder time standing up on short boards we should consider riding longer boards or SUP and or alternative vehicles
Additionally if we travel a lot and with new airline regulations hitting hard on surfboards transport fees and or impossible longboard restrictions our beloved alternative riding vehicles come into play
As the adult girlfriend and/or wife starts bitching on vacation trips on longboards SUP and short boards in the car and or as extra air luggage we should additionally consider even more these alternative and very Historic and ancient ways of surfing
For a sum of all of the above reasons I personally started kneeboarding about 5 years ago and at the same time Paipo-ing
My 58 yr old girlfriend thought it was a great thing traveling to Baja with the Paipo I bought from you and a second one bought directly from Thomas
I had a BALL of a time -- you can surf paipo's at locations and in conditions where stand up vehicles can't go nor perform well
The Med is one example of this -- when we get those nasty winter wind swept foamy days with broken waves and tons of foam it makes it nearly impossible for surfboards to preform and or ride// but that Paipo oh boy that Paipo can really still go and run faster and better then any surfboard
Two years ago I was in Hawaii on vacation and recovering from knee surgery I had only paipo's with me that allowed me to exercise in the water and regain strength in my leg-- could never do this on a stand up. That year I Met a guy that explained to me that SUP boards ("sweepers") were really created/developed for the older Hawaiian surfers that suffered with back problems from to much surfing -- well I told this guy they should consider one of the most ancient ways of surfing that the very Hawaiians had invented thousands of years ago PAIPO's
This is my point of view--- Paul you can't move up North what am I going to do when I come to SD?? I won't have a friend to surf with nor someone to shoot the "sh-t" with in the parking lot----- ha ha ha keep in touch

I have three boards that I need to sell also. Do you want to buy them? I have always ridden either bodysurfing, bodyboards or paipo. I did some mat riding as kid. For a long time I was a purist any only bodysurfed. I think riding prone gives you a better feel of the wave and the view is good too. Stand up boards can catch waves earlier and and paddle faster. So they have some advantages and you can look like Kelly Slater! I get annoyed, when I see people saying on websites that paipos are good for when the waves are bad. I think that they are great, when the waves are good. The other paipo site says "everyone should have one in their quiver" sort of as if it is a secondary thing. But to each his own.

James I would need a bigger van if I added any more boards. I'm planning a remodel this summer and need to get down to two boards. Planning on putting in a "kitchen" and adding solar. Dave I'll be in SD this winter maybe out to AZ to find a job for the summer. This is all in theory though.

Its the dilemma of every novice shaper; surfcraft construction cost money, but few people want a surfcraft from a novice shaper. And, fewer still want a non-mainstream surfcraft like a prone-board. Every novice shaper has to subsidize his "addiction" with a "day job". Twelve years ago, when I started, I lost $100 of material cost on every board I built. This was the case for the first couple of years. Eventually, as my shapes improved, I was able to break even cost-wise, and then eventually I began to make some profit. Of course all the profit went right back in to tools and materials for the addiction. The established shapers community will tolerate your under-pricing them until the quality of your work is seen as a threat to their market. Then you have to increase your prices to avoid being ostracized by your shaper peers. Of course, then you have to swim with the sharks, competing with shapers who have 20-30yr of experience building and selling boards in the same community. And I'm not talking about the Rustys or Als. For every big name there are hundreds of "underground" local shapers who are extremely proficient at there craft, all competing for the same customers. For the shaper specializing in prone boards, the path is even more difficult. Why? Because, as you have discovered, the market for prone boards is only a fraction of what it is for surfboards. (BTW, the surfboard market has been in a depression since last Fall despite the El Nino surf boost. One of the largest producers, CI, is no longer farming-out glassing work as a result) Oddly, over the past 12 months I sold more prone-boards than surfboards. So, the customers are out there, but you have to find them. And you have to be willing to ship anywhere. Dedicated prone-riders are everywhere except here in SoCal where you can count them on one hand. Bad news as a shaper, but good news as a prone-board rider. I hate competing for waves when I don't have an advantage. My G4 allows me to compete with the shortboarders, find and surf isolated peaks, surf small but perfectly formed waves, and go out on the biggest days. I'm really glad there aren't 20 other guys on prone boards at my local break, or at some of the "secret" spots I frequent.

Hi jbw4600
this is Belly rider-- you mentioned you have three boards for sale
What boards are they? Brand name/shaper ? Size- length width thickness ? Polyester or Epoxy??
Got any pictures?? You can contact me at david.rigo@email.com

I price my boards to at least cover the glassing since that my biggest expense. But you are finding someone is tough, I haven't done clist in a while because it's to much of a hassle.

Sort of a board swap possible at the paipo gathering on October 8th and 9th at El Cap. Maybe bring one or two boards to sell, but just put a piece of blue masking tape that says, "make offer" on the bottom of the nose. Sort of a conversation starter for the campground lookyloos.

Well what a difference a week makes. Sold both boards today and the single fin hull I did sold at another shop a couple days ago. Didn't sell them what I wanted them for but I was able to cover my glassing on the one that's being glassed. The guy that bought the green resin swirl said to me he was surfing at DMJ's the other day and saw a bodyboarder getting barrelled. I said well one of these will fit the bill. So I'm pretty happy about selling the boards. Only problem is I have nothing to surf.

yep, that's the other side of successful board sales. DMJs perfect for prone board..fast barreling left off a jetty. No hesitation about going "backside" or dropping in late. Ponto is similar. I'm always hoping that Ponto will be working on my infrequent trips to SD.