If you’re a little strapped for cash but you’ve been bitten by the surfing bug, you’ve gotten yourself into quite the dilemma. A reliable new surfboard can cost anywhere from $500 to $1200 and, of course, you’re going to want a board for every single wave type you might encounter. Unfortunately, board collecting is not the most financially responsible thing to do, but there are a few ways you can have your cake and eat it too. Below, you will find a number of sure-fire ways to save money on your next board purchase.
1. Buy Used and Trade in
While nothing quite beats a custom shaped board, sometimes it’s not a realistic option. Buying used boards is a great way to turn your one board budget into a three-board budget. Trading in old boards is another awesome way to significantly reduce the cost of used or new boards and expand your quiver on a budget. Additionally, buying used allows you to try a variety of board types and ultimately improve your surfing.
2. Surfboard Broker
Surfboard Broker is a wholesale distributor based in Carlsbad, California. They service all coastal areas of the United States, including Hawaii, and even have an Australian branch. They’re most known for their Instagram where they post a stellar selection of new and used high-performance boards. In the summer, they offer a huge variety of high volume shortboards and longboards for the small wave season. Prices range from $150 to full price. Customers can have the boards shipped anywhere in the states.
3. Secondhand Boards
Secondhand Boards is a US-based online marketplace for surfboards. The website is user-friendly and easy to navigate. With the ability to search for local sellers, sellers willing to ship, board type, fin set up, and price Secondhand Boards is a surfer’s best tool to buy and sell their own boards.
4. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook’s new marketplace feature allows you to buy and sell anything. Fortunately for us, that includes surfboards. While there isn’t the same regulation to guarantee quality, there are some absurdly low prices from sellers who just want to offload old boards as quickly as possible. The closer you are to a surf break, the more useful your local Facebook marketplace will be.
Honorable Mention: Ride List
Ride List is an app that just launched on the iTunes App Store. Their goal is to provide a marketplace for all action sports gear where users are able to buy, sell, chat, and trade. Because the app is new, there are few reviews out there to gauge the quality of service and gear available.
Now, armed with the knowledge of how to score cheap used boards. Get out there, get your own, and start practicing for your next trip to WRSC!
