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What's with the price of sails these days??!!
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jillwinter



Joined: 06 Oct 2015
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:55 pm    Post subject: What's with the price of sails these days??!! Reply with quote

The Neil Pryde 2007 RS SLALOM 10.0 is listed at $900!!! Can you say second mortgage on the house? Thank goodness for swap meets!
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fesotelo



Joined: 02 Mar 2005
Posts: 12

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The sails are made by folks in China or Sri Lanka that get paid $5/day but we have to feed the pros and sail developers that live in Maui....
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tweeky



Joined: 19 Sep 2004
Posts: 256

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good question, I was thinking this just the other day. Swap meets are ok too I guess, but not if the sail is already baked. 300 hours is the normal life span of the sail, after which, its pretty much done. I can't believe how much the new sails are costing considering how long they last, and how many people leave their sails fully rigged baking in the sun all day. Bruce Peterson said that leaving a rigged sail in the sun was actually harder on the sail than using it, and wears it out even faster. I either leave mine in the shade, derig it, or at one site we take a little weight & rope as an anchor and keep the boards in the water.
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hochuli



Joined: 13 Sep 2001
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I cover mine with a cheap car cover from Wal-Mart.
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hochuli



Joined: 13 Sep 2001
Posts: 38

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I cover mine with a cheap car cover from Wal-Mart.
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hammerton



Joined: 30 Jul 2007
Posts: 49

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree $900 is rather a lot for a sail. N.P. certainly spends more than anybody on marketing and team sailors and Robert is paid quite well (unlike most sail designers).

The reason all sails and not just N.P. are more expensive than they used to be:
1. Shipping - these costs have gone through the roof. All X-plys are manufactured in the USA or Europe and shipped to China. Sails then have to be shipped back around the world.
2. For those of us in the USA - the dollar is worthless. As the dollar is de-valued the cost of importing increases.
3. The raw materials are more exotic and expensive - Metalic x-plys are 4 x the cost of plain monofilm.
4. There are more details, molded parts and artwork than there used to be. There is just more work in a sail.
5. It takes about 60 people to make a windsurfing sail.


If you don't need the hype there are other brands with excellent products for less than Pryde. The best deal is to get last years sail at a closeout price.
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jillwinter



Joined: 06 Oct 2015
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The last two sail purchases I was in the mind set of going with X-ply thinking more bang for the buck; Ezzy and Aerotech. Unfortunately the Ezzy x-ply panels are splitting open in a coule areas ( I don't jump an rarely crash). Now I see the Ezzy's are heading for the $700 mark. I'm thinking about going back to the old basic mono technology; hope for 2 years of useage and save the $200/$300 I would pay for the high end and alleged more durable materials.
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aaron1234



Joined: 22 Jun 1998
Posts: 58
Location: Marin

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Delta windsurf has some great deals on their remaining inventory of Prydes. Got myself a combat 5.2 for 350. This years model. Derek told me that they weren't carrying Pryde anymore due to the high cost. You can also get great deals on hot sails right off their website.
I wonder is volume has anything to do with the high price of sails? I'd bet sail companies aren't selling that many sails to us Americans these days. I trend to buy a new quiver every two years unless I go through a sail then I'll replace the damaged one. I never have my sails repaired I just replace and give the damaged sail to one of my friends.
I try to support my local shop but I don't really have one anymore since they have all closed down.
On a side note does Berkeley Boardsports still sell gear or is it mostly skateboards now?
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 6:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't buy 10-meter sails or sails designed by big conglomerates, but I do buy my new, world-class, high-performance, custom, U.S.-designed and built, full x-plies guaranteed for years including virtually overnight repairs (I needed one once a few quivers ago) for $300-400 bucks apiece (standard, pre-season, public quiver prices for 6.x and down), bash and crash the living hell out of them full time 8 months out of the year, and sell 'em a few years later for half of what I paid for them because they still look great and have many years of life left in them if not left baking in the sun.

There's no need to feed the faceless conglomerates or put up with what they call "service". Wink

\m/
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tweeky



Joined: 19 Sep 2004
Posts: 256

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, spit it out man, who's sails do you buy?
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