[The April issue of] TransWorld Business takes a look at the state of the surf hardgoods market, checking in with the industry to see how surfboard sales are faring.

The past five years have been tumultuous for surfboard manufacturers. All markets naturally ebb and flow, but the ripples that formed in the
wake of Clark Foam’s closure in December 2005 quickly turned into waves. For many surfboard builders, dodging and duck-diving the formidable set of challenges that ensued has taken a toll.

That being said, there appears to be a lull on the horizon. After three years of retailers reporting being over inventoried with surf hardgoods, the tide seems to have begun its turn. According to a survey of 75 of the leading surfboard retailers in the U.S., 76 percent described their current surfboard inventory as either about right, slightly under-stocked, or under-stocked. Of the remaining 24 percent, 22 percent said they are only slightly overstocked, leaving a mere two percent in the flooded category.

see full story at Transworld

Our new online Surf Catalog is a rallying call on behalf of threatened surf breaks around the world. It’s packed full of stunning images, compelling videos, the best surf gear available and action alerts from our friends at Save The Waves Coalition. Give it a look and share with your friends – it’s time for all surfers to come together and protect our precious surf breaks.

Sign up for FCD Surfboard emails inside the online Surf Catalog and you’ll be entered to win a Patagonia Wetsuit. Click “Join Our Mailing List” to enter (lower-right corner). Existing Patagonia email subscribers must sign-up in order to be entered. *No purchase necessary; see official rules at Patagonia.com.

Our thanks go out to everyone who contributed to this issue. We hope you like it.

www.patagonia.com
www.savethewaves.org

see the original blog post at thecleanestline.com

itunes link

Rips and currents are the number one hazard on beaches and are the cause of most rescues and many drownings a year. So the creators of mysurfworld.com have just brought out the only iPhone application of its kind educating people around the world about beach safety. This application provides information about rips, currents, stingers and even sharks.

With everything you need to know about rips and currents, there is now no excuse to get caught in a rip ever again whilst swimming at the beach. Majority of the people that go to the beach have no idea of the purpose and function of rips and not to mention, why we must have them. Not to worry, all of your questions regarding Rips are answered in this one and only iPhone application.

What you will learn from this application about rips and currents :

– What a rip and a current
– How they are formed
– Why do they exist
– How to identify rips
– How to survive and stay in control
– Why are they dangerous
– Commonly located

The application also provides vital information regarding treatment of jellyfish and blue bottle stings. Along with facts about sharks and their behaviors and what signs may indicate that a shark could be present and also what may attract sharks.

When majority of people go to the beach they are more than likely to take there mobile phone in case of emergency. By having this application on your iPhone or iPod you will be able to have all of the information in the palm of your hand allowing you to identify the dangers which may be in front of you before entering the water.

At the moment the first release is only available in English but mysurfworld.com are working on localizing the application so it is available in French, Portuguese, Japanese, Italian and German.