HOW TO : choose your gear !!!

In our humble opinion: 1/ Listen to those who know:
We advise you to go directly to those who are schooled in SUP and Surfing and inborn knowledge of it in order to have the best and quality advice.
How does one recognize a charlatan ? Look at their Facebook page, their Instagram account, you will see quite fast who is walking the line and who is selling you BS….. Attention, you don’t need to have advice from World Champions !! Simply find an interlocutor capable of understanding your needs and helps you find the perfect solution for you, not what works for him !!! GONG has been the Pioneer of SUP in Europe and its main distributor of this passion. GONG and its many ambassadors on many a stretch of beaches are honored to be able to share their experiences.
GONG has assembled an incredible large community of practitioners on its Forum. Feel free to ask any and all your questions. 2/ Avoid Commercial Arguements/Jargon:
Words like ‘Wave Board’ should cause you to run. The SUP is a derivative of Surf. We are not doing the ‘Cowabunga Dude’ we are Surfing, so even if you are lacking in surfing knowledge be very aware of the wrapping they might be selling with their commercial Jargon.
You will find dozens of false promotions declaring Offer of the Century, but rare is the offer that is worth what they’re saying.
90% of the time it’s a guy in an Office that is re-selling products he is not even familiar with what they’re used for himself.
The Price before the ‘exceptional’ reduction had never even been practiced.It is simply false Promotion. A scam pure and simple…
Where’s the advice ? The Quality ? The Professional Service ? At the House of GONG you will find Promos on products that are end of Series, or Second Rate ; And these Products have a history that can be counted on. 3/ Listen to real Shapers:
There are numerous Shapers that do some real quality work with their SUPs, unfortunately there are some who act as apprentice wizards and use their clients like guinea pigs.
A nice Deco, enchanting photo publicity, and soon you will find yourself with some Wonder Bread under your feet and not a Shape created by Specialists.
How is this possible ? Just imagine if you know very little but have a real Flare for business and making a quick buck. You buy some Cookie Cutter Shape form some Asian who doesn’t even know how to swim. Then find some Sun Bleached Blond Tan Punk to take a few photos out in the water with it and abracadabra : you just created an International Kook catching machine !!!
It is such a commonplace reality….. One of our Factories Produces 40 Brands. Among these 40 Brands GONG has been the only one to make a stand on the derivations and changes/enhancements of our Shapes. The 39 others are cut and copy. A Practice that is far from professional, what is worse is that GONG was made to feel like trouble makers !!! Fabricating a Paddle and a Board that keeps you standing up can be done by practically anyone. But there are true specialists that do exist, people with a real culture for Shaping and come from a real Surf Culture. 4/ Buy with Durability in mind:
A SUP costs a lot of money to produce and at its purchase. You must take your time, look for information and only invest in something truly adapted to your specific needs. We believe that one must think consume differently with the thought of future generations in mind. According to us, a good product is one that lasts, that is solid, fun to use, polyvalent and tolerant, at the top of performance but without complications and no gizmos a la mode. We also believe that a good product is one that is economic because the bulk of the pollution generated by our industry lies in the unleashing of energy used to raise the money needed to buy these products. Hence the more expensive the product the more you have to work hard and pollute to make it possible for you to buy. Think about it and buy in Direct and economize 50%. In conclusion:
We advise you to address your questions to those who are capable of showing their Products in Action. And that don’t hesitate to speak to you, without attitudes, and be able to respond to you with precision and simplicity to your questions without feeding you a line of BS. And their products are finished with harmonious lines. Their Model Range reflects a logic consistent with the practice and responds to the needs all while respecting the Culture of Surf itself. They shouldn’t have to make you believe in the Deal of the Century to convince you. ;)! The GONG Crew is at your disposal in the Contact section at the bottom of each page and are waiting to answer your questions. Advisor : Patrice Guénolé et GONG Surfboards. Source : GONG SUP and Surf Staff, trust the SUP pioneer.
Tags : SUP, surfboards, stand up paddle, surf shop, SUP shop, foil shop, spirit of pioneer, gongsurfshop.com, gongsupshop.com.