Why Surfboard Protection Plans Make More Sense Than Ever

Protection Plans are Available on Other Outdoor Equipment, Why Not Surfboards!?

With Extended Warranties and Protection Plans being available on almost all other outdoor sporting equipment, why has it not been available on new surfboards until now? Retailers like Target, REI, West Marine, and even your local bike shop have been offering plans to protect your sporting and recreational equipment from accidents and damage for some time now. The Protection Plan industry is worth billions annually, making the surfboard industry a lot less attractive than larger categories like bicycles and camping. However, with surfboard prices on the rise and the industry continuing to grow due to multiple factors, now is the time to provide protection plans on surfboards for daily use.

Surfboard protection plans can and should be beneficial to both the customers and the business owners who offer it. Ideally, the seller sets the correct expectations with customers so they know what they’re covered for in the situation they need to get their board fixed or replaced.

The benefits to the Surfer are clear; if their board gets damaged, it’s repaired by Surfcare for free. If the board breaks, it gets replaced by Surfcare for 25% of the purchase price. For the business owner the benefits are three-fold. If a shop offers protection plans on their boards that the competing shop down the street does not yet carry, customers are more likely to purchase from the shop providing the additional benefit of a protection plan. Protection plans encourage repeat sales. Through trust and the repair/replacement of damaged boards, customers become more loyal shop visitors. Additionally, protection plans bring in extra revenue, increasing the average order sales amount on each board purchased, bringing in that much needed extra income to the retailer.

The Price of Boards are Going Up

With boards costing hundreds of dollars and more recently beginning to crest the one thousand dollar mark, it makes more sense than ever to protect something that you know is going to inevitably break.

Examples of standard pricing across the industry:

Slater designs award winning fully loaded Cymatic pushing $1200 w/o fins, leash or traction pad

Impeccably designed Almond Walks on Water 10’ longboard nearing $1400

The board everyone has in their quiver; Hayden Shapes FutureFlex Hypto Krypto is $775

Surfboard Sales are at an All-Time High

With surf retail becoming an increasingly competitive space and even more so around the condensing margins of epoxy and fiberglass boards; as mentioned earlier, protection plans need to benefit both the seller and the buyer. Customers know that if there’s trouble with the products, they can turn to Surfcare for support. Because we make our plans simple to understand, the claims process is easy for all involved.

Since most surfers; veteran and new alike, expect to ding their board at some point during its lifetime, purely due to its fragile exterior of epoxy and PU resin. Not normally factored in by all surfers are the buckles due to intense surf and unexpected rail dings at overcrowded spots like Malibu’s first point. With the recent extra time and money, millions of surfers across the country find themselves with unexpected income. As a result of unemployment and the federal stimulus program, boards have been flying off the shelves. Most retailers are selling 25% to 50% more surfboards than normal. This is causing traditionally crowded line-ups to overflow, creating even more risk of dinging your new board managing an almost unmanageable obstacle course.

Customers Can Pay for Their Protection Plans Monthly

Giving customers a monthly option helps those without deep pockets and gives customers a chance to test out a product they have had no prior experience with, for under $10 a month.

Customers Can Cover Their Boards Against Dings and Breaks for up to 2 Years

Since surfboards rarely last forever, a 2 year plan gives a surfer the bulk of its value up front when the board is likely to be used most. Purchasing the plan upfront also gives the surfer a larger discount over paying monthly.

All Surfcare surfboard protection plans can be purchased within 30 days of the new board’s purchase.

Easy to Submit a Claim on Damaged Surfboards

Surfcare surfboard protection plans were made simple. By choosing a single plan that applies to a single board it makes the claims process easy to manage for all involved. Because your plan is attached to a single board there are never in rise in your premiums and never any confusion of whether your board is covered or not. That makes the repair and replacement that much easier. Customer simply call or email when their board becomes damaged. Then Surfcare handles the rest.

Access to a Vast Repair Network

Surfcare’s repair network is made up of respected ding repair specialists across the country. We are committed to providing the best service within a close distance to every surf shop retailer in every state Surfcare is licensed to sell protection plans in.