Encinitas Surfboards

When did you start your business?

1975

Do you consider the location of your shop a key factor to the business’s success?

Yes because D Street is right around the corner, the shop is easily accessible and is located right on Highway 101.

Who is your average buyer?

Our clientele is anybody that likes to have fun in the ocean and likes to have good quality customer service.

If a total Barney walks in do you treat him with the same respect as a full on loc?

Yes. We treat everybody the same.

What is the dumbest question a customer has ever asked?

“Do you guys sell surf wax?” There is a bunch of cubicles up front with wax in them. Front and center. You would honestly have to be blind to miss them. Well on the other hand…

Do you have a mascot (ex. - An animal that roams freely throughout the building)?

Yes. “Raw Dog” is our mascot.

What is the craziest return a customer has ever tried to make?

Multiple customers have tried to return an article of clothing that’s at least 3 years old with stains on it stating that it is defective.

Does your store support any local surfers or have a surf team?

Yes we support all of the local surf schools and have a select local surf team.

Have you ever had any type of celeb roll in and make a purchase?

Yes. Gwenyth Paltrow, Eddie Vedder, Bill Murray has been in here a couple of times. Rob Machado comes in here pretty frequently, pro baseball players and other pro athletes and the legendary Skip Frye.

Have you ever pulled a hot chick/guy solely due to the fact that you own/manage a surf shop?

No, because we keep it totally professional here.

How many days a week do you surf now compared to before you owned/managed a surf shop?

We’re still in the water as much as we can because we love surfing.

Who is your favorite surfer and why?

Parko, Dane Reynolds, Kelly Slater, Gerry Lopez & Jeff Hackman.

Has a customer trying on clothes ever walked out completely naked?

Nope we have never seen this go down.

Has a person ever walked in totally blitzkrieged (really intoxicated) and tried to make a purchase? If so elaborate.

Yes all of the time. We’ve even made a guy a cocktail one time (Vodka & Cranberry) because we have a happy hour every Saturday at 6 P.M. The guy that we made the cocktail for said that he has never purchased a surfboard in his entire life that came with a free Vodka & Cran. We’ve had guys come in here on all sorts of stuff and make purchases. Too many to name.

Every store has to deal with shoplifting. What is your most memorable experience and what is your shoplifting policy?

Yes. (There is a board rack right at the front door of the shop that at the time didn’t have straps around the boards). A guy walked in and grabbed the front board and walked right out with it. When we realized it I ran looking for him and found him across the street, strolling at a mellow walking pace, carrying the board like he had done nothing wrong. When I finally caught up to him I said “what the heck are you doing?!?! You didn’t pay for that!!” He responded “I know,” and handed the board back to me.