Mountain Surf...wow

mshelton · Post by **mshelton** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 7:08 pm

I have heard great things about these guys and thier product in the past and no complaints so when I needed a new spray skirt and since I paddle C1 and needed one custom made I decided to order one from them. So begins my story.

Called last month around the 11th of June, talked to John, worked out the skirt sizing and offset all straight, paid my deposit of 50 odd dollars and was told to expect my skirt that month on the week of the 27th (great, in time for the CCC Week of Rivers). Well the skirt didn't make it in time for the trip, would have been nice but no big deal.
So I get back, no skirt yet, hmm. So I decide to call to see where it may be, talked to a person there and was promised that it would ship by the 15th, ok a little late but hey it is a custom skirt.
Today (18th), no skirt yet, hmm. I check my bank account and don't see a charge yet so once more I decide to call and see what's going on. I get John on the phone again. Great, from what I have heard this is the main guy, he should be able to give me the low down on my order. I ask, he goes and looks up, comes back with no clue, sees the order, asks me more questions about it that but says he can't give me a ship date, and that maybe he could get it out by next week but doubtfull. Heh, mmmm ok, I tell him of 2 expected ship dates previously hoping that he could do something fo me (like get me my skirt sooner) at which point he gets short and says "look, all I can do is track ths order down for you and try and get it out next week" I reply that I am thinking of canceling the order, he says "Done!" and hangs up on me.....wow... just wow.

Out 50 bones....over a month waiting on a skirt....and still....just wow.

Thanks Mountain Surf. wow

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 6:51 pm

I pulled my grab loop right off of my skirt (the whole strap - everything came apart), if it would have happened during a emergency and needed to swim i would have drowned. Mountain Surfed has not anwsered any of my emails, and i have called asking for them to return my phone call, because i don;t want to pay huge long distance from canada, and i have never been called back.

I gave up, as much as i loved there product, the full kevlar skirt i had, there top model was bombproof or so i thought until the threading on the grabloop gave away.

the great gonzo · Post by **the great gonzo** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:05 pm

Well, this obviosly sucks, although personally am very happy with my MS custom skirt for the Finkenmeister. It was not cheap, but well worth the cost and wait. It is by far the dryest skirt I ever owned.

Kevin, as far as the failing grab loop on your skirt is concened, check out the following recall notice on the MS website.

martin

http://www.mountainsurf.com/recall.html

billcanoes · Post by **billcanoes** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:55 pm

Marshall- let me know if you get your dep. back- Kevin- sorry about your skirt that sucks- thanks for your input/feedback - I was thinking about using MS and talked to them for a long time to build decks for the Sith.

Bill

billcanoes · Post by **billcanoes** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:56 pm

Oops- didn't finish- anyway discussions are indefinately on hold.

Bill

the great gonzo · Post by **the great gonzo** » Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:26 pm

Bill,

for the Sith you do not need any custom skirt, regular C1 slalom race skirts fit perfectly.

martin

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 2:14 am

customer service is very important to me.

i was thinking about getting a ms skirt but now i think i'll pass... who do they think they are?

we get blown off daily by huge companies that produce throw away crap and seem to care only about their quarterly profit reports. i would expect more from a small company like mountain surf.

until they get their priorities straight, i'll be sending my $$ elsewhere.

thanks for the info.

billcanoes · Post by **billcanoes** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 2:15 am

Hi Martin
I left a message for Davey today- for a slalom skirt. I just have enjoyed my mtn surf, and thought it would be a good product to offer.

Bill

the great gonzo · Post by **the great gonzo** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 2:40 am

Bill,

In terms of dryness, workmanship and durability, nothing can touch mountain surf, at least as far as I can tell.
My Finkenmeister skirt is after 2 years of hard use, still bone dry. Can't say that about most of my other skirts.
My next custom skirt will again be a Mountain Surf.

Also I forgot to mention that when it comes to getting slalom skirts, make sure that it is not an ultra light weight race skirt, but rayther a sturdier training skirt, as they will not wear as fast. learned that myself the hard way

.

martin

billcanoes · Post by **billcanoes** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 2:50 am

Kevin,

John replied to Marshalls post on boater talk.

Martin,
Thanks for the info. I'd like the skirt to last a few years

Bill

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 3:08 am

well im not a boatertalk regular, nor have a login name, maybe i'll try calling them again.

I was unware of this "recall" on the product, my skirt is around 3 years old......

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 3:23 am

PAC just sent me a message, i'll keep you updated on what i decided to do, i didn't know my skirt was under recall, i had a freind tell me to check a number and didn;t match, but i hadn't heard about anything having yellow thread, which im pretty sure mine had.

i might just get it re sewn up by a professional here in town, if that's all mountain surf will do, it'll save me time, and shipping from Canada. It happend about 2 months ago, and have just been using a freinds cheap brooks on loan since.

my skirt has def scene alot of UV, the neoprene is almost grey now.

Bruce Farrenkopf · Post by **Bruce Farrenkopf** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 4:58 am

Hey Everyone,

Mountain Surf is not a big company, it is a small outfit in Friendsville Maryland (at the Upper Yough takeout) that now seems to be struggling because of a design error with some of their skirts. I've been there several times and seen the operation. I've purchased a number of solidly performing products from this innovative company

.

It wouldn't be too surprising if the owner/manager has become a little worn out from decades of handling demanding customers. It is a tough racket to stay with for very long

. He doesn't have a 'marketing department' to deal with the customers. Let's try to give Mountain Surf a break and perhaps they will be able to stay in business and continue to provide innovative new products.

Everyone has some bad times. It would be to our advantage if they were able to bounce back.

SYOTR,

Bruce

Larry Horne · Post by **Larry Horne** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 1:37 am

Bruce,
i can relate to that. the public (myself included) are a bunch of demanding idiots for sure! but hey, if the owner/ manager is worn out from dealing with customers, he should not be dealing with customers!
fact is, though, customers need to be dealt with. this is why we hire people... to do the things we can not or do not want to do.

i'm not going to go around badmouthing them, because i don't have any personal experience with them. i just won't buy thier stuff until i hear good things....or until i forget about this..

mshelton · Post by **mshelton** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 2:03 am

Well my story has a happy ending, John is refunding me my deposit because the skirt was never cut.

A guy in Richmond saw my post, and had a C1 skirt that he had custom made, fit's my cockpit (little snug but that's ok), his offset is 10", my ordered one was 8" and judging by the way this fits 9" would have been right on the money. This skirt had only been used twice and the guy went back to open boating. Cost $100 bucks.

So as it turns out, I got a custom skirt for $120 less than I originally wanted to pay.

Oh, heh it's a Mountain Surf skirt, and just like I had heard from people that own them it's a great skirt, snug and dry. To bad my opinion now is marred towards them because I still feel they have some really good products.

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