Face it, everyone needs a little adventure in their life; however, in today’s busy society, it is too common to see companies and products that have abandoned their roots and become commercialized in the search for success. This search for success—whether in a well made product or the perfect wave—is one of the founding philosophies of Rip Curl. These products are great for anyone who wants to push themselves to the extremes in the service of some larger idea; this company remains dedicated to its grassroots foundations, while attempting to outfit people for adventure all over the world.
What We Love about Rip Curl
Though the company’s personal philosophy is interesting, their name and perspective would be worthless without quality products to support their claims. Fortunately, all of their products from wet suits to men’s watches meet and even exceed sports standards of performance. Their timepieces are highly unique because unlike other sports devices they are specifically designed with both water and impact in mind. Not only are they water resistant and sometimes even water proof, many have additional features useful to surfers and other water sports enthusiasts, such as a depth indicator. The majority of Rip Curl displays feature more than simply the time and date, but due to the size of the numbers, are very easy to read, even at a distance. These pieces are extremely durable, with their double crystal casings. There are even a surprising number of styles for such performance focused sports products; many have silver bands, while others are highly colorful, and involve both digital and analog displays. They are meant to be taken to the ends of the earth, but will work very well on the daily grind. Though these products are designed to help surfers worldwide continue the search for uncharted reefs and riptides, they are quite eye catching, and sure to appeal to everyone, regardless of their surfing experience.
Some Things We Don’t Like about Rip Curl
While sporty and independent are fun characteristics, they are not always appropriate in tone to a situation. Specifically, for those who want a more professional looking timepiece, Rip Curl watches often fall short. Elegance and luxury are not characteristics that this company has focused on. Though a fair number of their pieces are digital, the majority are analog, but the dark dials and hands make some difficult to read quickly. With their over sized dials and multiple functions, these products are sometimes simply best left to the surfers. Not everyone cares about the grassroots activities of a company, or their quest for the perfect wave, leaving those on the outside unimpressed with the limited catalog.
History of Rip Curl
Originally created by two surfers, with the aim of making high quality wet suits, this company has added a fair number of products to its repertoire without compromising its philosophy and morals. Started in the 1960’s, at the same time as a lot of other surfing groups, it remained focused on the craftsmanship of custom surfboards and Slick Skin wet suit technology, while others turned their attention to mass production. The success of their wet suit innovations brought them much acclaim, and prompted them to slowly start adding products like women’s and men’s watches. Today surfers and sports enthusiasts all over the world rely on this company to help them continue their quests for adventure, in whatever form that takes.
