COVID-19 Statement

With the growing concern surrounding the Coronavirus, we wanted to share how AGIT Global is taking precautionary steps to stay healthy and safe. We continue to follow the recommendations and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the Coronavirus.  One of the recommendations is that everyone takes simple, everyday actions that are proven to help prevent the spread of all respiratory viruses, including the common cold, the flu, and the Coronavirus.  They include the following:

• Frequently wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands

• Cover your coughing or sneezing with a tissue or the inside of your elbow

• Promote the cleaning and disinfecting of frequently touched surfaces

• Limit handshakes and similar physical contact

• Limit group gatherings with shared food

• Maintain a safe distance between people

• Stay home when you are sick

As COVID-19 progresses, our number one priority has, been and will continue to be keeping our employees and our community safe. We are monitoring the situation on a daily basis and assure you that we are taking responsibility for the health of our team here with safety procedures as the CDC and the WHO suggests. Therefore, Starting immediately, tentatively until March 31, 2021, we are changing our showroom policy to “By Appointment Only.”

These are uncertain and ever-changing times, so we apologize in advance for any problems or delays that come as a result. However, we still encourage you to live adventurously and actively within the guidelines of your protection and safety. All current boards are for sale at www.shop.agit-global.com. Additionally, if you would like to see any boards out of our showroom or you would like to organize a pick-up for your online order please call us at (714) 389-1822 or email us at web@agit-global.com. If you have any questions you can reach us by email or phone, or our live chat on our website; We would love to hear from you! 

We encourage everyone to follow the health measures as recommended by the CDC and the WHO. We also encourage everyone to stay active and healthy by eating well and continuing athletics whether that’s surfing, stand up paddleboarding, bodyboarding or otherwise. Thank you for your patience and your teamwork, because together, we can push through. 

Stay Safe, 

AGNA Corp.

www.shop.agit-global.com

web@agit-global.com

(714) 389-1822

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html

There is something to be said about a perfect wave. For many surfers, it's an endless search throughout a lifetime filled with disappointment and missed windows. For those who live in Lemoore, CA a world-class wave is just around the corner. Kelly Slater's wave pool, the Surf Ranch is 700 meters long, 150 meters wide, and it's a sight for sore eyes. The wave is created by large metal hydrofoil submerged in the water and attached to a train-like vehicle that gets pulled down a track by a cable at speeds of 30 kmh (19 mph). It's a modern marvel that makes you scratch your head and wonder what the future of surfing holds.

Wave pools are starting to gain momentum these days. The wave pools offer an allure that cannot be found in an ocean setting such as consistency in wave count, form and size. Premium seating for spectators and easily attainable amenities for viewers and competitors alike is another bonus. Their popularity has reached a truly international interest. These crafted artificial waves have been built in countries such as China, Dubai, Spain, Australia, Japan, and the United States to name a few.

Complete with regulated water temperature, seaweed free, and wild sea life free (ex. sharks, jellyfish, water-dwelling snakes) some may say that wave pools are the future. Others might hold a different outlook. Surfing is much more than how you ride and piece of crafted foam atop a wave. Surfing is a spiritual experience accompanied by utter fear and self-doubt. Surfing tests those who enter the water and constantly humble those that think they have conquered the sport. With one set of complications removed, it makes way for a completely new and untested realm of obstacles. It is understandable why a wave pool stop has been included in the WSL (World Surfing League) championship tour.

Some may argue that surfers may not feel complete after a day of riding an artificial wave however competitively there is consistency and predictability with surfers not having to depend on Mother Nature. A perfect wave evens the playing field. When all the waves are identical competitors can be judged on their talent alone. It may be a cast of luck that sends a perfect set to a competitor during their heat. Other unlucky competitors are sent “ankle-snappers” which are smaller waves leaving surfers desperate trying to get a decent score. 

With the man-made perfection of 6 foot peeling waves at Kelly Slater's Wave Ranch booting up surfers are challenged to concoct a scripted wave run while all the meanwhile attempting to make this display of routine looked unplanned and unpredictable. This can create a new facet for competition surfing. Stay tuned and let us know what you prefer: the ocean or wave pool?

Last weekend I had the unfortunate experience of getting stung by a stingray and man was it an experience I could do without.  I was surfing the beach breaks in Del Mar, San Diego with two friends. We got in the water early because we had to get in a session before work. The water was warm, so I wore trunks and a wetsuit top.  I brought several different foam boards for my friends to test out including my two favorites, an 8-Foot Wavestorm and a 7-foot Storm Blade.

As we stepped from the dry sand and into the ankle-deep water, my friend pointed out a stingray that was swimming back into the ocean from the shallows. It was about a foot across, and a light gray color. We watched as it scurried into the whitewater, obviously spooked by our presence. It went without saying that today we would all be “stingray shuffling” from that moment on.

The stingray shuffle is a phrase used to describe the act of sliding your feet along the sand as you walk in the ocean water. This sliding motion is done as opposed to picking up your feet off the sand, moving forward, and placing them back onto the sand (or an unsuspecting stingray).  The idea is that the vibrations from your feet sliding on the sand scares away any stingrays that might be lying in your path.

 So, there we were, sliding our feet as we made our way into the waves. About 1 hour and 1 epic Wavestorm session later, I found myself swimming into shore to retrieve my board which had gotten away from me. I managed to bodysurf a wave into about chest-deep water. As I went to put my feet down to jump into the next wall of whitewater coming at me. I felt a little wriggle below my left foot and then a sharp pain right in the arch of my foot.

I knew right then and there that my luck was up. I had gone 28 years without getting nailed by a stingray, but my moment had finally arrived. I was long overdue. I thought to myself, “Wow, that wasn’t that bad,” and I continued towards the shore, being extra careful not to lift my feet again.

It took about 5 minutes for the pain to set in, and for me to realize that getting stung was no joke. I immediately headed for the lifeguard headquarters, which just happened to be in front of where we were surfing. I asked if they had any hot water and showed them the bottom of my foot which at this point had a small trickle of blood coming out of the inch-long slice where the barbed stingray stinger entered my foot. They took me to a corner and filled a bucket with enough scalding hot water to cover my foot, and they added a little bleach “to help disinfect the cut.”

By the time the bucket was full of hot water, my foot had really begun to hurt. The most incredible sharp, burning pain sensation had overtaken my foot and had begun traveling up my ankle. This was a serious, gut-wrenching pain of the likes I had only experienced a few times in my life.

Over the course of the next hour and a half, I would repeatedly empty and refill the bucket with the hottest water I could possibly handle to help neutralize the venom that had entered my foot. Several times I tried to leave, but no matter how bad I wanted to tough it out and get to work, I could not tolerate having my foot out of the water longer than a couple of minutes. The hot water helped make the pain somewhat tolerable. I had to call in sick.

I ended up hanging out in the lifeguard tower for around 2 hours all said and done. By that point, the pain had subsided to just a throbbing, burning feeling that I could tolerate without the hot water, although I had to limp over to my car. My foot was completely red and swollen, much like the allergic reactions to bee stings I had as a kid.

When I finally got home, I rinsed the wound out with clean water and applied an antibiotic ointment onto the cut. The rest of the day I walked around with a slight limp, nothing very noticeable.

One week later, the cut and blister that developed around the cut are nearly healed, though the area around the cut is noticeably firmer than the rest of my foot. At night I get itching attacks where the area around the cut itches incredibly bad.

If you have already been stung, I feel for you. If you haven’t been stung, make sure to stingray shuffle always and avoid getting stung at all costs. If you have just been stung and stumbled on this article, get to a lifeguard tower as soon as possible, you are in for a wild ride.

For us surfers, much of our attraction to the ocean comes from the pureness of the water and the connection we feel to its raw energy as we harness the waves under our boards, ride after ride. As we sit in the water and wait for waves to come in, we can hardly appreciate its vastness and beauty. The water is refreshing for us and provides life either directly or indirectly for all the earth’s living species.

An unfortunate trait about the ocean is that nothing taints its beauty and our connection to it as much as trash and filth. Not only is trash dangerous to us and the other things living in the water, but it makes the water totally unappealing. Have you ever been to a coast that is littered in trash? Have you ever seen a wave with plastic and garbage floating around in it? It is disgusting and immediately destroys that allure we typically have for the water.

The pureness and beauty of our oceans is one worth preserving for future generations. As such it is important to maintain its cleanliness in any way we can. In addition to picking up and disposing properly of any garbage you may bring to the beach, we propose that you “take three for the sea”.

Taking three for the sea means picking up at least three extra pieces of trash out of the water or off the sand every time you surf or go to the beach.

While this may not seem like much, three pieces of trash could equate to hundreds and hundreds of millions of pieces of trash in only one year, if every beachgoer collected trash every time they visited the beach. So while one visit’s trash collection efforts may seem insignificant, the cumulative effect of many people would surely make a difference in keeping our coastline clean. Our underwater friends would appreciate our efforts at keeping their home clean as well.   

I have found that it is easy to find trash in the sand at almost every beach I frequent. If I don’t happen to find trash on my walk across the beach, I usually lay down my Wavestorm on the sand and stroll the beach for a couple of extra minutes until I have found at least three pieces of trash.

Now that you have read about “taking three for the sea,” share the message with a friend and encourage them to do the same The small amount of effort we put into keeping our beach clean will pay off greatly in the long run, allowing future generations to enjoy the clean environment for years to come.    

Summertime is my absolute favorite time to surf. Nothing beats the warm water, the relaxed vibe in the air, and the sand on your feet as you sit down for a post-surf session burger. Like a double-double from In-N-Out, or a California burrito from the local Mexican food joint, there is one board I can always count on to deliver a solid summer surf. My 8-foot Wavestorm never leaves my car during the summer, and I’ll tell you why.       

It Works in All Conditions

I don’t always know exactly what the conditions are going to be like when I go to the beach during the summer and I don’t always know how long I will be there, but I know without a doubt that my Wavestorm will work in any conditions thrown at it. Whether it is knee-high and blown out, well-overhead and blown out, or perfect hurricane quality conditions, my Wavestorm has seen it, and consistently delivered an amazing surf session because it always works. It may not be the highest performing board out there, but it will drive through onshore chop like a dream and get in early in big waves. I can always count on my ‘Storm to get plenty of fun waves. 

I Loan It to Friends and Family

If you are anything like me, summertime means family and friends visiting and wanting to learn how to surf. There is no better board for this purpose than a Wavestorm. Not only is it an excellent board for learning to surf, but it is well-priced and durable. I don’t even need to think twice before lending out my Wavestorm to friends or packing it in my in-law’s rental van on top of the beach chairs. It handles abuse way better than a fiberglass board and is relatively easy to repair at home. Plus, Wavestorms are the ultimate party-wave board.  

It is Easy to Ride

The Wavestorm is incredibly stable and paddles into waves better than just about any board out there. This makes it one of my favorite boards to ride during the summer, and even year-round. The ease with which it surfs is perfect for summertime because it brings the focus on having fun.

It is Soft

Summertime means crowds of people gathering at the beach. Occasionally surfboards get loose and there is the possibility of it running into someone. Wavestorms are made of foam, which is a lot softer on impact than a traditional fiberglass surfboard. With kids and others wading in the shallow water, it’s a good idea to play it safe and ride a foam surfboard to prevent serious injury to others.

No One Ever Had a Bad Session on a Wavestorm

I’ve never heard of anyone having a bad surf session on a Wavestorm. It rides smooth and easy, paddles quickly, and allows me to catch tons of waves. Most important of all, the Wavestorm brings my focus back to having fun. To me that is what summer is all about, and that’s what keeps me going back to my Wavestorm time and time again.

Just finished unwrapping your brand new Wavestorm surfboard and want to make sure it lasts as long as possible? This article is for you. A properly maintained Wavestorm can be one of the best surfing investments you make, bringing you years of carefree surfing pleasure. As with any sport, taking care of your surfing gear and especially your board, is a must.  Use these five tips to keep you Wavestorm in top shape throughout its life.

Always Check the Fin Screws Before Entering the Water

As is true for any surfboard, the most important thing you can do for your Wavestorm is keep water out of the inner core. Once water has been soaked up into the center the board will become waterlogged, heavy, and unstable. This will eventually cause the board to deteriorate and fall apart. The easiest way to prevent water from seeping into the core is making sure the fin screws are very tight and create a watertight seal with the skin of the board. Before every session use a coin or key to tighten the screws down.

Repair Any Holes in the Skin

Occasionally, you may find a hole in the outer skin of your Wavestorm. When this happens, you will want to fix the hole as quickly as possible. Avoid surfing while the hole is unrepaired, as this could allow water to seep into the core of your board. Luckily, repairing small holes in your Wavestorm doesn’t require a trip to your local ding repair shop. All you need to fix the hole is some hot glue or marine caulking. Plug the hole with either substance and make sure it dries completely. A properly repaired hole should stay sealed throughout the life of the board.

Store Inside and Out of Direct Sunlight

Direct sunlight is bad for all surfboards and will cause delamination of the deck from the core of the board. This is true of Wavestorms also. When not using your board, it should be stored indoors in a garage, shed, or home, and kept out of the reach of direct sunlight which could cause the board to delaminate. Storing your board indoors versus outdoors could equate to years of extended board life.  

Don’t Strap it Down Too Tight

If you strap the Wavestorm to the top of your car or back of your truck when traveling to the beach, make sure the straps aren’t done too tight. Straps that are tightened too much will dig into the edge of the board, and press holes into the skin. This is something that should be avoided at all costs. If you need the board to be well secured for driving on the freeway, place something soft like a towel or t-shirt in between the strap and the board. This will help spread the pressure from the strap across a wider surface area, limiting the damage the strap will cause to the board.

Don’t Drop it or Drag it on the Ground

Dropping your sporting equipment is never a good idea, and surfboards especially. Surfboards are built to withstand a beating by the water, but not by the hard and rough ground. Avoid dropping your Wavestorm on the ground or dragging the board on the ground as you carry it. Doing so would be a quick way to wear down the skin and allow water to leek into the center.

Putting these tips into practice will help ensure your brand new Wavestorm surfboard lasts as long as possible. Have any other ideas for maintenance? Drop us a message! #Gowavestorming

If you ask most surfers what their dream wave would be, chances are they would describe an empty lineup, void of the typical weekend crowds that dominate most popular surf breaks. The reason is us surfers are generally a stingy bunch. When there are only a limited amount of waves per day at each break, and surfing rules dictate only one surfer is allowed to ride in each direction on a wave, it is only natural for people to seek out uncrowded lineups where they have a better chance of catching their fill. Less crowd equals less competition for the limited supply of waves.

Ask a surfer if they would ever want to surf with 300 other guys at a wave with a single peak, and they might think you are crazy. However, crazy might be the best word to describe a “Takeover”, an event where surfers flock in droves in order to catch waves being ridden at the same time by dozens of other surfers. At a takeover, surfing rules are tossed out the window and anarchy presides. This may sound like a nightmare to some, but if you’ve ever had the fortune to attend one you would have noticed at least one other thing along with the “oohs” and “aahs” of the crowds that gathered on the beach to watch. There are nothing but huge, beaming smiles on everyone’s faces.

One attendee at a recent takeover held at Tamarack Beach in Carlsbad, California dramatically declared after exiting the water, “That was probably the most fun I’ve ever had surfing.”

What causes this pervasive happiness at these events? Why does everyone talk in the lineup while waiting together for the next party wave? Surfers usually keep to themselves in the lineup, unless they are very familiar with other nearby surfers. Not the case at a takeover. Everyone is talking, laughing, smiling. There is a warm feeling in the air. You can’t quite describe it. It feels like a huge family reunion, where you are comfortable with people around you that you have never met before because you know you are of the same blood. It feels like getting your old group of friends together. You have all changed into different people, but there is still that instinctual familiarity that kicks in and takes over the thick crust you have built up over years of life. This feeling is a good one, one that some would even argue trumps making it out of a perfect barrel.

Is it the fact that the basic rules of surfing are nearly completely disregarded, and their place taken by the simple rule of Soft Tops only? Is it the fact that all the surfers attending share the common goal to just catch as many waves as possible and try to make it out without getting run over by someone on the next wave? One can only guess.

We may never know what causes this radiating happiness, but it doesn’t matter either.

What matters is that these events are happening, and they are breathing fresh air into the wheezing lungs of the surfers that are tired of the protocol of not looking other surfers in the eye in the lineup. They are revitalizing the excitement of surfing for the many who are sick of being told how they should be surfing, and what they should be riding. And they are bringing back the smiles that we all experienced as we finally stood up and rode on our very first waves.

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a takeover, even if you have to drive several hours or take off work, Go! Wax up your Wavestorm, put your smile on, and get ready for the time of your life.