Deus Ex Machina vs Rusty:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Deus Ex Machina had more branded searches than Rusty among surf brands in Australia. Deus Ex Machina had about 14,800 branded searches, while Rusty had 3,600. Deus Ex Machina made up 5.5% of all surf brand searches we track, and Rusty accounted for 1.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about surf brands, Rusty appeared in two of the five answers and Deus Ex Machina in one. Deus Ex Machina and Rusty were each mentioned first in one of the two answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Deus Ex Machina, about 4 searches for every 1 for Rusty
Who does AI mention more?
Rusty, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Deus Ex Machina in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 1 of 2 answers.
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Top surf brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Rusty was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Deus Ex Machina was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Deus Ex Machina and Rusty were each listed first in one of the two answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Rip Curl1st
Billabong2nd
Quiksilver3rd
Rhythm4th
Volcom5th
Ocean & Earth6th
Vissla7th
O'Neill8th
Afends9th- +1 more
- Deus Ex Machina11th
- +4 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Billabong5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Rip Curl5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Quiksilver4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Ocean & Earth3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Volcom2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Rhythm2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- O'Neill2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Rusty2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Vissla2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Deus Ex Machina1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about surf brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which surf brand should I buy from in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best surf brands in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which boardshorts are best for surfing?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“boardshorts”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“surf brands”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Deus Ex Machina or Rusty more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Deus Ex Machina and Rusty by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 surf brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Deus Ex Machina, Rusty. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Billabong | Rip Curl | Afends | Roxy | Deus Ex Machina | Volcom | Rhythm | Mambo | O'Neill | Quiksilver | Rusty | Ocean & Earth | Salty Crew | Vissla | The Critical Slide Society |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 23.4% | 28.6% | 15.7% | 8.6% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.6% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.62% | 0.62% |
| Nov 2025 | 21.9% | 26.6% | 21.9% | 8% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 0.87% | 1.1% | 0.58% | 0.58% |
| Dec 2025 | 24.4% | 29.7% | 13.3% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 4.9% | 1.5% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.65% | 0.65% |
| Jan 2026 | 24.2% | 29.6% | 16.2% | 7.3% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.95% | 0.79% | 0.62% |
| Feb 2026 | 23.7% | 23.7% | 19.4% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.91% | 0.62% | 0.62% |
| Mar 2026 | 20.7% | 25.3% | 20.7% | 6.2% | 7.6% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 1% | 1% | 0.67% | 0.54% |
| Apr 2026 | 21.7% | 26.6% | 17.8% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.83% | 0.57% |
| May 2026 | 24% | 24% | 16% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.77% | 0.63% |
| Jun 2026 | 21.1% | 21.1% | 25.8% | 7.7% | 5.2% | 4.2% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.81% | 0.56% | 0.43% |
| Jul 2026 | 24.5% | 24.5% | 16.4% | 9% | 6% | 4% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.94% | 0.64% | 0.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 23.9% | 23.9% | 16% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.77% | 0.63% |
| Sep 2026 | 27.6% | 22.6% | 18.5% | 10.1% | 5.5% | 3% | 2.5% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.48% |
How has the Deus Ex Machina and Rusty comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Deus Ex Machina was ahead of Rusty in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Deus Ex Machina’s share of searches among surf brands in Australia moved from 5.7% to 5.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 14.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Rusty’s share of searches among surf brands in Australia moved from 1.1% to 1.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.9K to 3.6K.
How did search popularity change for Australia surf brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Deus Ex Machina lost share of searches among surf brands in Australia, from 7.1% to 5.5%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Rusty in Australia rose 24.1% over 12 measured months, from 2.9K to 3.6K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Deus Ex Machina’s and Rusty’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Deus Ex Machina
1 branded search term
- deus ex machina
Rusty
1 branded search term
- rusty clothing
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