Where Can I Repair My Surfboard

Disclaimer: This surfboard repair guide is just meant as advice – you lot repair your surfboard at your own risk. For larger repairs (especially those involving the fin plugs, significant loss of foam, or damage to the stringer) I would strongly recommend contacting a local shaper or repair shop to exercise a professional job.

Surfboard Structure Overview

About surfboards you lot're likely to own are going to be either:

• Polyurethane foam with polyester resin (PU/PE)
• Expanded polystyrene foam with epoxy resin (EPS/Epoxy)

with a wooden stringer for support down the eye.

Modern designs may incorporate extra materials such as carbon-fibre reinforcement, but the base construction remains the aforementioned.

No amount of home surfboard repair kits tin can save this – but you tin can clearly see the stringer, foam and surrounding resin layer [board: Hendrik Speelmans]

Note Aritz Aranburu's analogy of this board'due south blow [once again, courtesy of Hendrik Speelmans]

PU/PE – most mutual

• Polyurethane bare with fibreglass and polyester resin
• PE resin is weaker and more breakable than epoxy resin
• Lightweight, high-performance and like shooting fish in a barrel industry
• Cheaper, simply typically heavier and more than fragile than epoxy resin
• Sits lower in the water, and the added weight helps in inclement conditions

EPS/Epoxy – gaining popularity

• Expanded polystyrene bare with fibreglass and epoxy resin
• EPS foam much lighter than PU
• Good for aerials and quick snaps at or higher up the lip
• Sits higher in the water, so faster planning speed – practiced for clean, apartment sections
• More expensive (approximately $100 more than the same model in PU/PE)
• More environmentally friendly (can be made from recycled foam and production requires less energy) – well-nigh foam you see in packaging, etc. is EPS

Both use identical fibreglass cloth to glass the lath, but the cream core ("blank") and resin used to soak the fibreglass differs. [ane]

If you only accept one thing from this article make sure information technology is the following argument:

Epoxy resin tin exist used on BOTH EPS foam or PU boards

But polyester (PE) resin will dissolve polystyrene (EPS) foam!

Notice out which your board is past checking the logo or shaper's dimensions on the lesser of the lath. If you still have no luck, look up the board online or contact your shaper.

Every bit a last resort, EPS can have a texture to it, and so wait for small veins or circular looking beads under the glass and/or sabbatical holes in a symmetrical pattern down the deck runway. [2]

Nonetheless, it is incredibly difficult to guess by heart, and the safest option (what I'd recommend) is to buy epoxy resin, regardless. This will piece of work on both lath types, is mostly stronger and lighter, eliminates the worry and means if you become a new lath you can withal employ your old surfboard repair kit!

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Surfboard Repair – Small Dings, Cracks or Temporary Fixes

For small dings, an all-in-i solar activated (UV-Cure) resin, such as Solarez, is incredibly handy. I ever bring a tube of this with me on surf trips and take dinged my lath, ran to the car park, fabricated it h2o tight, and been dorsum in the water in x minutes!

INSTRUCTIONS
( Once more, be certain you lot are using the correct resin for your foam!)

1. Make certain the crack is clean and completely dry out (squeeze to cheque if water seeps out)
2. Stand in the shade with your lath
3. Use enough gel to comfortably cover the damaged expanse
4. Let the repair to get tacky in the dominicus (information technology should take effectually 45 seconds to reach "gel phase")
5. Go dorsum into the shade and use a precipitous pocketknife to refine the shape (optional – can merely sand it subsequently or exist more precise with the initial application)
6. Exit the board in the sunday to dry for the fourth dimension specified on product (this ordinarily takes around 5 minutes, but will be longer the cloudier it is) – just be careful not to allow your wax cook!
7. Sand to shape the repair and polish any rough patches
8. Endeavor to avoid bubbles, and layer large amounts – allowing each to dry before applying the next

Worst case scenario: you've forgotten your surfboard repair kit and the waves are still firing!
Stick a lump of wax into the crack to keep the water out if your session is truly unmissable (but exist warned: if likewise much water gets into the board information technology can crusade the foam to cracking, get heavy, and eventually rot over time). You'll also demand to make sure any wax is removed from a ding before repairing information technology, otherwise the resin won't bind properly.

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Surfboard Repair – Larger Damages

For more serious surfboard repairs, it'due south best to purchase a kit from your local surf store or online. I use the Ding All Epoxy Repair Kit, which you lot can pick up for less than £17 on Amazon.

My surfboard repair kit of selection, but every bit long as it contains the essentials whatever product volition suffice

It includes everything you demand for the surfboard repair:

• Resin (Part "A") and hardener (Part "B")
• Fibreglass cloth
• Double-sided sandpaper (two grades – fine and class)
• Mixing sticks and cup
• Cover sheet

The only extras you'll demand are a pair of scissors and some tissue to wipe up residuum resin.

INSTRUCTIONS
(Be sure to first in a well ventilated area (the instructions also state that epoxy resin volition non cure properly in temperatures below xviii°C (60°F), so try to choose a warm day if you lot're working outside!)

1. Preparation
   1. Ensure the damaged area is dry and clean
      
   2. Lightly sand the surrounding area and remove any loose or broken droppings
      
   3. Employ scissors to cut the fibreglass cloth to a size that will comfortably overlap the damaged area
      
   4. To fill holes, chop a portion of fibreglass cloth to human action every bit filler
2. Mixing
   1. Add ii parts resin to 1 part hardener
      
   2. Stir slowly (to prevent air bubbling, which may weaken the solution) until the mixture turns from cloudy to clear
3. Application
   1. For large surfboard repairs:
      1. Employ a sparse layer of resin to the damaged surface area
         
      2. Add the fibreglass cloth, and slowly saturate it on both sides with more resin, until the unabridged area turns articulate
         
      3. Trim off whatever excess fibreglass while doing this to help wrap around corners seamlessly (such as around the indicate of the nose)
         
   2. To fill up holes:
      1. Stir the strands of chopped fibreglass into the resin mixture
      2. Apply this to the damaged area and piece of work out whatever air bubbles
      3. Place the coversheet (small piece of clear plastic) over the repair and press evenly
      4. For rail fractures (or other areas where the shape needs to be held in place), record the coversheet and leave to dry earlier removing
4. Drying
   1. Working time is approximately 30 minutes
   2. Cure time is 2-iii hours (under typical weather condition – no UV necessary)
      
5. Sanding
   1. Once the resin has hardened:
      1. First, apply the rough dust sand paper to remove large bumps and course full general shape
      2. So use the fine grit sand paper to brand modest adjustments to the shape and alloy the repair surface into the rest of the board
         
   2. Finally, utilize a clammy cloth to wipe off whatsoever balance or grit from the sanding
      

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Yous may accept noticed some sponsor stickers on the board I'g repairing in the photos – unfortunately, I haven't landed a sponsorship deal (although if anyone'due south offer, hit me up…). The board really belonged to North Eastward legend Sandy Kerr, before coincidently being sold to one of Durham Academy Surf Club's new members! Check out a couple of his Instagram posts to see what the Northward Sea tin can offer:

Probably the most barrelled board in the Due north East right now

And while yous're in a DIY mood – why not cheque out this DIY board rack I made from an quondam shelving unit, with a few strips of foam stuck on to cease it scratching the decks!

Hope y'all all managed to become out on International Surfing Twenty-four hours (last Sat, 16^th June) and, as always, experience gratis to leave a comment or bulletin me on Instagram [@willdavies11] with whatsoever questions or suggestions. Too, big thank you to Lauren Newbould [@lau_renxxo] for lending the board and putting up with me from behind the camera all day! Stay tuned for a video tutorial on this surfboard repair coming very shortly.

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What I'g wearing in the photos:

Source: https://www.urbansurfer.co.uk/blog/surfboard-repair/

Posted by: collinswhichosedn.blogspot.com

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