How To Repair Foam Paddle Board

That sinking feeling when you lot damage your new board. Nosotros've all been at that place, it sucks! Our soft height surfboard repair guide is here to help you.

Unfortunately, the reality is you'll end up dissentious all your surfboards more than you lot similar – fin cuts, hitting rocks, dropped in the car park (or maybe in your garage) 😉 – they're all hazards of the sport. As such, gaining the skills necessary to complete your own soft top repair is an of import part of the learning experience.

As for a uncomplicated tip – make sure yous store your board abroad properly when not using it. Oftentimes times people damage their boards in the safe of their own home just because they take information technology leaning loosely up confronting the wall (this has happened to me soo many times!). Why not build your ain DIY surfboard Rack.

As the materials that make up softboards are dissimilar to hard boards, the methods and particularly the products used to repair them differ.

For major repairs, it goes without maxim if you don't know what you're doing it'south best to get a professional to take care of it.

But if information technology's a typical hole, fin cut or minor harm and so you lot should learn how to have a get at it. There's something extremely satisfying about fixing a surfboard, fifty-fifty if it doesn't look perfect.

Do non use bodyboard repair kits for a soft top surfboard repair!

Permit'due south outset by saying what most soft acme manufacturers tell u.s.a.. DO Non employ bodyboard repair kits to complete your soft top repair such as "The Hulk" or "Sponge Rez" every bit they will eat away and damage the internal EPS foam core.

Bodyboards look very similar to softboards with their slick lesser and foam decks but bodyboards are by and large made of PP (Polypropylene) or PE (Polyethylene), while the softboards are fabricated from EPS (Extruded Polystyrene).

Where and what type of damage?

The severity of the damage and the specific location on the board will require different approaches so we volition interruption it down by each component:

Fin chop / Holes

For punctures, cuts, gashes, pealed seams, skin rips and/or de-lams use: 3M Adhesive Sealant 5200 Fast Cure, Sikaflex 291, Gorilla Glue and/or hot-cook glue from a glue gun.

Epoxy Resin tin can be used only only in areas where you won't place your hands or feet every bit it cures hard. The previous mentioned products dry to be a little more soft and malleable without whatever sharp edges.

Another selection is SolarRez UV Cured Wetsuit repair. This dries clear and "rubbery" so there volition be no sharp edges. As its Solar Cured, it may crave a few layers to ensure the mixture can set.

Follow manufacturer's instructions for correct and safety use of these repair compounds.

Ensure the expanse in question is clean and dry before attempting soft peak repairs. Allow 24 hours for repairs to cure and dry before employ.

Harm to slick Lesser

Almost impairment caused to the slick can be repaired in a similar style to dings on a typical hard surfboard.

Solar cured Epoxy such equally Dura Resin or Gorilla ii Part Epoxy are suitable products as they cure hard so is perfect for the slick side of a soft superlative surfboard.

If the surface of the damaged expanse is rough requite it a light sand with a relatively fine grit sand paper/block. Once polish, ensure it is clean and dry before applying whatever epoxy resin.

Apply the epoxy resin to make full any holes or sections and smooth information technology over using a scrap of plastic so that it dries smoothly. Try to remove as much of the backlog resin around the area in question to avoid having to unnecessarily remove it after it has set. Ideally you desire to limit the amount of sanding that is required after it has cured/fix. Exist warned this stuff reacts quite apace so you don't have a lot of time to waste.

Bubbled Deck

Delamination or bubbling on the deck of soft tiptop surfboards is a common issue that tin occur from over exposure to heat, or fifty-fifty just from age or prolonged use.

This damage is generally very "cosmetic" and really shouldn't affect board operation. If it'south a bubbled deck, we'd recommend slicing the deck, just plenty so you can squeeze some glue in there.

Gorillia 2 Part Epoxy or a similar product will work well for this. Just double check packaging or ask at your hardware shop to confirm it is an EPS safe one, and if you lot accept any doubts, test information technology on a pocket-size sample surface area commencement.

Temporary minor repairs

If you are on a surf trip or away from whatever repair materials and you get a fin cut or small-scale pigsty in your softboard but actually want to go along surfing information technology, a simple "temporary" soft tiptop surfboard repair fob you can use involves materials you are likely to have on paw:

• Surf wax (any kind)
• A lighter
• A spoon or metal cup

Place a small piece of wax in the spoon and heat with lighter flame until it starts to cook.

Carefully pour the liquid wax into the crack/hole you are filling.

Give information technology a bit of time to absurd and harden and employ the bottom edge of the spoon to press it firmly into place.

This is but good equally a temporary prepare to limit the amount of water that volition get into the hole. Information technology is not an ideal prepare and should exist properly repaired as soon as possible.

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We hope you lot learned something – please feel to annotate with whatsoever questions or problems yous accept with your foamie, or whatever tricks of the trade you have for soft superlative surfboard repair.

While y'all're hither, feel free to check our in depth reviews and softboard heir-apparent guides.

Check out our article on how to wax a soft top surfboard.

Source: https://getfoamie.com/soft-top-surfboard-repair/

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