How to Repair a Damaged Surfboard

The waves may be soft and fluffy, but between you and the ocean is
a beach full of rocks. Drop your board on something hard, and you're likely to damage the fiberglass coating. If you don't fix it, the board can become waterlogged and weak. You don't have to go to a surf shop
for the repair materials. Hardware stores and auto-parts stores carry everything you need.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Fiberglass Resin And Hardener
• Scissors
• Sharp Knife
• Paper Cup
• Scissors
• Sharp Knife
• Killer Waves
• Fiberglass Cloth
• Fiberglass Cloth
• Small Wood Strips
• 100-, 220-, 400- and 600-grit sandpaper

1. Dry the board and allow any absorbed water to evaporate.

2. Cut away any loose bits of fiberglass with a sharp knife. If the fiberglass is cracked but in place, do not remove it.

3. Using a pair of scissors, cut a piece of fiberglass cloth so that it is slightly larger than the area to be repaired.

4. Mix fiberglass resin and hardener in a paper cup according to the manufacturer's directions. Stir well with a small wood strip such as an ice-pop stick.

5. Coat the repair area with the resin mixture. Place the cloth over the repair area and saturate it with the mix. When dry, this cloth will form the new skin of the board. Smooth with a wood strip to remove any air bubbles caught under the cloth.

6. Watch for the resin mixture to become firm. Be prepared with the knife to trim any excess cloth or mixture before the resin is fully hardened.

7. Smooth the repair with sandpaper once the mixture has hardened completely. Start with 100-grit paper to remove the roughest sections, then use the 220-grit and finally finish with the 400-grit. If the finish is not smooth enough, consider using 600-grit sandpaper.

8. Go surf.

Tips & Warnings

• Surfboards usually have a foam core with a fiberglass coating.. Holes in the foam core can be filled with fiberglass.
• Fiberglass hardens best in warm conditions with low humidity.
• Fiberglass is toxic and can be a skin irritant, so work outdoors and avoid breathing fumes or dust.

Who Can Help Sponsored

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on 3/21/2006 Please do yourself a favor and pick up a dust mask rated for fiberglass at your local hardware store. They're less than $10, and it's not worth a lifetime of medical problems by inhaling the dust.