How do you repair a cracked surfboard?
Today, from Laga Surf Camp we want to dedicate our last post to telling you how we fixed a broken surfboard in our home workshop.
To do this, we have prepared a brief tutorial that we invite you to read carefully, as you may be able to apply these simple tips in your home.
The importance of adapting spaces
First of all, you need to start preparing an area to carry out this activity. For this reason, we recommend that you look for a well-ventilated area (not inside your own home). This is because you are working with toxic products that give off a lot of smell, so if you have a well-ventilated garage, this will be the best solution.
Otra posible opción para un hogar bien adaptado sería jardín, esta sería una posible solución siempre y cuando el sol no apunte directamente; se necesita una zona bien ventilada y sombría, ya que el sol afectaría a los procesos de catalización del poliéster.
Essential materials
Once we have selected the location, we will choose to use it. In our specific case we need to have:
- Polyester
- Fiber fabrics
- Microballoons
- Waxed styrene
- Circular sander
- Coarse and fine sandpaper for circular sander
- Plastic spatula
- Plastic cups (for mixing)
- Brush
- Face mask
- Gloves
- Easels
- Cardboard or plastic to protect the floor
- Old clothes or a work suit
How to repair a cracked surfboard efficiently
Once we have everything ready we will get on with the first step.
We begin to clean the paraffin board carefully so that when we go to add the repair materials such as polyester they adhere properly.
After this, the area to be repaired must be sanded to remove any remaining dirt and give the polyester a better grip.
Afterwards, you will have to join the board on both sides, and join with tape on one of the sides of the board.
When ready, it will be filled with microballoons + polyester + catalyst and left to dry.
Once the filler is dry, the two parts must be held together, making sure that the mixture is dry so that the excess can be sanded until a uniform and smooth surface is obtained.
If there is a hole and it is not completely smooth, it should be filled again with the mixture and left to dry before sanding it.
When we have everything ready, we will place the fabrics in a diamond shape for greater resistance, and we will apply the polyester with catalyst with a spatula.
Una vez seco, se aplicará otra capa de poliéster con estireno parafinado para facilitar el lijado (si no se embotará la lija), y se esparcirá con una brocha por encima del poliéster seco hasta que quede homogéneo.
Finally, you will have to sand with a circular sander, with sandpaper from coarsest to finest, or with water (we suggest sanding carefully, because we can sand too much and reach the foam).
Once the surface is smooth, we can consider the task finished. The board will be ready and in perfect condition to return to the water. In addition, we also have the option of painting the board to hide the break. For this, our particular recommendation is to use mountain sprays; there are some made in Germany or Catalonia, but for us the best are the Catalan ones. Another somewhat cheaper option would be Puskas type markers.
Good luck with the arrangement!
Laga Surf Camp: Your best option for surfing
With this we conclude our tutorial, but not before reminding you that summer is just around the corner, and that at Laga Surf Camp you can personalize your surfing experience and receive more tips like these. Or for example about some exercises to improve surfing out of the water and from home.
