How to Repair Dings in Your Surfboard

Has your surfboard seen better days?  Have you dropped it or knocked it, or has it just taken a beating from the sand and surf?  No need to go to a surf shop to get it fixed.  Here’s how you can repair your old surfboard to get the fiberglass coating back into shape.

You will need:

Blunt knife

Fiberglass cloth

Fiberglass resin

Fiberglass hardener

Paper cup

Popsicle stick

Sandpaper

Steps:

Before getting started, it is essential to ensure that your surfboard is completely dry and that any water absorbed into it has been fully evaporated.  Make sure you clean it thoroughly, scrape off (gently) any wax surrounding the damaged area, and leave it to dry for at least 2-3 days.

Once this is done, use a knife to remove any old, loose fiberglass.  Cracks are okay, as long as the fiberglass is in place, but if it’s loose, it needs to go.  Then cut a piece of fiberglass cloth that is just a bit bigger than the area you are patching on your surfboard.  Mix some hardener and some fiberglass resin in a paper cup and stir them with a popsicle stick or other piece of wood.

Now coat the damaged area of your surfboard with the resin you just mixed.  Put the cloth on top of the area and coat it with the resin.  Wait for it to dry and the cloth will provide a new skin for your board. 

Use a wood block to smooth out the bubbles that are underneath the cloth.  As the resin is hardening, pay attention and cut any excess cloth or remove excess mixture before the resin solidifies. 

When it is fully hardened, sand it with sandpaper until it is smooth. Now enjoy your fully repaired surfboard!