How to Fix a Surfboard Ding on the Rail

Riding the waves creates an exhilarating feeling of freedom. Life on top of the water offers a rush of adrenaline. Keeping your surfboard in excellent condition ensures you will be catching and riding wave after wave. Take time to check your board for dings and keep it in top shape.

Table of Contents

The steps on how to fix a surfboard ding on the rail are:

After you have prepared the area, use coarse sandpaper to ensure the area is fully clean. Use medium sandpaper to smooth the area.
If it is a large size repair area, cut a piece of fiberglass larger than the ding.
If you had to cut away foam, fill the hole in the foam with Q-cell.
With your unused popsicle stick, apply resin. Be sure to fill in nooks and crannies.
Press your cut piece of fiberglass into the resin if the ding is large.
Expose your board to sunlight. The resin or epoxy will harden.
After it has dried, sand with medium sandpaper. Check for unfilled holes in the repaired area. Apply a second coat of resin. Let dry again.
Cover resin loosely with plastic wrap or sheet protectors. This is done so no dirt or other debris attaches to the wet resin. Expose the area to sunlight, so it begins to harden.
Remove the plastic protection.
Using medium sandpaper, sand off roughness and excess resin. With your fine sandpaper, lightly smooth the area.

Read here to get your materials list and discover the steps to follow to repair your surfboard. Then grab your board and head to the water.

Materials Needed to Repair Dings:

Some of the materials needed to repair dings are found in many garages since they are used for other household needs.

Sandpaper of different grades of grit – coarse, medium, and fine
Poly-resin or epoxy resin – Read below for further information.
Fiberglass cloth – This is needed for larger dings.
Q-cell – Purchase for dings affecting the foam.
Application tool – Buy or use something like unused popsicle sticks.
Plastic film or plastic sheet protectors

You can use a poly or epoxy resin. Epoxy resin has no smell. It also has fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are harmful to people and the environment. Since the epoxy resin does not have a high level of VOCs, you do not need a safety mask. However, epoxy resin is more expensive than poly resins, but epoxy is stronger and more resistant to dings.

Are you a beginner surfer looking to get better? Follow these tips.

Preparing Your Surfboard to Repair Dings:

Repairing your board is not too difficult a procedure. The time between steps is key to ensure drying. Depending upon the water damage from the ding, you may need to let it sit for a few days to dry out.

First, you need to clean your board of all the sand, salt, and saltwater remnants. This needs to be done because salt retains water. Your repair will not be effective if moisture gets trapped behind your new resin. Granules of sand will not let the resin adhere smoothly.

Second, when your board is completely dry, clean any waxy residual away from the dings. The wax will prevent the new fiberglass or resin from sticking. The bonding needed to ensure the protection of your board will not last.

Third, cut away the damaged area. You want to snip the delaminated or separated fiberglass. Additionally, trim out any foam that has been ruined.

Your board is ready for mending.

Steps to Repair the Dings in Your Surfboard:

Understanding the construction of your board will help you visualize the repairs. Briefly and simplifying the process, your board is made of foam material. This foam is then covered with fiberglass. Fiberglass cloth makes your board resilient. Next resin is applied to affix the fiberglass to the foam foundation to solidify the material. It is finished with a glossy coat.

After you have prepared the area, use coarse sandpaper to ensure the area is fully clean.
Use medium sandpaper to smooth the area.
If it is a large size repair area, cut a piece of fiberglass larger than the ding.
If you had to cut away foam, fill the hole in the foam with Q-cell.
With your unused popsicle stick, apply resin. Be sure to fill in nooks and crannies.
Press your cut piece of fiberglass into the resin if the ding is large.
Expose your board to sunlight. The resin or epoxy will harden.
After it has dried, sand with medium sandpaper. Check for unfilled holes in the repaired area. Apply a second coat of resin. Let dry again.
Cover resin loosely with plastic wrap or sheet protectors. This is done so no dirt or other debris attaches to the wet resin. Expose the area to sunlight, so it begins to harden.
Remove the plastic protection.
Using medium sandpaper, sand off roughness and excess resin. With your fine sandpaper, lightly smooth the area.

Importance of Repairing Dings:

The ding has cracked the outer resin, which acts as a laminated protector of your board. Fiberglass, which is the layer below the resin, can now separate from the foam. The reliability of the surfboard is now compromised. Regardless of the cause of dings on your surfboard rails, it is important to fix them quickly and meticulously.

These injuries to your surfboard cause your board to take on water. The water is absorbed by the foam, which is the inner part of your board. Foam ladened with water makes your board heavier and less buoyant. When your board begins to lose its buoyancy, it becomes more difficult to handle. Eventually, your surfboard could sink.

This means that as soon as you spot a ding, you should look to repair it. Keeping the materials needed on hand is your best option, so you do not lose any time in getting the repair started.

Reducing Dings in Your Surfboard:

Though it seems cool to do, riding all the way into shore can damage your board. The pieces of shells and rocks at the edge of the water can cause dings in your board.

Nor should you drag your board through the sand to get to the water. Depending upon your surf spot, rocks and pieces of shell can be mixed in with the sand. Again, cautious handling of your board allows more surfing time with a ding-free board.

Leaving your board in your car can also damage your board. Cars heat up quickly in the summer sun. Brittleness of your board can result. This makes your surfboard easier to damage.

Getting your board to and from the house to the car requires cautious manipulation. Turning corners in your hallways, getting through door openings, and into your car can create dings on your board.

Once you are in the parking lot of your favorite surf scene, you are amped up and ready for waves. Be careful removing your board from the car – you do not want a ding and surfing to be canceled. Get a good grip on your board to carry it through the parking lot. Asphalt is unforgiving material if you mishandle your board.

Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Please consult a legal expert or medical professional to address your specific needs.