My new board is getting dinged up quick. I have surfed it twice and it’s dinged up pretty well from my knees. The board’s deck has two 6oz layers. My question is, should I strip the wax off, sand it down and add another 6oz layer?
Consider some fairly thick deck/traction pads instead. These days I recommend them to anybody buying a new board that’s not really heavily glassed. doc…
You don’t say what your level of surfing is, but I suspect you should re-evaluate the way you get to your feet on takeoff. I’d bet that the dents are probably just aft of the center of the board. I take out a goodly number of beginners and watch the Hans Hedeman surf school kids near Tonggs. Beginners almost invariably (adults particularly) get to one or both knees before standing up. This position places a major amount of weight on the top of your shinbone and few commercial glass jobs or foam compositions can take that level of stress without denting. You’re putting what, seventy percent of total body mass on one knee? It happens occasionally that no amount of coaxing can get them to spring or snap to their feet from a prone position. They see experienced surfers around them doing it, so there’s no lack of examples. Adults haven’t the upper body strength or flexibility. Kids can usually get it due to their being lighter, relatively stronger and certainly more flexible bodies. That said, I don’t think an extra layer of glass will help much. For one thing, it’s tough to sand into the dents sufficiently to get a good bond. For another, your original glassing is probably simply too damn light, typical of most shop boards which aren’t intended to last very long. Doc’s idea above is okay, but unlikely to be attractive in the middle of the board. Too, I don’t think it will prevent as much as hide the damage which will continue to occur.
I have this problem a lot and that’s why i also glass my decks with 2-6 oz. layers. I added another 4 oz layer to an older board I have and it doesn’t get any pressure dings from my knees…but it is so heavy now. I didn’t think it would add that much weight when I added the extra layer, but it did. It’s a trade off. I like the traction pad idea.
I always add a deck patch to the boards I build or buy. Seems I get knee dents from pushing the board under during duck dives. That, and heel dents since I have pretty boney knees and feet. This pretty much stops denting but doesn’t totally eliminate it. The additional weight doesn’t bother me as much as deck delam’s.
You might want to use a blank with greater density (green or classic for long boards) lightly shaped on the deck.Green isen’t much heavyer than blue.
I agree with Brian. IMHO it’s far better to put the weight on a conventional longboard in the foam (classic wt.)than in the glassing. Proove it with a friend: Get a sheet of glass stripped off a broken board Have your friend hold it directly in front of his face Punch him in the nose Repeat the process with two sheets Ask him if it hurt less Look at how most boards deflect under thumb pressure. If the foam can’t take it a reasonable glass schedule won’t help that much. Once Polyurethane foam compresses it doesn’t spring-back. Big sign in surf-shop DON’T SQUEEZE THE RAILS! I have a noserider, classic foam with 6+6 glass on the deck, that I’ve probably ridden about twice a week for almost a year. I’m 190 lbs. almost zero heel dents. Just my 2-cents
Everyone is right on. Don’t do the ultralight-type blanks. Blues dent in as well, so go with green or better. Since adding a bunch of glass adds weight fast, a denser blank is great compromise and will protect the board all over, not just the reinforced areas. That said, I still add a pair of crossed deck lams in the initial glassing to beef up the vulnerable areas. I like to keep my boards for a long time, but if one of the local shapers were to sponsor me with a new board every week, I would be very happy with UL blanks and 4oz sanded finish surfboards (but maybe not FCS if I could be picky)!