So, I aquired an old paddle board some time ago. The previous owner told me it was an old Eaton board and that it was water tight. The board had been repainted in orange and green. It looks like a twelve foot long pumpkin. I started using it on a consistent basis and realized it took on a little water. I first thought I didn’t tighten the plug enough, but realized it had to be something else. The first issued i found was with the fin box. The glass was separating from the top of box. I pulled the pad off and found a long crack running lengthwise down the board. I also sanded through some of the paint that was bubbling and found small cracks.
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knows how these are constructed. If I recall correctly, someone on Sways, I can not remember who it is for the life of me, used to work for Eaton. I was under the impression it was just EPS and fiberglass, but I started to question that presumption when it would fill with water. The water in the board would run end to end when I picked it up out of the water.
For the box, I was planning on routing it out like i would for a long board but was a little concerned because I’ve never fixed a box with the glass over the top. As far as the cracks, do I need to sand all the way down to the glass? It appears there may have been a gel coat or something else on the original board.
I recently got a Dewalt sander which I have been practicing with on several friends board repairs. I used it to sand the top of the paddleboard and you can see the remnants of the old Eaton logo. I also got some good sandpaper from Fiberglass Hawaii in Ventura. I didn’t realize it but the stuff I was using before was terrible, haha. The good sand paper seems to last forever, but thats another topic.
Any tips, advice, or criticism is appreciated. I posted some pictures below.
OK. Pics finally showed and that baby has been neglected for a while. While that crack in the deck may be sucking water, the loose lamination at the fin box is horrible. Looks like major surgery is in order. Have you been able to determine the composition of the board? PU/PE, or styro/epoxy?
They show up on my computer, I guess that doesn’t do you any good. Heres the uploads. Ill have to figure out how to post them properly when I get home from work.
They didn’t appear when you first posted. Somehow, they showed up about 5 hours later. This website has some glitches and funny quirks. It also seems difficult for some folks to navigate all the functions.
Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I desided to take Mako’s advice and take a core sample. I cut a thin rectangular hole on the crack on the top of the board. I made it long enough to shine a light in and look through the hole, about an inch and a half long by quarter inch wide. Looked inside and saw that the board is hollow with what looks like a high density chambered foam beam running down the center. Also noticed that the crack on the top was just off the edge of the beam. I think the fin box uses the foam beam for support. Not sure how I’m going to fix the cracks. The fiber glass is really thick and there are several different weaves. There is a crack on the bottom that looks like it was fixed once before with a single layer of glass. It cracked in the same place.
Over the fiberglass there is some type of blue base coat then several coats of white. Its powdery when I sand it. I think its some sort of gel coat but not sure.
So, I have a lot of sanding in my future. I’m going to fix the cracks and fin box and then re-finish. The board probably isn’t worth the effort but I need the practice and I can’t afford a new paddle board.
