Got a new board a few weeks ago, 7’6 magic carpet, off an online shop and after the first session it started showing little clusters of cracks where my heel is on the tail. Second session and cracks were more abundant, both sessions were super mellow and tiny. Not pressure dings and show no indentation whatsoever, just little clusters of hariline cracks. I’m assuming they’ve cocked up the resin mix, where should I go from here? Try for a refund or just stick a pad on it and hope that protects it? Concerned that if its cracking already then when it gets out in a real swell it’s going to just fracture to hell.
I’ve gotten those before (stress marks) but just kept the dog and figured I got a cheap glass job.
I think your stuck with it I’m sorry to say. Fyi- surfboards, due to the nature of it all I’ve never heard of anyone getting a return on a surfboard ever.put sum wax on it and forget about it.
Back in the day I owned a board that got a 4" chunk taken out of my rail durin crowded surf…I was bummed about it, I got it repaired, and a month ltr I had two more smaller dings…a yr later I had a whopping 15+ dings that I would sum it up by sayin my board was " riddled" with dings…it was ding city to say the very least. Yeah, just throw sum wax on it and -surf it to the ground! I doubt you would get anywhere trying to get a exchange though. Chalk it up to you bought a dog. It happens. Ask me how I know-i had one. The entire deck delaminated almost…lol. welcome aboard! Peace
Man, I am wondering if the glasser used too much catalyst? Ive had those stress marks before and to this day I honestly dunno what causes these "stress marks.'.
Suggestion: use it and abuse it, then strip it down, reshape it in a yr.
Swaylocks.com is an internet fourm for pepole who build surfboards. Some Pros and some backyard…You bought a surfboard from an online shop. Why are you here? Do you want to build a surfboard? We can help you with that.
Who sold you the surfboard ? Where was it made? What foam? What glass schedule? How much did you pay for your surfboard? Are the fins plastic? …answer a few questions first…then we can talk about why your surfboard has spider cracks. How’s the deck holding up? Do you leave your surfboard in the car on hot days?
thanks for the replies guys. The board was £395, I was planning on going custom but basically impatience and a lack of any shapers near by got the better of me so I got what I thought was the next best thing. Stocked by a site but shaped and (hopefully glassed) by a reputable shaper. As to the exact construction of it in terms of glass schedule and foam, website didn’t say, just that it’s a poly. It’s a 2+1 set up but I’ve just been riding it single with a 10 inch plastic dolphin fin. Deck is fine as far as I know however I’m thinking now maybe I should get the wax off and have a look incase it’s cracked to shit. The board lives in a padded bag in my garage and only goes in the van when I’m going to and from the break, a journey it’s only made twice. Live in the north of england and it hasn’t been hot weather when I’ve taken it out so it hasn’t been baking in the van.
I asked the question on here as I figured the people most knowlegable on the subject would be the people who make boards in the first place, and I thought you guys might have other suggestions involving repair work etc. If its not the right forum then I am sorry but I appreciate the advice anyway.
Yeah it was Bunty’s name on it that made me get it. Contacted the site and they said if I returned it to them they’d check it out and if they deemed if faulty they’d refund it. Only concern about that is the board could make end up making two cross-country trips if they decide they don’t want to refund me so I end up with a dodgey board thats also been handled by a courier more times than I’d like. Just took some wax off now and deck seems alright, it’s just the left hand rail on the tail and not even where my heel would likely be in hindsight unless I surf like a total spazz so not even sure now how the cracks have formed
Do they go all the way across the board? It looks like you hit it with your knee or elbow?
Not trying to be a dick here, but boards do get dings and get heal marks. This looks like one of those? Stress cracks are usually on the bottom and around the fin area, they happen when some one hits a rock , or usues the board as a trampoline when surfing.
This looks like board trama, and not just something that just occured magically. That’s my opinion.
Epoxy boards don’t do this…maybe next time try epoxy?
they’re literally just on the top of the rail on the left handside of the tail, seems to be too far out to be my heel and I don’t think my elbows even go down there. Could be a knee I guess but my wetsuits pretty thick and some of the cracks are quite small in diameter which makes it look like a big spongey knee wouldn’t cause them. I’ve dinged my old fish against rocks and compressed the deck with my heels a load but it hasn’t behaved like this and certainly lasted longer than one session before it started looking all crappy. Yeah I was looking at epoxy but I read a lot about weight issues i.e. they’re so light they can just bounce about in chop and we have a lot of onshore mess up here, plus I like something with a bit more weight to punch through the wave on my way out. To be fair a chunky pop-out would work fine on most of the swells around here but then when I go to a decent spot I want a board that can perform a bit better.
If I don’t send it back, whats the best remedy? Thinking of maybe just putting a strip of glass down that side to cover the cracks and add a bit of protection, will look shite but might do the job.
Knee bang on the rail, during Duck Dive, perhaps? Sanding may have gone a little deep in those areas too. Whatever the cause, it really shouldn’t be there.
Looks to me like your knee is catching the top of the rail when you dismount, there’s a lot of force when your knee wings it on the way by. I used to trade my vintage NLW with a friend in the water and started to notice rail cracks. I watched him closely and saw how he was managing to damage such a strong board. I would take a good look at your other boards to see if there’s anything that resembles it in the same area. This board may be lighter foam and/or glass and the top of the rail usually has extra unreinforced resin on it so the lap isn’t hit when sanding. I’m not saying the board isn’t weak from a construction flaw but I hate to see a surfboard company run down on the internet, I would go to the source and discuss it face to face if possible.
BTW “too much catalyst” is a wivestail. It’s the age old standard misdiagnosis for too much unreinforced resin.
Did you guys look at the link the OP provided? It looks like the board might be a popout version of hand shaper’s board, based on the machine printed logos in (normally) the signature area of the bottom. Price could just be high for a popout, not a legit handshape price.
thanks for all the thoughts guys. Final point, haven’t duck dived this board yet as was no need in the surf I was out in. Anyway I’m sure it’ll all work out in the end,
really. Ty for the heads up! Yeah, a guy I know bought a cheaply glassed board and a few weeks ltr it was riddled w dings…three months ltr it was thrown away or he stripped and reshaped it, sold it, or trashed it.