Saw some at the hardware store when I was picking up more sandpaper. Claims to be waterproof and can withstand pressure up to a certain psi. It looked interesting and I wondered if it would work as an effective ding repair for small cracks or punctures.
Anyone ever seen this stuff or used it before? I imagine the ding patches Quiksilver now gives away with their boardshorts is the same sort of material. Might work and you could travel with it, unlike suncure and other quick fixes.
If it’s the stuff I’m thinking of (white tape, blue plastic spool), it is for plumbers to wrap around pipe threads before screwing pipes together. Wouldn’t work as a patch as it is designed to fill threads, as such is very (very) thin and has no adhesive on it.
Actually, that plumbing “tape” is teflon tape not silicon.
Yep, you’re right. Now I remember.
Interestingly, right after posting, I saw on ebay some “self fusing” waterproof silicon tape for waterproofing sailboat rigging ends (at least that’s how it was marketed there). Looked like some interesting stuff.
Looks like it could be worth investigating further. Consider my original words in reply to be eaten.
I’d try a test panel with it first. Silicone-based products may poison the damaged area, fouling the bond of any permanent repairs.
Good point, I hadn’t thought about the adhesive affecting it. I suppose I would have found that out the hard way if I tested it, but knowing how much I hate having to fix dings, if it kept water out I’d leave it on there forever.
Rachel, One thing I’ve noticed about silicone tapes is that they bond/fuse really well into themselves, but not to anything else. Silicone tape is an excellent substitute for heat shrink tubing around electrical wires, small pipes, etc.
I’ve used regular stickers for temporary ding repair. The record I have going is 2 weeks for a sticker. My friend uses packing tape to seal dings and when it gets messed up, he takes off the packing tape and puts on a new one.
Only major dings get suncure . . . for his repair. I just scrape the adhesive off, or sand it off when I can repair the ding . . .
I always bum stickers off the surfshops, I gots a collection . . .
If I was on a trip I’d get that epoxy that hardens in water, and you have a 5 min window to shape it . . . just mix, put a gloop of the stuff on a plastic, and press the plastic against the ding to conform the epoxy, wait a few minutes, release and surf. Just hope you don’t accidently bump the spot before the epoxy hardens. But when you get to place where proper ding repair can be done . . . you’d have to sand off your epoxy fix . . .