I arrived in Sri Lanka this morning and took my new Fowler Stoker for a spin and while sitting in the line up I felt something uneven along the rail. Upon closer examination it looks like a rail wrap that has not been sanded down propely or a crack, which would suck even worse…
I tried to take as good a picture as possible, but I fear the outcome is sub-par. May biggest concern is damaging the new board, I would much rather shelf it on the second day before the damage is too bad. Can I get some advice what to do please? Either shelf the board, take it home, repair it and wait for the next trip (worst case), or ride it and keep an eye on it? But what would it look like if the was water coming through the crack? Questions over questions. I hope someone can help me out. This sucks so bad, since all the boards here I could rent are the NSP tankers…
if no ding repair services available locally, find some clear shipping tape, cover the crack with a piece, go surfing and enjoy yourself, fix it when you get home, should be fine until then.
the board is a poly/poly as far as I remember and if anyone knows someone in the south of Sri Lanka who can fix this, or supply the material to fix it, that would be great.
and mentioning the board was in no way meant to be an attack on the shaper or the board. I know this kind of stuff happens and I know it happens when you least need it. For these cases I always try to keep my karma account balanced. I guess that did not work too great this time…
alright! I will put some tape over it and get to it when I am back in Germany. Just to reassure myself, when feeling over the crack I can feel it, even to the point where I could peel some glass off if I really wanted to.
what would be the worst case? I will put fresh tape on it every night, but the board will be in use twice a day for the next 12 days…
The worst case is you leave the board behind, and come home with a little cash. I’d think the resale would be pretty good in an out of the way location. Let the next guy fix it.
I wouldn’t replace the tape daily. That’s a better chance of getting some wax or sunscreen on it which will make the chance of it sticking more doubtful. This goes back to the thread why EPS foam is bad for a travel board. Just put some tape on it. Make sure no wrinkles for water to get in through. Surf it, and enjoy your vacation.
alright! so tape once it is, unless I get my hands on some solarez…
I would leave the board behind, but this is my first own board that I selected based on my skills, and in Germany a hand shaped board not from a major company is fairly hard to come by! So just for the emotional value this one will stay with me forever. call me foolish, but sometimes these things stick. just as I would never get rid of my first self-shaped board for the memories…
thank you all for the tips and especially the peace of mind!!!
If you have access to some clear fingernail polish, there’s your best bet to seal against water intrusion. I can’t imagine any vacation area not having the necessary items for womens comfort. Look for spas, salons, drugstores, etc.
Short term I would use super glue, and once dry put packing tape over to seal it. Long term it needs to be sanded and fiberglass applied, as the crack will flex without reinforcement and leak again in the future.
Not to add insult to injury, but when traveling, we should all pack a small repair kit. Solar Resin, tape, a patch of glass, and a bit of sandpaper. How many of us actually do this is another point of contention.
i would call up that santa barbara shaper and demand a refund!!! just kidding Bruce , let see i have filled dings with wax i have used duct tape i have used stickers playboy bunny ,a sir lanka flag sticker or i would just sit on the beach and look at the waves you can pick anyone you want the refund one after i ding up the board is my favorite!!!or just ride em…you lucky dog find some good waves enjoy…
Clear nail varnish as mentioned can come in useful if you are stuck, also sometimes i use a finger smear of clear laquer or superglue if the crack is tiny like some of those stress cracks that sometimes you get with those pressure dings, it can stop water getting in on tiny problems when its not worth cracking out the solarez. My connection is rubbish here so I can’t see the pics
Jut an FYI for the travellers among us - Gorilla of Gorilla Grip glue has a new tape out, Gorilla Clear Repair, it’s thin, smooth, hella durable, could pretty much leave on for months over dings. Great product to travel with.
Mylar packing tape or even a mylar sticker is a good temporary solution when you have no resin on hand. Fingernail polish is also a good one. Duct tape or wax is not.
Also, that’s obvious damage. Sure isn’t a bad sanding job. Board got whacked at some point.
If you want to determine if the crack has allowed water in, suck on it. Not joking. It’s an old (very old) way to tell if a board is sucking water. Wipe the rail really well with a slightly damp cloth and try to suck water out of it. If you taste salt, it has water in it.
I must have found a rock in the water today and punctured my bottom very slightly. about 5mm diameter and 2-3mm deep. I can’t tell whether the hole is deep enough to letr water in. How would I go about fixing this? Is solarez enough?
And one rather general question. Does it piss you guys off when a new board gets dinged? Or do you accept this as a given fact, that when used daily they are bound to suffer. this is my first own, brand new board, and after only 6 days of daily use, I fell like I have accumulated quite some dings, and worse of all, it somehow pisses me off. Am I alone here?
besides these minor problems, I can not recommend a Sri Lanka trip enough. If anyone ever wants to get out here make sure to give me a shout. My wife’s father is from the island and I can hook you up with a cool place to stay, a supernice guide and a very good time in general (and no, that does not include hookers)!
