This afternoon I took my stypox out of the back of my truck and watched small bubbles hissing out of the rail. I could actually hear it like a pinhole leak in a bicycle tire. There was no ding or crack. Must be a pinhole. Pretty funny in a way. I guess this means it sucks air and water when it’s cold? That’s not very funny. There’s a lot of air in that foam. It’s #2 eps, 6-6-6. Sealed with epoxy/microfiber smudge. Maybe I did not seal it well enough? What do you think? Sand it down and put another layer of epoxy? Mike
EPS? Does it have a vent in it?
I know that the archives say 2# and denser doesn’t need a vent but… just in case…
That’s why I like to put a vent in ALL of my EPS boards. Open when out of the water and close before going in.
When I get out of the water I set my board next to my van and get changed, just before leaving I open the back and lean my board onto the back and open the vent. The 2# EPS boards will exhale gently and the 1# boards will… sneeze!
For all of you out there contimplating making an EPS board… PUT A VENT IN IT!
Les
rooster! give me a call. I’m finising up a 10’6", 25", 4" SUP Balsa Comp. ‘Big Kahuna’
I second that, I’m seeing alot of #2 lb boards that have sucked in substantial amounts of water, and people don’t seem to understand what’s going on. Watch those dings too! -Carl
Thanks boys. No vent. I did not think I needed it in # 2 as mentioned. I have not noticed this in my #2 eps fish yet. I’m just finishing another. Better check the archives. Or, tridries, where do you get your vents? Around our neighborhood? Mike
No worries Mike…more wax! 
I still haven’t vented anything. How much did the baord weigh when you finished it, and how much does it weigh now?
And more importantly…how does it surf now?
i have the same experience
they either need vents or perferct seal
i dont think sealing with epoxy rather than spackle makes a difference wrt this issue
dig out the pin and fill with 5 min epoxy or wax
Hey Ben,
The pinhole is on the rail. I have not started waxing my rails yet. Do you think it will help my surfing? I’m not sure what it weighs so I cant do a comparison. It’s heavier than my other eps boards because of my sealing method. I wanted it heavier because it is a 7-3 rounded pin for winter waves. It surfs pretty good. I’ve only ridden it 6 or 7 times because I’m usually on the dang fish. Like silly mentioned on his fish thread when it starts to ledge the little fish aint the best. Not at my age and ability level, anyway. I’m building a tweener board so I don’t have to go from a stubbie fish to a 7-3 truster when there is a lot of water movement. Surfed the dang fish again yesterday. Felt sooooo good.
Silly, love your fish thread. Keep them coming. I like your dig and seal with 5 minute idea. I probably drill it out and seal. Of course, I’ll have to put it back in the truck before I can find the pinhole. Should have circled it yesterday. Maybe I will strip the wax, clean it up, and go over it with a ‘fine toothed comb.’ Get it straightened out. It’s a board I’d like to keep, I think. Mike
HI rooster! Haven’t found any vents close by, well, Santa Cruz. Fiberglass Hawaii, but i usually order from Fiberglass Supply up north.
Les
Hi Mike -
Someone at some point used soapy water on their board, put it in the sun and watched for bubbles.
hey mate cheers
just get an exacto and wait for 5 mins in the sun
it will start to bubble
dig it out a bit and filll it
heres a thread when i first discovered it
http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=290311;search_string=pinhole%20eps;#290311
i decided this recently if you own eps or compsand
every three months clean your board down and check for small dings or pins
i think that even the better fused stuff will probably suck water as well
perhaps goretex venting is the final solution
i found both boards, one with sealed with epoxy and one sealed with spackle basicaly did the same thing
but yeah the water does seem to come out again
My first compsand did had a few pinholes around the rails. Sucked a bunch of h2o and really took the joy out of my first session. Now before any of them go in the water they get a good looking at. On the compsands it is usually at the rail/skin intersection. After a few you can spot them fairly easily. Putting them in sun and using the soapy water is a good method.
Make sure you get all that water out before you seal. If you have a wood stringer give it some more time because that water likes to go right to the wood and stay there. Putting it through a bunch of heat and cooling cycles with the ding at the lowest point seams to work. I put mine in the car in the morning and let the sun do its work.
How about putting a plastic patch and a lightish vacuum over the leak, isn’t that meant to help get the water out?
i’m not a big expert, but maybe this link can help you
http://www.boardlady.com/index.htm
uzzi
some of the advise here sounds as funny as my english
for the next thread how to build
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stethoskop
keep it up guys i learned alot reading here
Thanks again everyone. Mule, I did attach a small vacume to get some of the water out. This little vacume has served me well in removing water from dinged boards for quite a while. It’s also gotten me into trouble a time or two. My mouth. I’m not sure what you mean by attach a piece of plastic. Doesn’t resin turn into ‘plastic’? Could you elaborate please?
uzzi, The Board Lady’s site is awesome. Everyone should have a look at it. Mike
I just meant like on the boardlady site, piece of plastic sheeting sealed to the board and vac tube with mastic to provide a seal over the pinhole. Having the vac setup with a reservoir helps cause when the pump switches off you can hear the water being sucked through the board. (I think you’ve got the continuous setup?)
muhleder, yes you’re right it is what you thought. i’ve done it by myself but went nuts when the vacuum cleaner switched of overheating LOL. i just ordered my first pump.
rooster, yeah she is great.
i’ve been windsurfer for 15 years and only opened the valves when going on airplanes and never had problems.
OT. did somebody here ever vacuum the toplayer and how did it work out. thinking about it i come only up with the lap on top or building a secound molding. is there a thread or any ideas?
cheers uzzi