They are hard to fix. I have fixed a few of his surfboards. The most important thing is that you let the blank dry out completely before you attempt at any glass/epoxy repairs. If you don't the moisture inside can rot the foam core, it can also be hard to match up the balsa strips. Although the boards are vacuumed laminated, the best way I found was to glass (but using epoxy resin) it like I would a normal board (I also added 2 balsa stringers for extra strength) plus building up and shaping the rails with layers of balsa can be tricky. Having said that I did enjoy repairing them and I got an extra 2 years use out of the board. So good luck

Shipright in Yamba, Mark, guy is a magician with wood/epoxy construction and repairs. Try a local wood boat guy.

Had the same happen on second hand DTM/Deep a couple of weekends back. I tried landing a nasty backhand bash in one of those even nastier competition horrors. The thing buckled upwards on the deck between my feet.

Relatively easy home repair. Cut the loose glass away in a v shape toward the centre. Hopefully the slight V will help feather out the new week/strong spot.

Filled the cut out with epoxy resin saturated with filler. Sanded this back level.

Laminated over a couple of feathered layers of six oz mat. Also added a smaller wrap around to the bottom where the rail had cracked.

Out with the 7' polisher/sander to finish.

Other than the fact I wasn't looking for technical perfection on a second hand board, it came out pretty good. The board flexes even.

Biggest thing is to get the balance between creating a week or strong spot fairly right. A weak spot will break again. On the other hand, the board will want to break either side of an overly strong repair. The later is why I would not add stringers, under saturated filler, or too much glass, or a resin that sets too hard/brittle.

Hardest part with the Sunova would be doing something to match the timber. Permanent marker like I often use on the filler could look ordinary. Not like you can duck around the factory and grab a bit of the timber out of the bin to laminate in like you would matting? This is the complication that may lead to a professional repair?

Seriously not as hard as it sounds. Maybe wait till you knock one of your boards around more then give your own repairs a go.

chrisrum said..
I really need to watch someone first hand before I have a go on a creased board surfershaneA. I'm really scared to start hacking away and making something unsalvageable.

Yeah burleighlocal, it was under VERY extreme conditions when it creased, I'm super impressed that it was only the top balsa layer that creased. I snapped 2 sups and 2 short boards last year so I'm a bit of a board-murderer by nature. By some miracle (or is it the construction?) the core and bottom layer are fine!?

I snapped my leggie bailing under a 10 foot set at South Avalon, board got washed over rocks and INTO the rock pool. Very high tide.

I think the board was being levereged against a rock at the point where it creased and was hit by a wave at the same time. Massive trauma, the fact that it is salvagable is a miracle. It went over or through the fence that covers the rock pool. Any regular board would have been dead.

I had a great surf though! I was planning on surfing North Av so I paddled out through the rip there at about 5:20am. However, I could see these amazing rights at the south end via the lights on the pool. Didn't snap my leggie till 8:15, so filled my quota before then.

Good waves this week. Pretty happy.

Thanks for that info…Sunova gets a lot of well deserved props on here so I'm super glad you creased it in serious conditions.

I just have to decide which Sunova to bet now.

GizzieNZ said...
Surfer Shane said "Relatively easy home repair"
........I find my home repair is galaxies away from the kind of repair that people who do it professionally can achieve

And there is only one way to start your journey to that professional standard; get in and give it a go???????

Otherwise you will be forever handing your boards over to others for god only knows how long at a premium price.

Ok if you are stationary on a Sydney Northern Beaches salary (And then again NOT if you are paying the matching rent or mortgage?), but a total pain if you are sailing around on a budget like me.

Stev0 said..
Holy crap...10' sets!!! What size and model board were you on?...

A custom Speeed. 7"10, 83.5 litres. I think it's a standard 7"2 plus a nose. I caught about ten 6 foot waves, two 8 foot waves. The 10 foot set came through about 8 am. I had thought the swell was dropping up until that point.

Best board I have had, I am going to order another one plus a gun. Anyone ridden a sunova gun? The Speed skipped out on fat big sections but handles steep tubey sections up to solid six feet.