Who knows what is out there waiting for you. Surf travel demands a little planning, you may have some serious repairs that need to be whipped up ASAP. A variety of bits and bobs need to be considered and stuffed into the boardbag. You definitely need to give some thought to quick repairs for dings and gouges. For epoxy board repair, a must have is Water Weld. You can find this stuff at any auto parts store before you leave. It does just fine for long-term repairs at home as well.
Water Weld, Sharpie marker, Exacto, and sanding block. Patch shown.
This repair here came in handy for a 4 inch long gouge and a heavy pressure scratch on a rail. (Rental epoxy SUP in Mexico – not surprising to find in an area with rock reefs in abundance). Packed the Water Weld and rummaged the rest of the tools from the rental house.
The basics of any repair are the same. You need to remove any compromised structural areas and seal up the wound.
Clean the board.
Use a Sharpie to outline the areas that need to be cut away (anything around the damage that is soft to touch). Optional step, but you will see the value once you start getting messy.
Make your incision.
Get in there with the Exacto and cut away the damage to clean foam (not too deep, but don’t be timid either).
Sanding
Give the edges around the wound a light sand to get rid of any sharp edges. Clean area.
Prepare the patch
Now mix the Water Weld (or similar store bought) epoxy patch following directions. Work it into the gaps with your fingers, and only fill enough to leave a lightly raised area over the original surface. The less to sand later the better.
Relax
Go have a cerveza(s) and let that sucker cure in the sun for an hour.
The patient ready for a quick procedure.
Sand the patch
Now sand away the patch until you get a nice level surface. Start with a medium grit and move to fine grit if you have that option.
Sanding after the patch has cured.
For simple scratches and dings, bring some random vinyl stickers. These come in handy for quick temporary seals – until you can give them more attention. And duct tape is a given, folks.
