All you need to know about Surfboard Ding Repair

View All The DING REPAIR KITS Isle Surfboards Offer.

Dings Happen…

From their first use, boards are always getting dings. Damages happen from being dropped, hitting rocks, hitting other boards and/or surfers out in the water, or simply from bouncing around in the back of your truck. Once a board has a crack or hole in the glass, it can start taking in water. Once this happens, the board will become water-logged, weigh more, and not perform how it should. A common quick fix is to throw some duct tape over the crack. This really doesn't solve the problem though. We offer Solarez, a leading ding repair supply company, to help you fix your board and help extend its' life.

About Solarez:

Solarez is a resin type substance that comes in an easy-to-use bottle. We offer three different types of Solarez to meet all your repair needs: Polyester, Epoxy, and Micro-Lite. Each bottle is made with a quick drying resin with either fiberglass or epoxy fibers mixed into it, making it strong and fast drying. The Micro-Lite is a combination of photo-curing resin and lightweight composite reinforcement which provides durable repairs in minutes. The Micro-Lite is used as filler for larger holes, while the Polyester and Epoxy are for the smaller cracks. Solarez can be applied to dings up to about the size of a nickel. After it is applied you can place it in the sun and it will harden (cure) in 5-10 minutes. After this it can be sanded flush with the board.

Prep Work:

Before you even begin fixing a board, you need to make sure the blank is completely dry. To determine if the blank is water-logged, push down on the glass around the ding. If water starts to come out, the foam is wet, and longer drying time is necessary. You should never fix a ding while the foam underneath is still wet, as it will cause bad delamination.

Fixing a small crack…

To fix small dings and cracks, you need to sand down the chip or crack until you see the fibers of the fiberglass cloth below. Sand all around the damaged area, which will help prevent any future damages once you fix your board. Once the area is totally sanded and you can see the texture of the actual fibers of the fiberglass, it's time to put on the Solarez. Apply a large amount of Solarez over the area, using the Epoxy or Polyester coating, based on the type of board you're fixing.

It's usually better to use more Solarez than less, you can just sand off any extra. Make sure to cover the sanded area, as well as some over the edge, to make sure you don't get any future leaks around the ding area. You can smooth out the Solarez with a smooth stick like a coffee stirrer to get even application. Once dry, start sanding with rough grit sandpaper, moving down to a fine grit. You can finish using wet sandpaper to make the Solarez flush with the board resin. That's it! Your board is repaired and you're ready to get back out in the water. For bigger repair needs be sure to check out our ding repair kits.

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