Instructions for Building a Fiberglass Skimboard

Skimboarding is a sport that is performed on the water's edge. Skimboarders, or skimmers, throw the skimboard on the shallow water near the shore and then run and jump onto the board. This allows them to glide effortlessly across the water. Making your own skimboard from polyurethane foam and fiberglass is a slightly challenging but extremely fun endeavor.

Things You'll Need

  • 3/4-inch polyurethane foam
  • 4-oz fiberglass cloth
  • Fiberglass resin
  • Fiberglass catalyst
  • Hacksaw
  • Sandpaper
  • Old skimboard
  • Old credit card
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find an open and well-ventilated area where you can shape and glass your skimboard.

    • 2

      Take the old skimboard and place it on top of the 3/4-inch sheet of polyurethane foam. Trace the outline of the board onto the foam with a pencil. This will give you a general skimboard shape to work with.

    • 3

      Take the hacksaw and cut out the template you have traced.

    • 4

      Take sandpaper and adjust the shape of the skimboard. Remember that polyurethane foam is very easy to work with, and you will not want to take much of of the 3/4-inch thickness as this will directly correspond with the strength of your skimboard.

    • 5

      Begin the glassing process. Sheets of 4-oz fiberglass cloth are sold in long sheets, so you need to cut it down to an appropriate size.

    • 6

      Lay the fiberglass cloth over the skimboard blank. Do not attempt to wrap the fiberglass around the rails of the board, as this is not the proper technique.

    • 7

      Mix the fiberglass resin and catalyst in a container that you are not going to want to use again. Do not add too much catalyst, as this will cause the resin to harden too quickly so you will not be able to work with it.

    • 8

      Pour a conservative amount of the fiberglass resin mixture onto the center of the board. The trick is to make the most out of the resin. You can do this with an old credit card. Take the edge of the credit card and spread the resin over the entire board. You will want the fiberglass cloth to be coated with a thin layer. Adding too much will result in a lot of sanding.

    • 9

      Wait for the resin to dry completely before glassing the bottom of the board. On a sunny day, this will take anywhere from one to two hours.

    • 10

      Sand the excess fiberglass that will be hanging off the sides of board after it has completely dried. You should then sand the top so there is a smooth finish.

    • 11

      Repeat the same steps to glass the bottom as you did for the top, but this time wrap the fiberglass cloth around the rails of the board so that there is no excess hanging off. You can apply the resin to the rails using the same credit card method described before.

    • 12

      Wait for the fiberglass resin to dry, then sand the board to the finish that you desire.

    • 13

      Wax up the top of your new skimboard and hit the beach.