How to Repair Epoxy Surfboards

A damaged epoxy surfboard can quickly become permanently broken if you do not take steps to repair the board. Breaches in the shell can allow water to rush through the hard epoxy shell and ruin the soft epoxy foam within, making it unstable. You cannot repair a surfboard filled with epoxy foam in the same way you would fix a poly resin surfboard; the repair work may do more harm than the salt water.

Things You'll Need

  • Hairdryer
  • Scissors
  • Sandpaper
  • Tack cloth
  • Masking tape
  • Epoxy resin
  • Hardening catalyst
  • Powder pigment
  • Paintbrush
  • Fiberglass paper
  • Electric belt sander
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Instructions

    • 1

      Dry the surfboard. Set it out in the sun until the area inside and around the breach completely dries. Use a hairdryer to speed up the drying process.

    • 2

      Trim any splintered pieces of the board from the damaged area with a pair of sturdy scissors. Sand the area to help the repair resin bond to the board. Wipe the surface of the board with tack cloth (cloth with a sticky surface) to remove any loose splinters and sawdust that remain.

    • 3

      Mix your epoxy resin with a hardening catalyst. Do not use poly resin or you will melt the epoxy on the board. Add a powder pigment that matches the color of your board to make the resin match the color of your surfboard.

    • 4

      Apply masking tape around the damaged area on the board. This tape works as a border to prevent the resin from spreading across the face of the surfboard.

    • 5

      Spread the colored epoxy over the damaged area. Do not let the epoxy spread past the tape barrier.

    • 6

      Cut a rectangular piece of fiberglass paper large enough to cover the damaged area on the board. Place the paper on the wet epoxy resin and smooth it out. Apply an extra coat of epoxy resin over the fiberglass paper.

    • 7

      Set the board in the sun to give the resin time to cure (between one and two hours). After the resin has time to cure but is still slightly soft (if you touch the epoxy it will have a slightly sticky feel), cut off the excess fiberglass paper and peel off the tape. Smooth down the paper and leave it to finish curing for at least 24 hours.

    • 8

      Sand the dried resin to make it smooth. Epoxy is hard to sand, so use an electric belt sander to get the fastest and smoothest results. If you do not have access to an electric belt sander, sand the area vigorously by hand and replace the sheet of sandpaper often (whenever you notice bald spots on the paper where the epoxy shaved off the sand).