As you know bodyboards and Flowboards take a beating and will deteriorate over time. In order to help you extend the life of your boards we have come up with the following care instructions:
Bodyboards
First of all, you should follow all of the guidelines that outline board care in the training manual. When boards start to show any signs of deterioration they should be pulled from the ride and repaired (or replaced). Damaged boards that are pulled out of use early are much easier to fix.
After the bodyboard has dried, use a hot glue gun, or heat gun to re-bond the material.
- Hot glue gun: it is ok to have the hot gun nozzle briefly touch the rails, nose and tail of the board while you are inserting the glue, when body boards are manufactured, they use heat to bond the materials, so a little heat is a good thing. Avoid touching the hard bottom of the board. Feel free to use as much glue as necessary, it is better to use too much than not enough. The glue will obviously be very hot, so avoid contact with your hands. After you put the glue on the area you are repairing, hold the two pieces/areas together for about a minute to allow the glue to dry. If there is excess glue, use a scraper to smooth out the excess glue. It is good to practice on some older boards to get the hang of things. If the dried glue has left a hard edge, you can smooth it out by heating up the material with the glue gun nozzle and reshape the hard edge.
- If you can find a silicone-based product like Marine Goop, or Sponge Rez, it is a soft flexible repair material that takes more time to dry. Follow the same procedure as above but this time, you will need to hold the glued component in position while the glue dries, you can use tape to hold it together during this time. There are other similar silicone based products from other manufacturers. These work similar to glue guns but you do not have to deal with the heat. They do take longer to dry though.
- Heat Gun: Only someone who is familiar with heat guns should attempt to use on boards. Again, practicing on older boards is recommended to get used to the temperature and intensity of the heat gun.Body boards are built by essentially heating the materials together and when they dry a bond is created.A heat gun can fix rails and delaminated areas quickly and easily. Heat both sides of the material and press them together, as they dry, they will re-bond and fix most problems on the rails and decks of bodyboards.
- One last repair method that works extremely well on the rails of bodyboards in a pinch is using duct tape. You can purchase colored tape to match the rail of the board to make it less unsightly.
Flowboards (stand up boards)
Most of the wear and tear on the stand up boards is in the nose and tail area. This is usually a result of one of a few things: 1) Boards being stored on a hard surface. 2) Banging the board on the nose or tail on the ground repeatedly. 3) The board impacting a hard surface or repeatedly against areas of the ride.
The board has a 5mm EVA rail that is designed to offer protection to the rider. Due to the nature of the EVA, after repeated contact, it will wear away.
You can apply a layer of silicone based product (Sponge-Rez , tool dip, Shoe Goo, Sikaflex) or similar product to the nose and tail of used or a brand new board to help extend its life. This will create an extra barrier for the high contact areas.
After the board has dried, you can use the sponge-rez or a similar product to fill holes or re-bond the material. Some venues have had success applying the sponge-rez on the nose and tail of new boards to create “bumpers” that help extend the life of the board. This can also be done later if the nose and tail are showing signs of excessive “wear and tear”
We don’t recommend glue guns on flowboards. If you are trying to fix a rail, or re-attach the EVA to the board, “5 minute epoxy” is the best glue to use, or “super glue” works well but may need to be re-applied in the future. Be advised that when the glue dries it can have a very hard edge, so you have to be very careful where you use it, sometimes it is necessary to use sandpaper to take away any sharp edge that is left by the glue. You should also put masking tape on the board where in areas around the repair, so the excess glue does not stick onto the board. If you pull the tape off prior to drying it will pull away cleanly.
Another option for repairing the boards is to get some extra EVA material. (if you can’t find it, we have pieces here that we can ship you in the mail) Use the 5-minute epoxy or super glue to apply the new piece. This usually works best on the rail areas; it is difficult to do on the nose and tail. You can cut out the piece to make match the shape of what you are fixing. Don’t be afraid to cut away excess material so it matches the shape of your new piece.
Shuvit boards: The wood boards are coated with several layers of epoxy. For repairs, using some clear acrylic enamel, or lacquer, can seal most issues. You can use spray on or brush on applications. On boards that are getting regular usage, we recommend spraying a new coat or more at least once a month, and more often with heavy usage. IF THERE IS ANY EXPOSED WOOD, THE BOARD SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BE PULLED OUT OF USE AND BE SEALED AND REPAIRED. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN RAPID DETERIORATION OF THE BOARD. WOOD DOES NOT LIKE WATER.
***********We do not recommend Shuvits as venue or everyday boards***************
If you have any questions, or if you are having trouble getting started, please feel free to contact or call us.
