QLD
2995 posts
My 2008 manufactured freeride board is getting very ripple-y on the bottom. If you run your hand over it you can feel lots of dips and hollows through the mid and forward sections of the board. I've been sailing it in mega-heavy chop for about two years.
What does this mean: poor construction? Or is it just part of life?
Is it possible to fair it with epoxy and micro-balloons or should I just sail it 'till it drops?
WA
2960 posts
You can do whatever you like, boards are mass produced bits of foam, fibre and resin.. And can be repaired and modified to no extent.. I'm replacing the whole bottom of one of my boards, to change the rails and rocker.. I recommend an orbital sander for any finishing.
Q-cell will work, one box should cover 150 boards.. or car bog.. But I doubt it is slowing you down..
QLD
2995 posts
So the ripples are not evidence of poor construction then?
WA
2960 posts
Dunno, maybe post some photos so Seabreeze MD can diagnose it, and then complain about how bad the quality of modern boards are now compared to the good ol' days..
QLD
3419 posts
Id be surprised to find any board after 2 years without some sort of ripple or dent in the bottom particularly if it's ridden in choppy conditions.
just depends how bad it is, put a straight edge on it and see how deep they are.
NSW
2016 posts
try not to store your board in a board bag, all boards have a filler coat and if the moisture gets through the paint and into the filler (filler=porous) can cause problems , some boards will tend too develop a slight concave in front of the fin box and that's normal
SA
472 posts
Don't know if construction techniques have changed much lately but my trusty old 2003 JP 79L wave board has suffered horrific abuse and there's still nothing wrong with it. Sure the yellow straps and graphics have faded and the paints pretty scratched up, the important thing is the shapes exactly the same as new (rocker line still the same) and it hasn't gone soft under the footstraps like my other boards did. It's been over the falls onto reefs, had multiple fins ripped out of the fin box and had a couple of trips down the road after being blown off the roof racks and its never had a hole in it. Probably not the lightest thing getting around though.
