Colorful surfboards standing in a rack
Pexels / 757133
Repair & Maintenance

Keep Your Board Watertight

Learn to fix common surfboard damage and maintain your board for years of reliable performance.

DIY Friendly: Beginner-safe repairs
Intermediate: Some experience needed
Professional: Consider expert help

Repair Guides

Click any repair type to see detailed step-by-step instructions, tools needed, and material-specific guidance.

Minor Dings & Scratches

Small surface damage that hasn't cracked through the fiberglass to the foam.

DIY Friendly
30-60 min

Pressure Dings

Depressions in the deck from knee or foot pressure. The glass isn't cracked but the foam is compressed.

DIY Friendly
1-2 hours

Rail Cracks

Cracks along the rail from impact or stress. May or may not penetrate to the foam.

Intermediate
2-4 hours

Delamination

Separation between fiberglass shell and foam core. Often appears as bubbling or a hollow sound when tapped.

Professional Recommended
4-8 hours

Fin Box Damage

Cracked, loose, or damaged fin boxes. Common from impacts or over-tightening screws.

Professional Recommended
2-4 hours

Nose/Tail Damage

Significant damage to nose or tail, including cracks, crushes, or complete breaks.

Professional Recommended
4-8 hours

Preventive Maintenance

The best repair is the one you never have to make. Follow these tips to keep your board in top condition.

Sun Protection

  • Never leave your board in direct sun for extended periods
  • Use a reflective board bag when transporting
  • Store in a shaded, cool area
  • UV damage causes yellowing and can weaken resin over time

Proper Storage

  • Store horizontally on padded racks or fins-up against a wall
  • Avoid leaning boards on nose or tail for extended periods
  • Keep away from heat sources (car trunk in summer!)
  • Indoor storage is always preferable

Travel Protection

  • Use a quality board bag with adequate padding
  • Remove fins or protect fin boxes
  • Wrap rails with extra padding
  • Consider pipe insulation for additional rail protection

Cleaning & Waxing

  • Rinse with fresh water after each session
  • Remove old wax periodically with wax comb and remover
  • Check for dings after every session
  • Inspect fin boxes for cracks or looseness

Gear

Resin for a small ding

Both Solarez listings here are polyester. They are the wrong resin for an epoxy board, and they are not a fix for a snapped board.

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A surfboard rail underwater. Illustrative photo, not the Solarez bottle.

Solarez

Solarez UV Cure Polyester Ding Resin, 2 oz

Sun-cure polyester resin fills small cosmetic dings on polyester boards. It does not cure properly on epoxy.

Worth knowing

  • No mixing
  • Small bottle for a car kit
  • Cures in sunlight

Limits

  • Polyester resin on an epoxy board will not bond the way you want
  • Not for snapped boards or fin boxes
  • Work outside or with real ventilation

Verdict. A glovebox kit for small polyester dings. If the board is epoxy, buy an epoxy resin instead.

Wikimedia Commons / Under the surfboard

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Colorful surfboard rails in a rack, with no brand name visible. Illustrative photo, not the Solarez kit.

Solarez

Solarez Polyester Weenie Travel Kit

A smaller travel tube of the same polyester UV resin, for a ding you notice on a trip.

Worth knowing

  • Packs smaller than the 2 oz bottle
  • Same sun-cure idea

Limits

  • Still polyester, not epoxy
  • Tiny volume
  • A touch-up, not a structural repair

Verdict. The travel size of a polyester ding filler. It will not rebuild a board.

Pexels / 757133

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Not sure the ding is small enough?

If the glass is soft over a wide area, the fin box is loose, or the board is creased, skip the home kit.

See the resin kits