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How to address surfboard pressure dents

Surfboard pressure dents: they are caused by the surfer's feet, heels, knees, and elbows while taking off, riding a wave, duck diving, maneuvering, or falling over the deck | Photo: Shutterstock

Surfboard pressure dents are slightly concave depressions that often appear on the deck of polyurethane (PU) boards.

They can materialize on the first or tenth session.

These dings can also show up on a surfboard's bottom, even though they're relatively rare.

They result from the pressure exerted by the surfer's feet, heels, knees, and elbows while taking off, riding a wave, duck diving, maneuvering, or falling over the deck.

Heavier riders could cause more and larger depressions/wells.

Pressure dents can also emerge due to poor handling, traveling, sitting, waxing, breaking waves and closeouts, or any quick blow to the board's fragile structure.

In most cases, they do not compromise the surfboard's integrity, i.e., they don't feature cracks and fissures that could let water inside the PU foam core.

In other words, only the external polyester resin is pressed inside, resulting in no breaking of the board's outer shell.

Normally, these small-to-medium-sized concave surfaces tend to appear near the tail, where the surfer's back foot is positioned, and slightly above the middle of the board, where the front foot is planted.

In between, a few compressed zones can also be formed due to the force exerted by the knee when performing a duck dive.

Surfboard pressure dents: if they show no cracks or fissures, there's no need to repair them | Photo: Strayboards

Use, Not Damage

A surfboard with pressure dings is not a damaged surfboard. It's a perfectly rideable board. Dents are part of a surfboard's life.

With time, a PU blank surfboard glassed with polyester resin can get slightly thinner due to these constant compressions.

But again, as long as there are no crevices letting water in, the board can continue to perform at the highest level.

Medium-size pressure dings can, however, evolve into larger patches.

When this happens, the layers of resin protecting the whole board can separate from the foam core and become somehow flappy.

It's called a delamination - the board's skin (polyester resin) separates from the flesh (PU foam).

Dented surfboard decks are a sign of use, and looking on the bright side of things, one can tell it has been a source of fun and good surf.

Heavier and thicker glass jobs could be more resistant but also add weight to the equipment, so it's always a compromise of preferences.

Also, lower-density PU blanks are more prone to dent.

If you're buying a new surfboard or a second-hand surfboard, make sure to check or ask for its core components.

If you know a surfboard shaper, that's even better. They will guide you through the best model for your current needs.

Alternatively, you can opt for a polystyrene (PS/EPS) core blank with a coat of epoxy resin. EPS boards are lighter, stronger, and faster.

Surfboard pressure dings: a sign of use, not damage | Photo: Shutin/Creative Commons

Repair or Not?

Interestingly, unlike with scratched or punctured fiberglass, there are no 100 percent viable repairs available for pressure dents.

Unless, obviously, foam is exposed. In that case, you should do a quick ding repair.

In most cases, though, they're just visual imperfections that do not compromise the board's performance.

Some manufacturers have suggested filling delaminated areas, but this method requires a lot of work and should only be adopted in specific situations.

If you're filling an area, you're creating imbalances across the board.

The only cosmetics you could eventually think of is an extra wax job on the depressed area.

Lastly, a recently glassed surfboard requires at least seven to ten days to fully cure and be ready to be ridden.


Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com



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