11 Dec How to take care of a surfboard

Every time you buy a new thing, you are excited while imaging when you use it first time. If this thing is something about your hobby you get excited ten times more. Same about a brand new surfboard: you think you got the best one and get all new gear for it. Feels like all waves will be yours. If you want to have this bestie for a while you need to take care of a surfboard day by day. Because love at the first sight doesn’t last forever, this feeling slowly fade away in routine and your board doesn’t look as good as it used to be. Read this article and find out, how to take care of a surfboard and make it last as longer as possible.

Buy a board bag

No matter how much you take care of a surfboard it won’t make any sense without this accessorize. If you want to transport a surfboard from point A to point B you can fully rely on this bag, that will secure your board all the way. Some people think you can ding a board only when you surf but it’s far away from the truth. For example, you are driving your bike with the board on racks, parking your bike in few meters from spot and… boom fall over with your bike on the surfboard side. You didn’t hurt yourself but pretty sure made a ding on the board. Looks still normal but not surfable any longer. A surf bad is your insurance from ‘oopsies’ like these. Should we talk about heroes who ride a bike with one hand and hold their surfboard with another? : )

If you have a car you won’t have similar problems. But it doesn’t mean you don’t need a surf bag. As soon the car starts shaking, jumping or you will suddenly stop or turn your surfboard will go from side to side and upside down. Guess what will protect your device from it? And also there are 2 pros you will get buying a surf bag:

• • 24/7 security from kids, dogs and other unwanted guests
  • The problem where to put wet swim clothes and towels is solved

No sun or heat

Talking about surf bags again, they protect a board not only from damages, but from sun and heat as well. Sun is dangerous not only for our skin. Never leave your treasure under the sun rays. As much as you need a sun protection, you need to take care about your surfboard. Early morning sun is fine, but daytime will color even the whitest board in yellow.

Case #2. There is no sun, but boiling hot. Good news – your board won’t change its color. Bad news – the resin on your board will be destroyed. That’s why smart people never leave their surfboards in the car or garage. So if you don’t want to be worried about these problems just get a surf bag! With this amazing think you can easily leave your surfboard in the car and go watch a sunset and do whatever as long as you want.

Take care of a surfboard and its deck

Rule number one – don’t forget to remove wax from time to time using comb. As soon as wax getting dirty, starts moving around, coming of from places and turn black, schedule a couple of hours to give your board a little treatment. As soon as the old wax will be removed you can see some dings you didn’t even know about. If you couldn’t feel it before it doesn’t mean everything is ok and you don’t have to fix it now. Only after all the dings are repaired you can wax your board again. Rinse your board with a cool fresh (not ocean) water after every time you go out of the ocean.

Be careful

• The most common mistakes that even advanced surfers do is to lean a surfboard to the wall vertically. Risk that it will fall down is high enough. It can be someone’s fault but only partly. It was your fault from beginning.
• When you paddle back don’t come too close to shore, otherwise you will reach shallow. Sand won’t be good for your fins and fins boxes neither.
• When you surf a reef-break and paddle back, turn your board upside-down to make sure fins won’t touch reef bottom.
• Never surf without leash. Always make sure leash doesn’t have any cracks etc every time before you go surfing.
• Every single, every tiny ding has to be repaired.
• Choose airlines carefully, some of them have very bad fame among surfers and after a flight you get 2 half boards instead of one normal.

If you really want to ride this surfboard longer than one season you should, first of all, get a good surf bag, and from time to time spend 1-2 hours for simple treatments. But even the simple things will help you to save money on a new surfboard, because the old one will look like just from the shop!

Please rate this article! Was this article helpful?

 [kkstarratings]