Is it possible to strengthen a fiberglass surfboard?
Just to add some info: current glassing is "single 6 oz top and bottom".
Sell it and use the money to order a custom with a thicker stringer and extra glass
Yeah... I might have to do that.
The thing is that the board feels so perfect, it's a shame to sell it!
Put another layer of glass on the deck . Too easy. I’ve done it a few times.
What’s the go with single 6oz on the deck? Sure it doesn’t say 2x6oz and 1x6oz?
I would sell it and get a new one.
carpetman, it was a custom board made for Silvana Lima to compete in Margaret River (but she ended up not using it).
I guess it is thinner because it was made for competition...
And Blowin, did you do it yourself? I have no idea how to add a full layer of glassing... I'd prefer paying someone do it for me. But I am not sure where to go... do surfshops usually do that? Or shapers?
My 2 bobs worth. Step ups should be made strong. Thicker stringer, heavier glass = heavier board but so what its to be ridden in bigger surf. If the deck is cracking and denting after a few surfs its possible too much foam has been taken out of the blank's deck crust when the board was shaped together with a light glassing. If the blank is soft(er) than expected turf it and start again as its only going to end in tears (a good step up is all about a longterm relationship :).
Ok, that makes sense.
If you've never shaped a board I would not recommend doing it! You're VERY likely to destroy it! If you can't find a local shaper, go find a surf shop that does repairs and ask them.
They will have to strip the hotcoat off, then relam with the new cloth, then apply another hot coat. Board will be much heavier than a standard 2x cloth deck and, as it won't have the same bond between cloth, I'd expect not as strong.
I image it will cost plenty though and the board won't be the same. It might actually be cheaper selling it and buying a new one. But see what your local shaper/surf shop says.
Go and get a new board...most pro boards and boards off the rack are done with low density foam or the blanks has been "overshaped" past the harder outside foam to the softer inside foam...glass will only help so much the internal structure is very weak...you basically got some firm custard between two bits of toast...if you want to know more about foam density and the weights etc check out
https://surfblanksaustralia.com/pages/an-introduction-to-surfboard-foam-...
...generally the best way to make a board stronger is close tolerance blank combined with wider laps
Clear Surfboards 7/89 Darley Rd Mona Vale
0433264734
Straight shooter, does good work at a fair price. If it isn't worth it he will tell you.
You guys know 10 x more than a Bodybasher but I have reshaped/glassed a board (poorly)
Standard dual right angle cloth rollout front & back quite obviously reveals it's weakness.
I'd Imagine superior cross hatching roll out would be reserved for shaper's keepsakes.
At very least adopted for Big Wave Guns. Ok! Perhaps all know to do this but me?
99.99% would be uniform cloth so before you go re-glassing consider cross hatching!
Theoretically it should double the strength of standard glass job.(Front/Back/Whole)
Recommend to reverse cut'n'flip - not too much wastage...Don't laugh! Worth a thought!
Out of interest, how big is the board? Interested to hear what size step up she’d ride given how small she is. She’s a charger.
get a customised board and ask the shaper to put extra materials.
Ended up taking it to Clear Surfboards. They put another layer of fiberglass on the top. Feels much stronger now, and it was way cheaper than I imagined ($80). Thanks for the help guys.
Bnkref, sorry for the late answer. The board has 26 liters - 6'4 18'' 2.25. Pretty thin for a 6'4, that's why I like it!
Clear Surfboards quality repair work at a fair price. (Disclaimer: no relation!)
Hey guys.
I recently bought a brand-new step-up board. I've tried it a few times and its exactly what I was looking for in terms of size/shape/volume. The only problem is that it is not as strong as I wanted.
After very few sessions, the top of the board already has some cracks, and when I make some pressure, I can feel the fiberglass giving up a bit.
Is it possible to make the board stronger (adding an extra layer of glassing, maybe?).
If so, does anyone happen to know a place/someone in Sydney (preferably around Northen Beaches) that could do this job for a fair price?
Thanks!
PS: I know it would make the board heavier. I do not care much about that. I plan to take this board to big surf in places like Indo and Fiji, so I want to be able to trust that it won't going to break mid-session.