Board Care
Epoxy polystyrene boards need the same care and attention you would give any other board. The sun and heat damage all surfboards. To protect your board, keep it in a vented, reflective (silver or white), board bag. Don’t use a board sock, it makes the board hotter than using nothing. If it’s too hot in your car for a dog, it’s too hot for your board. Bottom line: Keep your board protected from exposure to sun and heat. Beach sand can be scalding too. Your board MUST stay below 150F.
Compression molded Marko EPS foam absorbs very little water, and FCD XEPS will absorb 73% less water than normal polyurethane foam. This makes minor dings less of an immediate problem, but all boards should still be repaired as soon as possible to maintain structural integrity. A board with a major ding should be removed from the water and fixed as soon as it’s dried completely, just as you would any type of surfboard.
Any board will pressure ding, particularly shortboards with super-light glassing. We try to anticipate high-impact areas and beef them up with extra glass, but sometimes gravity wins.
Exposure to heat and sunlight degrades all surfboards over time and must be avoided. We use resins that have UV inhibitors and stabilizers, however yellowing is possible if left in the sun and heat.
FIXING DINGS
Your local ding repair shop can do repairs, just remind them to use epoxy resin. Do not attempt to repair the board with polyester resin; the solvents in the resin will dissolve the EPS foam. Epoxy ding-repair kits are available from shops that carry our boards. Cleanup can be done with alcohol. It does not require acetone which will melt EPS as well. Many wax removers will melt EPS foam too so watch out for hidden cracks!
Before you attempt a major ding repair, make sure the foam is absolutely dry. Do your repair in temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. When you mix your resin and hardener, don’t try to eyeball the amounts. You must be exact; use an accurate measuring device. A stir stick with depth notches on it works well. Adding more hardener will not make the resin cure sooner; in fact, it may not harden at all.
A second coat of resin should be applied before the first coat is completely hardened for maximum bond. If more than 24 hours pass before you apply a second coat, sand the area, then clean it with alcohol before applying the next layer of resin.
Quick repairs are best done with stickers, waterproof tape or epoxy glue (including 5-minute epoxy, epoxy sticks and epoxy Solarez®). These glues will turn yellow or brown, so you should eventually do a proper repair with epoxy resin.