How to restore a broken surfboard - Full Tutorial

How to buy a cheap surfboard and fix it up!
Get some recycled boardshorts! ► bit.ly/2I8eyOc
Board Selection ► 1:17
Identify Damage ► 5:20
Delamination (removing bad fiberglass) ► 12:10
Stringer problems ► 16:30
Removing bad foam ► 18:01
Filling holes in foam core ► 21:26
Epoxy Introduction ► 35:49
Mixing Epoxy ► 44:07
Fixing Rail Ding ► 55:56
Fairing Dents ► 58:02
Laying NEW fiberglass ► 1:01:18
Sanding fiberglass ► 1:24:24
Gloss coat ► 1:29:51
Discussion how to paint your board ► 1:32:01
Painting the board ► 1:36:52
Finishing up ► 1:43:05
The materials we used in this repair.
Entropy Epoxy ► bit.ly/3jFObfc
Micro Balloons Filler ► bit.ly/3oALlMg
Painters Plastic ► bit.ly/2vYCt9m
Fiberglass Cloth ► bit.ly/2PEO0lQ
Denatured Alcohol ► bit.ly/2PYF1gl
Boat Paint ► bit.ly/2zOlEhx
Epoxy Tint ► bit.ly/2HLbEyy
Tape ► bit.ly/2MffMYK
Learn more at Waterlust.com

[@rumtum99]

You’ve put a lot of care and thought into these old boards. It’s definitely nice to see them get another chance instead of rotting away in landfills. Much respect. Stay stoked 🤙🏼

[@JesseAgeyer]

So thoroughly impressive. We just watched a full length movie and didn't even notice.

[@BrianSJoe21]

This the same thing I thought.... don't realize was long... great job explaining everything.....

[@lizaking25]

Score... it's definitely score. "Scour" is what you do with steel wool or the abrasive part of a sponge 😉 This was seriously such a helpful and thorough video. Thanks for this effort, man! Board turned out extremely clean.

[@kristentelling3692]

you could also use a small router to cut out the delams! that's what we did with several of our boards that had huge delams. we just took a small router with a v bit and cut around it. it worked really well and was super satisfactory to peel off.

[@garyh4458]

Nice idea

[@peteshay1259]

Patrick, as an old surfer who has a few old long boards I enjoyed the heck out of your videos. I am patching my first short board a 6’ 6” that I thought might be fun, it was $40 so it fits that requirement . Anyway thanks . - Pete

[@fabricutz]

Awesome! Nice hard work. I Will try repair my board 9'4 i'm beggining on the surf 🌊 Tijuana México 🇲🇽

[@darrenholden1283]

Got an old longboard off a friend who moved away and its in a pretty bad state, this video has inspired me to fix it up. Great video can't wait to get started, just need to tidy the shed so I have room to work, think that'll take longer than the board.

[@tru.skater999]

have an old sea shapes pin tail 7,4 long board it’s about double wide and i’ve searched everywhere and i literally mean everywhere i can’t find anything and there’s nothing on the board itself no shaper, size or liters recently busted the nose on a overhead day but it was amazing had to be made in the early 90s but seeing your videos gave me hope brother gonna try to fix the old girl

[@bellpaleale]

Watching this after your last video and I’ve been working on a 9’6” with similar issues. I would recommend a Dremel with the cutting wheel to cut through the fiberglass instead of ripping it off with the Leatherman.

[@bellpaleale]

@@Waterlust yeah, I have to go slowly and skim across the top until it just gets through the glass. It works really well if you are trying to save the original glass, IMO. For example, my current project is a creamy lime tint, but I’m saving the cutout to be sandwiches between the actual strengthening fiberglass to save some of the look.

[@artsline604]

@@bellpaleale I'm getting ready to do the same with a 10"3

[@johnwest5239]

Wow can’t believe how good the finished product looks Lots of hard work pays off

[@Itsahardknocklife9690]

Just got an old Phillipe Barland board got some damage. A lot of damage! This is my first board. First repair job on a board. I’ll keep you posted. Starting first thing tomorrow.

[@Itsahardknocklife9690]

So I’ve filled the dings and repaired the nose and tail. Sanded the stringer down to make the top of the board flat again. Before I put any glass on it I could really use some advice please. Do I need to sand every repair lower than the surrounding glass? So far all my repair work is flush with the glass and I’m thinking I’ll have a lumpy board if I put the glass on top! I feel like I’m doing very well with my project so far. I could send you some photos

[@deano470]

Super cool project, wish I had the time, patience, space and knowledge to repair some of the old boards I have laying around. Like the idea of using boat paint. Maybe I will give it a try. 😅

[@rodsnrounds]

I'm definitely going to find an old board and use this exact model to fix it. Well done!! Thank you

[@TotalBoat]

Awesome tutorial! This turned out great, beautifully done!

[@dannydonnelly8345]

You spent a lot of time on this and you did a very thorough job. You could have done more sanding in preparation. you don't actually want to build up where you had removed the fiberglass you want to sand that edge, you want to feather that edge so it actually reduces the height of the existing fiberglass, by sanding it along the edge you will also break away any loose fiberglass that is still not bonded to the foam. You had mentioned that as one way of doing it at the beginning of the video. I think removing it the way you did is appropriate and then just sanding the edge once you've removed the most of it. As you said, certainly don't want to sand out all the fiberglass, is you said you don't want to make all that dust but you get a better and stronger edge you would want to feather that edge down. so when you add the new layer of fiberglass and resin you can then sand that down also to feather that to fit over the top of the existing glass. but all in all you did a great job and I thank you so much for your tips that you picked up from grain all wood surfboards from the state of Maine,

[@paulineholmes2542]

Came out nice, when I wa@ 14 or 15 had a Hobby bolsa wood we did a lot of repairs on it, we also used boat paint, held up for a long time, I'm 74 started surfing in 1957 surfed up to 4 years ago car accident slowed me down, I used to repair surfboards built two my last board was a 9'6" Stewart tri fin, I've had over 20 boards but not all new most used that I redid or just collected anyway good work you did.

[@kevinalmeida7159]

you can put a clear coat with UV over the boards finished surface. it looks way better when you see a color with a class coat over the top. makes cars look so sexy. if you need to repair clear coat its easy buff job and you covered the shapers name!!! you should have made an oval around name and painted let the name and oval area be a small decal look maybe steek the name then clear coat over the whole bottom

[@topdeckdog]

I'm one of the people who inject resin as you've so confidently pointed out is the wrong thing to do, but you seem to be missing a key piece of info from people like me... I do it (but I sandbag it to reduce the amount or resin underneath and to improve the bond, unlike your example here) to test old boards that I find. If it lasts a few surfs (which they always do) that's good enough. Then if i like it, I spend the money on glass and I fix it properly. If not, i save the money then put the board online for people like you to buy ;) Anyway a couple of tips for you if you're still reading: 1) resin over the entire deck before glass isn't the best practice. The whole point is to get a bond directly from cloth to foam with ONE layer of saturated resin. multiple layers will only make it more brittle under foot, reduce bond strength and also add weight. Expanding foam is your friend as you've just learned! 2) your 2 layers of glass were upside down. the short one should go underneath when layering for easier/stronger/neater transition. 3) pro glassers will never create a line of glass straight across a board like that as it creates a weak point when flexing. If you look at deck patches you will never, ever see a straight line cut horizontally from rail to rail. 4) back to your transitions, you should really cut the old glass cleanly with a Dremel (shaped like a traditional deck patch), then taper/sand the old glass gradually towards the foam so that your new glass lays onto your existing glass resulting in a deck at the same height. Less sanding, more strength, better bond, much neater, no need for cab-o-sil filler layer 4) cut your lap line when the resin has gelled, not completely set. This is WAY easier and again how pros do it. After all of that it's all about having fun, so keep it up!

[@topdeckdog]

​@@Waterlust Yes exactly - i'd go with more expanding foam and less resin before glassing. Obviously you'll need a certain amount of resin to fill deeper gouges but an old pro once told me to avoid a full layer of resin where possible. As for injecting foam... would it really bond to the old glass? I guess theres only one way to find out. That would have to be a very quick process of injecting then sand bagging but it could be crazy enough to work!

[@topdeckdog]

@@Waterlust Nice find!!

[@KOOKSSTATION]

Hey and idea to throw out there of what I have done in the past is paint the surfboard with spray paint or you could use the boat paint like you said. Then take a thin coat of clear resin like you used or ones used to laminate wooden countertops the thin coat gives that gloss finish and protects the board from dings and scratches. Of course though it does add a little weight to a long board! I learned a lot about the fiberglass work and doing things more professionally things for the upload, cheers from Hollywood Florida

[@christianponce3591]

Hi my friend !! The alaia is amazing 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽

[@nonamebear1136]

What a trip. I thought that board looked familiar when you fist showed it. Then you said the brand and then showed the stickers. It so strange when you have seen a board new in the local surf shop then years later see it again all brown and in for repairs. On top of that, it is now located on the other side of the country. The board was from North California up by the Oregon border. Kind of cool seeing the names of people you know and seeing what they made still being used. Thanks for sharing the video. I have a couple boards that I have been wanting to fix up and having reference to the products make it easy to find what I need. Cheers!

[@MS-vw1nj]

Hey @Waterlust. I use epoxy for hobby projects. I too get bubbles quite often when painting or pouring resin. Something I learned for dealing with bubbles is to take a small handheld butane torch, and immediately after you paint/pour your resin, while it's still wet, just very quickly run the flame over any bubbles you see. If you do it quickly, with the right technique, you won't damage the fiberglass or resin and you'll be left with a nice smooth bubble free surface.

[@becksisler]

If he did this after cleaning the board with denatured alcohol, would it set on fire since it’s flammable?

[@duanemcclinton9638]

Wow. I gotta try this,,,it's always great learning new things THANK YOU

[@javiercamacho3259]

good job!!! however, the paint job would look better if you save the stringer of the board.

[@digitaldyslexia7589]

Watching just after Greg Knolls passing. Rest easy brother

[@froggydude1549]

I've watched this twice! Awesomeness

[@ym7879]

Love, love, love the videos. I purchased an old SUP board that needs work and I will definitely be looking back at this video to get that done... Unless you want to make a new video and help a local girl out with the repair of her board :-)

[@EntropyResins]

Nice Job Patrick. Looks great!

[@connorhollifield]

This was wonderful. Thank you 🙏

[@PierreBoth]

Once the fiberglass is cured, you can gently sand the tape on the laps to the point you hit the fiberglass. This way, at the same time you get rid of the tape and smooth down the edge of the fiberglass. I learned this tip while watching a video of master shaper Jimmy Lewis and it really works well.

[@setwave]

Greg Noll, “ Da Bull”. Surfing icon for sure.

[@michaelvangas8784]

Cool tutelage. Went to school with Rhyn in Crescent City Ca. He pronounces his name Ren.

[@oldcorpclegg]

Excellent explanation of steps!

[@jasonwhuang]

Thank you so much! You tore your board apart so I wouldn't have to! Can't wait to jump into my first repairs on my hobie peter pan slug. WIsh me luck

[@interiorvisionsrva8285]

As far as painting, couldn’t you put a hot coat on top of the paint or an auto clear to protect the paint from scratches?

[@brassmonkeyfins]

Nice work but I see a heavy repair that still has foot depressions on the deck. A lot time involved as in all repairs. There are other avenues to go about getting all the depressions out without the weight or reshaping. That expansion foam dose cure hard but the internal cell structure is weak and dose continue to shrink over time. It’s a good thing you used epoxy to provide extra strength to elevate this. The bonds with polyester and epoxy can be comprised at times if not done properly. Let me know how you go in future with that much discolouration and water damage under the glass. It will collapse further especially if it gets hot and left in the weather Nice video mate and explaining

[@andrecrizel3330]

Parabéns pelo trabalho e amor pelo surf, boas ondas na vida!

[@BrianSJoe21]

That came out fantastic....

[@BrianSJoe21]

@@Waterlust that's not a little love, that's a whole lotta love... props... didn't think it would look so damn good... Like your clothes a lot too, may contact you about that and possible business and who knows....

[@mauriciopinaoliveira4370]

perfect ...

[@michaelmcglinn]

Thanks for this awesome tutorial! So many nuggets and kernels here. I am on surfboard restore #2 and would like advice on getting color underneath the glass for opacity purposes as well as keeping the stringer for a classic look. For the first board restore I used the prescribed method chosen above, but just want to take it next level. Also, are there paints beyond what you have recommended that both cover and can interact with polyester res? I had a few adverse reactions with rustoleum

[@user-ow9wq8hu7h]

Awesome restoration video, I have a project idea that makes sense along the lines of what I saw. I have a old 9-2 I have never totally liked because it is too heavy. I am interested in striping all the fiberglass removing the single fin and reshaping it just by thinning it, adding fin boxes and re-glassing it. Is it possible to remove all (100%) of the glass? I wonder. Looks like the sides might stick.

[@Waterlust]

Yes, totally possible. If you’re lucky, the old glass will peel off easily. If you’re not, it will come off….less easily 🤣

[@emans4seam]

Love to see more videos! Your stewart repair made me want to do this but I can't find a board to repair!

[@jimbruce4816]

Great job but how does that navy hold wax in hot weather? Have you ever attempted to mask off and save the logos and stinger before painting? Would be nice to retain the mfg. logos.

[@lalaboards]

This sh!t is great and the way boards should be repaired .

[@davonriver25]

How much heavier was the board? How well has the paint withstood use?

[@samgalbraith2914]

Love. The help iam following what you're doing iam at the point of sanding the first peanut butter coat and wonder what grit sand paper thanks I watched video more times than I know kinda Kool

[@Waterlust]

Awesome! Might start with 80 on any big rough spots, then probably 120

[@samgalbraith2914]

@@Waterlust Aloha patrick I was reading other people's comments on YOUR vido and want YOUR THOUGHTS about this since I like the way you said fiberglass over over the small holes and that flotation foam will sink and have chops still What if I put cloth polly risen and squeeze out with roller dry then Mico risen pressure dings and holes that way smoth

[@samgalbraith2914]

I was about to put put the peanut butter coat on but just need your input

[@newjerseygolfsociety]

So sick! 🤙🏼

[@JQualitymusic]

Is there anything else that needs to be applied after the paint job?

[@andrewc4207]

That is a cool restoration. What would happen if you didn't fix the delamination?

[@Poopitywoop]

Great video! How’s the board holding up as of today?

[@alpha9526]

Thanks for the video. I just got a free quicksilver longboard that I’m going to bring back to life. I found your channel looking for videos to help me preform the resurrection. The board I have has glassed on fins with one missing. Would you recommend installing fin boxes or glassing on new fins?

[@alpha9526]

@@Waterlust Thank you for the reply.

[@richardcole5950]

have you ever came across a Design One Slider ? Had one many years ago and would like bring it back home

[@kfiscal01]

For like a dent, can you use bondo,sand and paint?

[@kfiscal01]

@@Waterlust Thanks man! Gonna give it a go!

[@Watermanwithatoyota]

Hey did you need to wear breathing protection if you were painting outside?

[@jossipierce]

great video. for the pressure dents, could you use Q Cell filler?

[@jorgemercatali9319]

Beautifull job, congrats and thanks for the video

[@anything8002]

Cool video. Do you have any videos on what to do around fin boxes and leg rope anchor? I have an old board which has been leaking at these points. I'm hoping to remove them before glassing and reinstall during the glassing stage. Any tips?

[@anything8002]

You got me thinking. Could you have painted the foam to start with a "blank canvas"? If so what paint would you use under epoxy ?

[@explorster]

Great tutorial Seth 👌👍👏

[@jahaziellomeli4648]

Hi! Great job on your COVID project. I just finished up my repairs on a board just like yours. I bought total boats topside paint and was wondering how many coats you put on, and how long did you wait in between? Also did you sand in between coats? Thanks for your help🤙

[@HansGrane]

See you only use micro balloons filler in this and not the more dense filler. Would you recommend using a low density filler for all dings? Or still use high density filler for holes and low density filler(micro balloons) to fair the top even after.

[@HansGrane]

@@Waterlust thank you. I love your surfboard restore videos, they have been very helpful. But please correct me if I’m wrong: I thought micro balloons are low density. But higher density is heavier, stronger and less sandable. There fire I would guess low density like micro balloons is great for sanding and creating smooth “edges” between board and repair, but higher density will create a stronger and more solid bond as the filler of holes and as the last layer under the fiberglass. Does this make sense?

[@kinda_ded4443]

super helpful thanks dude! do you think doing a coat of boat paint and then a clear coat of resin to finish off a board would be a good idea? first time fixing up an old board

[@alpha9526]

What weight foam did you use. Total boat sells 2lb and 6lb pourable foam?

[@dataencode57]

you guys explain so well. :D

[@rowdydodd9268]

Yo I have an old retro lost mayhem that I found on the water. It is destroyed and I don’t have enough fiberglass to fix all to massive holes. Can I just use resin and not use fiberglass it or would you recommend me buying more cloth???

[@dannydonnelly8345]

Resin has zero strength. it's not strong, it is simply hard. it's more like actual glass or ceramic. If you drop it, it breaks, if you don't use FIBERGLASS to reinforce, it will crack right away , cracks will let in water.

[@dannydonnelly8345]

Thanks a lot that was a great video! Another way of trimming the fiberglass, trim it with a razor blade while it is still rubbery, you can slice very easily before it becomes brittle. You really never want to wait until it's completely set up to try to snap it off later, it's dangerous and time-consuming and a lot more extra work, it can also compromise your finish. Also, when you put a deck patch on you always want to round or Arch The edge you cut on the deck. you do not want to run a straight line from Port to starboard, or left to right, this creates a perfect spot, especially in a longboard, for it to snap in half. With an arch it is less likely to break. I really appreciate your consideration for the environment. I've watched the KZbin video on grain surfboard very impressive! great tips for preparation that you picked up from those guys. Thanks again you're a great teacher! Keep up the great work!

[@victoriashibkiy1343]

Can i just paint my board with the boaters paint and it could be fine? and it would not wear off or would not need any sealer or any extra coat on top?

[@philipjankoski2661]

Thanks for the video! Looking to restore a few boards and have read that many have used acrylic UV resistant baae and clear coats. What’s your experience with spray paints? Any pros and cons you can share?

[@kevinalmeida7159]

i totally think i would have started by go to home depot buy expanding spray foam for big holes then use drywall mud to fill all impurities then glass board

[@kevinalmeida7159]

why would you paint last??? i would put the paint and decals under glass or on foam like the shapers do it

[@kevinalmeida7159]

@@Waterlust no the trick is to lightly sand the board if your glassing over glass and then use a tiny drill bit to make about 100 holes the new bond will perminate to old glass

[@romaellodfranco72]

Great video. I am in Miami as well. I wish you would agree to fix my paddle board. If interested, I can send you pics. Thanks

[@artsline604]

could you give it another gloss coat after the painting?

[@Waterlust]

No, the gloss coat won’t bond strongly to the paint if applied in that way. You could do an sprayed outer clear coat like they do on cars, but it isn’t necessary as the boat paint is quite resilient to scratching.

[@artsline604]

@@Waterlust thanks for getting back to me, keep up the good work! I've got about a dozen retired surfboards that are about to get a facelift.

[@rikyannieh6119]

What was the approximate material cost including the old board if you don’t mind me asking? Amazing result

[@samgalbraith2914]

Close to three

[@zip7806]

You know you can sell that thick brown resin down town behind Costco to the Houlis in the bushes.

[@hirschmo2]

damn i really watched it never repaired a board in my life xD

[@andrewtull1462]

I’m planning on fixing my grandpa’s early 1980s 7 ft 3 Channel Islands board it is really dinged up but it looks good and I was wondering how long you think it takes? How long does it normally take you?

[@andrewtull1462]

@@Waterlust it’s really dinged up

[@architecturedevelop]

Do you think CCSF would work instead of the foam chemical you used? I’m basically rebuilding the nose of my 9’ Clark foam PU and trying to figure out the best way to do so. The glass peeled with chunks of foam. Thanks for the awesome videos!

[@architecturedevelop]

@@Waterlust thanks! What would you recommend for epoxy curing when working out of a garage in the PNW? Also, any recommendations for soft spots around the fin box? Would you cut out the box and put in a new one with qcell? Or... First full refurb project for me

[@architecturedevelop]

@@Waterlust another question, started peeling a delam and the glass just pulled off across the whole deck. I was not a good judge of where /when to stop picking at the glass. Unfortunately I wasn’t careful at the rails and some chunks came off the rail. What would you recommend? Sand and kind of reshape the rails? Use q cell? I feel the liquid foam would just drip off. Thanks!

[@lasseschaefer7493]

Is there a similar equivalent to TotalBoat products in Europe or the UK?

[@lasseschaefer7493]

@@Waterlust Thank you lots for your answer and your videos. Sorry I should have been more specific. I know lots of Resin producer, but I can't find the foam product you are using. I have some big gaps I would love to fill with something else than a Qcells resin mix.

[@parkerpenlignton6975]

Is the gloss coat just epoxy? And could it be applied over spray paint?

[@nullflux]

It seems like most folks who spray paint their boards will just spray on a layer of waterproof clear coat after to seal it in

[@camiologytv7149]

CAMIOLOGY TV ❤️ WATERLUST

[@Cuisinenomade1]

I thought you were going to end up delminating the whole deck at first

[@corex72]

You could do it with two cups.

[@baldassarebuscarinu6541]

you used epoxy resin in a polyester foam..?

[@baldassarebuscarinu6541]

@@Waterlust thank you for the answer ;) cheers from Sardinia.

[@lawrencefranck9417]

Foaming glue would easier and cheaper for small repairs

[@tudor_david1103]

How to an old before repair surfboard after

[@Nytrouse]

How to an old BEFORE repair surfboard AFTER

[@theloosemoose8200]

Bro, reglass the whole top board and be done with it...

[@kevinalmeida7159]

im lazy and save money and time and chemicals and pressure wash surfaces i need clean

[@thomasdobson108]

Having done this many times on sailboats my advice is to use the 2 part epoxy boat paint for the topside fiberglass boats Beautiful Finish very durable have lots of colors