Paddle Board Repair Tips – How To do It Yourself

There is a reason why some SUP boards come with a repair kit. As a paddle board owner, you have to be prepared to deal with minor damages. You will encounter them sooner or later, regardless of how careful you are. When it first happens, you can take the SUP board to a shop. But at some point, you have to learn how to do it yourself. It saves time and money.

If you are not a handy person, it can seem like too much work. However, it is super easy; as you will see in this guide.

But first…

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Should You Repair Your Paddle Board?

Some damages are repairable. In other cases, however, you have to cut your losses and get another paddle board.

You can fix most cracks and dings at home. Even instances in which you can see the foam core (for epoxy paddleboards).

If the hole is too big and the following solutions won’t cut it, go to a professional. Let them advise you on what to do.

Also, before you go through the trouble, check whether it is a cosmetic issue. That may not require fixing—maybe just a coat of paint.

Important: Never take a dented paddle board into the water. If the ding is deeper than you thought, water will seep in and probably render the SUP unusable. Take time to carefully inspect and assess the damage.

How to Repair a Rigid Paddle Board

a. SUP Repair Solutions for a Minor Crack

Dings don’t wait until you are done paddling so they can happen. Sometimes, you will get a tiny crack on your board just when the SUP fun is getting started. If it is nothing serious, there is a temporary solution.

• Get the SUP board out of the water and wipe it dry.
• Put clear ding tape over the crack—both horizontally and vertically.
• Go back to paddling.

As mentioned, this is a temporary solution and the ding tape may wear out quickly. Check on it every once in a while. If it is torn, remove it and put new tape.

Note: you can use packing tape but not duct tape. The latter will let water in and cause further damage.

Once you get home, fix the crack properly using epoxy.

You will need:

• Clear 2-part epoxy
• Small paintbrushes

How to:

• Let the paddle board dry completely.
• Sand and clean the crack and the area around it then wipe it dry.
• Apply epoxy over the crack and around it using a brush.
• Allow it to dry for a few minutes.
• Use a different brush to apply a second layer of epoxy over the crack.
• Let it dry for hours (or as directed in the instructions) until cured.
• Sand the area to remove any lumps.

Your stand up paddleboard is ready to use.

For a wider crack, using paintbrushes may not be logical. So try the following method:

• Remove any jagged pieces then sand the area.
• Clean and dry it.
• Use a popsicle stick to fill the dent with epoxy completely.
• Take packing tape and put it on top of the dent. It will make the area smoother and make sanding easier once dry.
• Let it cure as directed then sand it.

Your ding repair is finished and your board is ready to use.

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b. Paddle Board Repair Of A Serious Ding

If the dent is deeper and larger, the tape won’t do the job. You will need something a little more advanced.

In this case, you can’t use the stand up paddle board again—at least for a day. Unfortunately, you’ll have to cut your adventure short.

Take the SUP home and let it dry for hours.

You will need:

• Plastic cups for mixing
• Epoxy resin
• Q-cell
• Gloves
• Mask
• Cloth
• Hardener
• Sandpaper
• Scraper

Instead of collecting each item individually, you can buy a kit that contains everything. This is the better option. Most kits come with instructions that will make your task simpler.

Remove any protruding material using a scraper and sand the area. There should be no jagged parts.

Next, follow the instructions on the paddle board repair kit, making sure you mix everything carefully.

If you bought the materials separately, here is a video showing how to fix a carbon SUP.

In cases where the dents are really bad, you may need to fill them up with putty first. As shown in this detailed video.

How to Repair an Inflatable Paddleboard

Dealing with an iSUP is easy—and so is repairing one.

What you will need:

• A marker pen
• Patch
• Glue
• Scissors

Most inflatable paddle boards come with a SUP repair kit and you won’t even have to buy any of these things.

How to:

• Find the leak. Wipe the inflated board with a sponge dipped in soapy water. Bubbles will appear where there is a leak.
• Clean the punctured area and wipe it completely dry.
• Circle the area with your marker pen.
• Prepare the patch by cleaning and cutting it to the desired size.
• Apply glue inside the circle and on the patch.
• Let it dry for five minutes or as instructed.
• Carefully place the patch onto the circled area.
• Press it to smoothen and remove air bubbles.
• Clean away any glue that is around the patch.

Let your iSUP dry for 24 hours or as instructed then inflate it.

See how simple it is? If the dent is small, there is really no need to have a professional do the repair. Boards get dinged all the time and you will soon get tired of running to the shop anytime it happens.

The process may be a little complicated if the hole or crack is huge on your epoxy paddleboard. But with the right kit, you can fix it in a few hours—as long as you follow the instructions carefully.

Inflatable paddleboards are even easier to repair. And the required materials are readily available too.

A dented board should never keep you from SUPing, especially when you can’t get to a professional. Do it yourself and get back into the water.

Have fun paddling and stay safe!