Never broke a board either but did have what looked like a crease about 18" from the nose. It was a 9'6" Modern that I think was a pop out. Was surfing some fairly steep waves and if you didn't get into a turn asap you ended up sticking the nose. It looked like somebody hit it with a 2x4 perfectly across the bottom side rail to rail. Had it for almost a year after that and sold it for $150.00. I seen the guy I sold it to last summer still going strong.
broken about 4 or 5 boards so far. Most recent was my firewire (RIP). It's sitting in the backyard in two pieces. Thinking of making it a chair or table or somehting (any ideas?). Might glue it back together, clean it up and hang in on the wall or ceiling or something.
i've buckled the nose on nearly every board i've own (mostly WRVs). It's just from busting off the top and the nose impacting the wave face with all of my weight behind it. It happens, no big deal, easy fix. I've snapped a board only once, and it was in well overhead Hatteras hurricane swell when I was 16. It was soft and peeling outside but slabbed up inside, but was makeable about half the time, so I was going for it. Pulled in, but got caught up in the pit stalling and got smashed over the falls. I pull my board back by the leash and paddle back out and notice it's flexing like crazy right in the middle. It had buckled all the way to the top layer of glass, and i'm outside and its big So, I do the only logical thing and pull into the next wave and it just snaps. It was funny!
