I am just a beginner so I realize that I am most likely putting more abuse on my board than more experienced surfers. Non the less, I feel like my board is getting beat up very quickly. I travel with it in a bag and have been surfing beach breaks. All the dings are just cracks, nothing major. So I'm wondering: How often do dings happen on average? Is it normal to ding your board a lot when learning or am I being to hard on it?
Yes, completely normal. Just try to pay attention to how you're beating up your board. I used to get a lot of dings on the bottom of my boards because I would wax them while on the sidewalk or the tailgate of my truck. Now I wait til I'm on the beach or I'll sit the board on something soft, like someones lawn.
All but one of my dings are on the rails of the board. One ding on the deck I know is from me landing on it with my knee, but other than that, I'm not sure where they are coming from. After being out in shoulder high waves today, I noticed a new crack along the rail, near the nose of the board. I'm guessing this is from the board hitting the bottom? Anyone have tips on how to prevent this?
I would say rail cracks are probably the result of setting it down on the rail on concrete or another hard surface. Maybe if you have a really light glass job on a really thin board you might get small cracks from squeezing the rail too hard. Try to be very careful also when putting it in the bag as the rail may hit on the zipper and ding. But all in all boards get dings and crack just make sure you seal em and keep it water tight and you should be good.
i notice a lot of pressure dings on my deck after a day of punting airs brah. i don't pay it much attention though i figure the chicks will dig it cuz they'll know how hard i rip
when your learning you tend to fall on to your board alot, your knees and shins do alot of damage to the rail area, happens less over time.
Falling onto your board does take it's toll... but I'd say 99% of dings that aren't pressure dings happen out of the water. It's just a matter of getting used to handling your board, knowing how to get it in and out of your vehicle, where and how you store it... As been said, you'll get used to it and get fewer dings with time. Until then, be sure to fix your dings before your next session, even if it's just a temporary fix. Even "just cracks" can, and often do, leak. Fixing dings is a skill you should also develop over time.
Thanks for the help. I figured its something that will happen less as I learn. I have learned how to do some repairs already and its not a big deal, just was wondering what to expect.
I have boards I've been riding for over a year and they have no dings except for pressure dents on the deck... but I build them to last... which is the other thing you might want to consider: quality EPS/epoxy and S-glass or combinations of heavier E.
dings and cracks are a part of life. No matter how careful you are your going to get them. Heel dents and cracking around fin boxes are nearly impossible to avoid, but don't get too upset over it. Get a bag to help with this, but your biggest enemy is going to be over exposure to the sun. Also, don't leave it in your car in the summer heat for too long, especially if its EPS foam construction.
I get a ding on almost every new board almost immediately after buying it. It's almost comical and it's almost always the same way. Riding a wave in crap surf becuase i can't wait to surf a new board, hitting some white water the boards flips and i crack a rail on my ankle. the crack is easy to find becuase it has a leg hair in it.
Cracks are a good sign of either a poor glass job or a bad can of resin could have been used. They both happen more often than you think. Most Brand Name Boards are glassed light and unless you get it custom glassed its just something you have to deal with. I saw in another comment that the cracks are mostly on your rails. You can blow out a rail from falling on the deck but if the cracks are all up and down your rails its most likely a light glass job.
I have a feeling that its a light glass job, like your saying wave1rider65. It's a Doyle board that I got cheap and comparing it to other boards in shops, it feels less substantial. That said, I'm sure that its a combination of things.
Do the thumb test... see how much pressure it takes under your thumb for the glass to begin to "give." Just don't do it hard enough to leave a permanent dent. Compare that to other boards you have. The advantage of this test is that you can do it on any size/shape board... because comparing weight does not take into account the size of the board, or the core material used. While a lighter density core will dent easier than a higher density core (and weigh less) the skins' deflection under the pressure of your thumb is primarily due to the weight and type of glass in the lam.
