When buying a board used which dings are no-nos? Another words, what to stay away from when buying a used board?
Creases...when the stringer(s) are damaged toward middle/tail of board...damage to fin boxes (no one ever looks inside a single fin box--sometimes heavy fins crack the boxes)...heavy delaminations... Sometimes it also depends on the type of board...a Frye eagle with a damaged box and a healthy amount of delamination...I would still buy. A shortboard with similar issues...I wouldn't purchase.
I'd stay away from delam or anything thats been in more than one piece and put back together. Cosmetically stay away from the pressure dings on the deck. You want your own feet to place those.
It all depends for me of they are asking over 200 bucks or so I usually won't buy anything with any dings anywhere. I can fix dings pretty well too I just prefer to have a clean stick to begin with and ding it myself. That said if you can find a steal on a damaged board and repair it yourself go for it dood. Never drop good money on a board that has been de laminated, broken in half, has a reshaped nose, fin boxes, heavy rail damage,etc. I can usually spot a ding from a mile away but sometimes they are hidden well so be sure to give her the old thrice over. Check where stickers are. Squeeze the board lightly all over to make sure it is structurally sound. Don't buy dinged up boards people you wind up getting inferior product that you will enjoy less.
DELAM!!! And any kind of fin / fin box repair. Also- like mentioned- broken stringers or buckles - but first and foremost- DELAM!
Don't buy a board that's dinged up unless you know what you're doing to fix them, but my guess is you aren't quite there yet, or else you wouldn't be asking. Just get a new board like Tard said or find a used one that looks new. If it's been abused, then stay away unless you're willing to spend money on something that may not work like you thought it would.
Why are fin boxes such a big deal? I cracked one of my FCS2 fin boxes and had it professionally replaced with the same box.
if its professionally done, maybe there will not be a problem. fin location is fairly important to the performance of the board- if one is slightly out of cant or whack, it will hinder the performance.... maybe most ppl wouldn't notice on a mediocre day, but usually the most noticeable is when you get tons of speed and your board starts to hummmmm and not respond correctly
Probably because they are a tricky fix to do at home and really nail. Also it can change the board because you add a lot of resin in the back depending on how well its done. IDK. BTW I have a board with the FCS2 best fin system out there now.
