Pressure marks - first session

[vertex]

Hi

Took out my new custom shaped board yesterday. Was average surf and had maybe 5 waves. Back at home i noticed already 5-6 pressure dings on the deck. I know that they are normal but just after 5 waves? Usually from experience i am more a light footed surfer and dont use my knee for duck diving (foot on traction pad)

Board was unsurfed for one week....do not know if it is a myth with curing time after glassing.
Glass job is 5x4 4. my shaper is one of the best glasser in our area.

Cheers

[pandarturo]

Maybe you're just more heavy footed than you thought.

[IB_Surfer]

Here are a few things it could be.

You: heels hitting on popup, knees hitting on duckdives, etc...

Shaper: If you don't get the dust off enough after shaping there is a little air trapped between the foam and the glassing, making the board easier to dent but structurally good. I would only worry if I saw dents on the bottom, the top is normal.

[vertex]

ok, thanks guys,

was just surprised after the first session. but frankly I have not paid attention to pressure dents after the first session with my previous boards.

[tony g]

There are so many variables to how strong or weak a surfboard glass job is. Here are a few things to think about. The amount of glass on your board. If resin cures to fast, it is not as strong. If the board is sanded to much, a lot of the strength can be sanded off. I know some of the surfboard manufactures used to put stickers on their boards that said something like maximum strength after 3 weeks from this finish date. Over shaping the blank can weaken the board as well. Think of the blank like a loaf of french bread. It is hard on the outside shell, but softer the deeper inside you go. When I was shaping boards I was told to try to get blanks as close to the finished thickness as possible so the boards would be stronger. Anyway there are other reasons too. Some guys are really good glassers and some are not. I have had some really strong boards and some that you didn't want to grab to tightly when duck diving. Anyway you can also add a extra deck patch on your next board where you are getting most of your pressure dings.

[hit_the_lip]

Yeah, there is nothing more frustrating than getting that new shiny stick from your shaper, and the first session out, pressure dings. Pressure dings are a bummer. I've started looking at surfboards as something that will need to be replaced every 2 years. If I surf a certain board alot, it will need to get replaced, just like shoes need to get replaced. If your surfboards are poly/fiberglass, they are going to get pressure dings, nothing you can do about it.

I'm considering going EPS to try to get longer life out of my board.

[IB_Surfer]

My best board is an epoxy board wrapped with carbon fiber, have had it for 7 years, only one small ding...

[Surf Hound]

You could always say the dings are from a huge air that you landed...lol