Cursed..

[benjl]

I seem to be cursed with other people damaging my boards.
While my other shortboard was drying out today (caused from my mate losing control of his board on a turtle roll and driving the nose in to the side rail of my board), on my second wave today the guy paddling next to me all of sudden decided to turn around to try catch a wave approaching us without thinking of the radius his board would need to turn around..
A second later and I feel the collision with my board- it felt like his nose on my fins but as I roll the board over I see a big gouge and hole through the epoxy in to the foam!
To make it worse I then stuck outback with some decent size and heavy waves with a board taking on water!

To summarize it- in the last 2 months I've had:
- a mate put his nose in to the rail on my board causing a 5cm crAck in the glassing. He didn't offer to cover it or fix it.
- the next day (on my OTHER shortboard), a paddle boarder decided to stupidly try and catch a super steep barreling 2m wave and then proceed to jump off his board asthe wave started to fold. His board came crashing in to me/mine and smashed all the glassing on both rails around the nose. His fin also sliced through my wetsuit as I tried to drive under it. He disappeared and I got left with a f**ked board once again.
- On that same shortboard today, a guy dug his nose in to the underside of my board leaving a big divit. Luckily I caughtup with him and he's agreed to get it fixed but now it leaves me with no shortboards for this weeks mint swell!!

Anyone else prone to the curse of other people damaging their boards?

To make it worse, about 4 months ago I let my gf borrow my 6'10 at the time and she ran it in to the ground causing the fin to snap through the fin box. She refused to admit she had done it so once again I got stuck with a broken board and a repair bill!

Cursed I tell you!!

[oldmansurfer]

The only time I made a surfboard a good friend of mine damaged it. I had just finished the gloss coat and sanding and it was ready for the water. It was a 7 foot swallowtail with a single glassed in fin with orange stain on the bottom and a clear deck. It looked pretty nice and my friend was like " WOW! Man that is awesome! Can I touch it ? Pick it up? Check it out?" Well this guy had loaned me his board when I needed one cause mine was getting repaired so I agreed. We were standing on the patio of my parents house who allowed me to work on the board there. Anyway he drops it right on the edge of the cement floor putting a huge ding in it. Not only did it never go in the water but I had not even taken it off the rack yet. AND HE DINGED IT!!!!! And not just a ding it was a gapping hole an inch deep. I was so upset. I never let him forget. When ever we were talking after that point I would find a way to mention that he dinged my brand new board that I just made myself. Like he would say "Don't worry, you can trust me." And I would respond "You mean like trust you to ding my brand new board?" Poor guy but he was still a friend..... just real close to not being one for a while.

[waikikikichan]

Just be glad it's your board and not your body. I got a broken leg, nine stitches in my face, fin in the back that when thru my wetsuit, fin into the arch of my foot, bruises on my head and most everywhere on my body from errant boards, etc. My friend got a punctured lung from some idiot '"trying" to do a skeg reverse for the first time.

As you probably guess, I surfed at Waikiki. I like to call it " Ding-a-Day", since every time I paddled out some bonehead dropped in and jump off his board, threw his board in front of me, caught the wave backwards paddle out to the break, getting sandwich between a goofy footer and a regular footer each going "backside". That is why I got used to surfing a MOLDED EPOXY pop-out. Sure my hand shaped board might perform a tad bit better, but I rather be surfing than fixing my boards.

I used to freak customers out by taking a hammer to a cross section piece of molded epoxy boards. I'd let them try it for themselves, then I would flip the hammer around and whack it with the claw end. Usually left paint chips. They usually walk out buying a molded epoxy after seeing that.

[billie_morini]

I feel sympathy for all of you guys. Especially Waikiki's broken leg. Ouch!

At least you all are getting in the water. The last time I surfed was January 1, 2014. Two related health conditions prevented me from surfing the entire year. And 2014 was one of the best years for surf we've seen in Santa Barbara for a long time. So, the health problems got fixed, but I still can't go in the water. I've been sick for more than 1 month with a sinus infection. It got so bad one week ago that a doctor precription steroids. So, calmly repair your boards and please catch a wave for me.

[dtc]

Billie, that sounds terrible. All of it

Although you have found the answer to not being cursed in surfing... don't surf!

Have to say, I quickly learnt not to paddle out behind anyone. A bit to the side (a few metres) always, or at least 6m behind (length of board plus leggie plus leg).

[oldmansurfer]

I find surfing often helps my sinuses. Nothing like a good pounding by some good sized waves to clear out the sinuses.

[waikikikichan]

I think the worst " feeling " dings happen when the other rider says " I didn't do that ". Dude ! there's only me and you right here ! I had guys claim that the ding was already there and that I was trying to extort money from tourist.

[benjl]

Loved your posts waikiki, although sounds like you've had some bad encounters! For those exact reasons I also started using epoxy boards- the one that the dude damaged in the weekend had 10oz glassing on the bottom so he mustve jammed his nose in to it pretty bad!
A couple of weeks ago I had a guy drop in on my wave just as I'd gotten to my feet. To avoid going straight in to him I managed to get off my board and subsequently get nailed by the wave but as I got to the water surface from the hold down the proceeding wave had picked up my board and rammed the point of the nose straight in to my lip! It completely split my lip open on both sides and was just pouring out with blood everywhere. Honestly, I swear i'm cursed with bad luck and timing with all these. The darkside of me was thinking 'go paddle over to him and just bleed in the water around him and hope a shark gives him some karma'. Evil I know but I was seriously pissed off!!

Question for you guys: I ended up leaving my board with the guy from the weekend as he said that he would arrange to get it fixed and pay for it. He said that it would cost $60. Would you guys just leave it at that and pick it up when it's ready or offer to contribute? He actually seems like a decent guy but it was 100% his fault and caused me 2 hours of driving and a completely wasted surf day as i'd only just gotten out to the break when it happened.

[oldmansurfer]

I would fix my own boards so no help on that one.

[waikikikichan]

If he's going to fix it, just leave it like that. You can't claim for time wasted or distance traveled ( at least if you meet at the same place you gave it to him ). I had to pay for dings on the other board that the other person did to me. So you're lucky he is helping out.

by the way, Epoxy boards are not all the same. The type you ride are hand shaped that are glassed with epoxy resin. The type I ride are "Molded" epoxy boards that others might call Pop-Outs. Like the 7'6" NSP you rode.

[benjl]

Ah gotcha- like my 6'6 torq that i'm selling at the moment. Basically indestructable! My gf accidentally turned it in to the doorway as she was leaving the house and it dented the wood! (no scratch on the board).