Sometimes the best waves are ridden on boards that aren't even yours.
.One of my favorite things to do is fix up surfboards for my friends. What I don't usually get to do is surf the board after I am done fixing it. With the 100+ boards I have bought, sold and kept over the years I have been the "go to" guy when your craft breaks down. Friends will usually text me and ask me if they might be able to learn how to ding repair with me. I almost always respond with a yes and we get to work in the backyard fixing the board together. Then the next day will come and they will disappear... Either way, it feels great to help someone out and get a board back in the water.
This Particular board was owned by one of my friends relatives. He was going to throw the board away after he had buckled the board and lost it in the rocks while surfing a larger day. As a gift to my friend I decided to fix it for him. There was a huge buckle in the middle of the board and a few other dings around the board. I cut out all the loose glass and filled the board with filler and resin. Luckily the stringer was intact so I did not need to reinforce it.
When the board was ready for glassing my friend instructed that he wanted a "penguin logo". I wasn't sure why... but he drew me a penguin with some colored pencils and I glassed it onto the board for him. It might be a good idea to glass in more animals on boards. Maybe they help you surf better?
The final hot-coat for this board was done at a sleepover with a few of my other surf buddies. While sanding I felt excited anticipating the feeling of getting a board back in the water and putting a smile on my friends face. I stayed up past 1AM making sure the board was smooth and ready to surf for the next day.
The morning after my friend was very pleased with how the board came out. It was nice and smooth from the sanding the night before and felt ready to surf! Unfortunately however, my friend has had an on-going issue with his back. He was going to get back surgery within the next few weeks so it did not make sense for him to take the risk and surf.
His relative got sent photos of the board and was very pleased with the transformation. Having a board go from non surf-able to watertight and pretty is one of the best feelings. Giving that feeling to someone else is almost as rewarding as having it be one of your own boards.
Surfing the board was such a great feeling. I had never felt so good on a mid-length before. The board was a 7'0' Stewart fun line and it surfed as loose as a 6'2'. All you needed to do was step far back on the fins and the board would do the rest. It truly felt like an all around blade. The waves were crumbly but peeling that day with a nice sized swell sweeping over the same rocks that had damaged the board in the first place. While my friend could not surf the board until his back surgery, he was stoked to let me surf his board. The next day we surfed a punchy beach break and it also preformed and held the line in small quick waves. If you are thinking about getting one of these boards or found one that needs repair I would 100% invest in one. It was such an awesome experience helping my friend bring an awesome board back to life and fulfill my own stoke of falling in love with a new shape. It also felt great getting a little a little floater on a 7'0'. I never would have thought that to be possible!
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