How to Refresh an Old Surfboard

Old Surfboard
Jay DiMartino

After a few years of hard riding, an old surfboard eventually loses its new surfboard vitality. Dings, brown spots, extra weight, and boredom all factor into an overall lack of interest in your once beloved stick. While a new blade would be ideal, financial concerns may require that you look into alternate strategies to inject life back into your fiberglass corpse and resurrect some of its former greatness. It may take a few days, but the process is pretty easy.

Strip Your Wax

Use some warm water and a wax comb to clean the deck and bottom of old wax. Use a wax stripper or window cleaner to get that new surfboard shine. A clean deck lets you see any problems lurking beneath as well as allows you to apply fresh, pure wax in its place, giving a new smell, added traction, and a cleaner look.

Fix Your Dings

Just knowing your surfboard is not taking on water will add to your surfing state of mind. Therefore, inspect your board and seal up any areas of concern. Serious delamination or large dings may require professional attention since a poorly fixed ding can add annoyance and frustration to your surf life. Here's how you can fix your own dings.

Get a Traction Pad

New traction pads are thicker, more adhesive, and more effective than those of yesteryear. This added thickness slightly modifies your foot placement. That fact along with added grip applies a little spice to your board's prior performance.

Change Your Fin Configuration

Fins are the guiding force of your board. Riding your tri-fin as a twinnie or installing smaller fins can make you feel like you are riding a brand new stick. It will add new challenges and possibilities to your surfing.

Ride Another Board

Trade surfboards with a friend. Getting on someone else's board, an old beater, or even a longboard for a few sessions will make your board seem novel. Furthermore, watching your friend rip on your old stick may even make you a little jealous.