This is an example of how to repair a simple puncture ding - the sort of ding that you might get when you have surfed onto a bit of rock or accidentally put something heavy on top of your board.

Safety always comes first, so it is essential to do this ding repair in a well ventilated area. Wear a respirator to protect you from the fumes. Wear gloves to avoid contact with skin.

The key to a good repair is to keep everything clean and to have all materials and tools to hand before starting.

1. Ensure the fracture is clean and dry, light sand the area about ¼” around the fracture. Sand away any unwanted broken fibres to create a void to be filled. This may require a bit of digging out with a knife to clear out bits of unneeded foam.

2. Tape around the sanded area to stop any unwanted resin from dripping. Doing this well will minimise the amount of sanding that you have to do later - always a good thing!

3. Starting the mix, first estimate the amount of resin needed to fill the ding. It is better to have too much rather than too little. Use scissors and cut thin pieces of cloth, (about the size of a grain of rice) and add to the resin. The cloth will make the resin easier to work with and will provide extra strength.

Add the catalyst to the resin (see chart at bottom). Be careful not to add to much catalyst as this will cause a unwanted chemical reaction, burning the foam and turning it brown. Once mixed, slowly stir the chopped cloth into the resin. Be careful not to add too much.

4. Try to work out any air bubbles in the mix. Apply a plastic or wax paper cover sheet to mould a smooth surface if this is done well it can greatly reduce the amount of sanding that you do at the end.

On rail dings, tape down each end of the cover sheet to hold it in place. DO NOT REMOVE the cover sheet until the resin has completely hardened. Check the hardening progress by looking at the leftover resin in your mixing cup.

5. Now for the fun part, once dry, slowly peel off the cover sheet. If sanding is needed, start by using a medium grit sandpaper (about 80 grit).Sanding rails fractures (using a sanding block) criss cross your sanding motion to ensure you keep the it rounded. Following initial sanding, use fine (wet/dry) sandpaper. To match a gloss finish, polish the repair after wet sanding.

6. Be aware that resin may take longer to harden if the conditions are colder, check the temperature before starting and adjust the amount of catalyst you add to the resin to suit the temperature. Below is a ratio chart to help you estimate how much catalyst to add to the mix.

Repair in this article performed by Reaper Surfboards, we offer a professional board repair service, All repairs welcome. For further information contact the shaper Carl Hughes on 07973 548 501

Alternatively checkout my website www.reapersurfboards.co.uk where you can buy our large ding repair kit that contains all you need to repair you surfboard and more - only £9.99