I lent my surfboard to a mate yesterday and when he returned it he remarked that it seemed heavy.
When I picked it up I realised he was right. It's an old board but the surfaces look intact. So I'm looking for an informed opinion here. If I drill a couple of holes in it and leave it outiside for a spell is it lightly to drain and then I refill the holes or is there a better method of fixing it. Or perhaps is it time for the bin. The board is not delaminating.It's a Jimmy Lewis.
Depends if it's heavy just because that's how it was made or if it's heavy because it has water in it...
Old Windsurfers often had the same problem and the cure was to drill a few holes in each and and put it on a machine called "the spinner" which was basically a large machine that spun the board around and the water came out due to centrifugal forces. I don't know if any of these machines are still about but I reckon that's your best bet. Drilling a few holes and leaving in the sun or a hot place such as a car or similar will also drain a bit of water.
Hole in the very tail and hole near the nose, stand it upright in the sun, should get the water out but do you know how it got in cause it will just get back in
poke the corner of a tissue in the hole so it contacts the foam core and hangs out . It will wick the water out and increase the surface area for the water to evaporate from.
Check the fin plugs, you probs have a crack around them, old mate probs rode it into the sand. 
i had some good results leaving eps boards outside (undercover probably if you got super sun..) when warm and windy with holes exposed - seems to evaporate water well, ended up lighter.
Trick I was shown when I was a kid to clear a surfboard, hole in top and bottom of board, plumb a small aquarium aerator into a pot of damp rid, pipe out aerator tube into the nose of the board standing up, 1 day later couple kilos lighter
pic not to scale, forgot to add use a small aerator connection (1/8th I think) to join tube to board hole
The aquarium pump seems a great idea, if I knew someone who had one. I'm not in a rush so can afford to let it sit out for a while. Thanks for the responses everyone.
Select to expand quoteAseela said..
I lent my surfboard to a mate yesterday and when he returned it he remarked that it seemed heavy.
When I picked it up I realised he was right. It's an old board but the surfaces look intact. So I'm looking for an informed opinion here. If I drill a couple of holes in it and leave it outiside for a spell is it lightly to drain and then I refill the holes or is there a better method of fixing it. Or perhaps is it time for the bin. The board is not delaminating.It's a Jimmy Lewis.
Tell your mate it was fine before he borrowed it and to buy you a new one.
If you pushed it under water (like in a pool), would air bubbles come out through the cracks in the fibreglass - thereby showing you where the water is getting in?
I can't see the point in drying out the board if you don't fix the problem
Unless you put removable plugs in the drilled holes and stand the board on end EVERY time you finish using it
Select to expand quotesir ROWDY said...
Depends if it's heavy just because that's how it was made or if it's heavy because it has water in it...
Old Windsurfers often had the same problem and the cure was to drill a few holes in each and and put it on a machine called "the spinner" which was basically a large machine that spun the board around and the water came out due to centrifugal forces. I don't know if any of these machines are still about but I reckon that's your best bet. Drilling a few holes and leaving in the sun or a hot place such as a car or similar will also drain a bit of water.
That keahi bloke must have the same dramas as he's always spinning his board around
Select to expand quoteAseela said...
The aquarium pump seems a great idea, if I knew someone who had one. I'm not in a rush so can afford to let it sit out for a while. Thanks for the responses everyone.
Pump brand new with tube and connectors from pet shop should be about 20 bucks, damp rid from bunnings about 7, bung it when done with knead it or epoxy
where abouts are you located
Correct me if im wrong, but the pump is sucking the moisture out of the board and into the damp rid where its collected?? Why would you want to collect the moisture?? Just pump it to atmosphere??
Also are you saying your sucking air through the length of the stringer in the board? That little pump wouldnt be able to do that? You would need a perfect seal on the board and in that instance I feel the hose would just collapse??
I'd say you dont have a seal and you just sucking moisture out of the atmosphere??
i no expert but think it is in the air flow or evaporation - just need moving air - info from old school windsurfer. the aquarium pump sounds sick - especially the $20 part
You've got it back to front I think. The aquarium pump blows normal air into the sealed container of damp rid which dehumidifies the air before the second tube blows the dehumidified air into and through the board before coming out a breather hole at the other end. On the way through the board it picks up he moisture you want out of the board. It's a disgustingly simple and cheap way of dewatering something like a board.
The board is probably worth 160$ due to age so I guess the expenditure on the pump and bits and pieces is worth it,just!
First I would need to see if there is really water in there. So I guess standing the board on end in the sun and looking for the wet patch beneath would satisfy that aspect.
Select to expand quoteChris6791 said..
You've got it back to front I think. The aquarium pump blows normal air into the sealed container of damp rid which dehumidifies the air before the second tube blows the dehumidified air into and through the board before coming out a breather hole at the other end. On the way through the board it picks up he moisture you want out of the board. It's a disgustingly simple and cheap way of dewatering something like a board.
This guy is on it I think.
p.s. For how old the board is I would just drill some holes and leave it in the sun or a hot metal trailer or something for a week or so, it will be lighter after that for sure.
Select to expand quotebelldiver said..
Correct me if im wrong, but the pump is sucking the moisture out of the board and into the damp rid where its collected?? Why would you want to collect the moisture?? Just pump it to atmosphere??
Also are you saying your sucking air through the length of the stringer in the board? That little pump wouldnt be able to do that? You would need a perfect seal on the board and in that instance I feel the hose would just collapse??
I'd say you dont have a seal and you just sucking moisture out of the atmosphere??
Yeah sorry mate, should have done a couple arrows on the pic, aerator pumps low pressure air into a pot of damp rid, pushing damp rid vapours into the board, works better and much faster then waiting for board to drip drain
Aseela, if its a jimmy then its worth the effort
check out the board lady website, plenty of info on getting water out of boards
boardlady.com/water.htm
