A surfboard is a major investment and in order to keep it in good working order, some simple steps should be taken in its care and maintenance.
In reality, only pro surfers can afford to replace their board every six months, so investing the time and money to properly care for your board will extend its life and save you money in the long run.
A investment in a board sock should be your first purchase. When not in the water, you should keep your board in the sock. 50% of all dings and dents occur when transporting your board to and from the beach.
If you religiously keep your board covered, it can look pristine for years. Even though your board is used for an outdoor sport, the sun and heat are major enemies to your boards integrity.
Excessive sun exposure can cause damage to the boards finish, causing it to yellow and crack. This sort of damage can eventually cause your board to break and unfortunately this may happen while youre in the water.
Even minor dings can eventually cause major damage to the board. It is important to repair even small dings as soon as possible. But it is important to wait until the swell of the board goes down so water is not trapped inside the board.
Again, this could cause yellowing and compromise your boards integrity. Nobody looks cool having their board break when they are trying to catch that perfect wave.
The wax is one last maintenance check that should be performed. Periodically strip off the wax to check for dings and cracks under the surface.
A quick repair will have you back out catching waves in no time.