Nipper board repairs and pre-season checks for SLSC craft
October is the month to check the club and family craft, before the season fills the racks. Here is what to look for and what we fix.
The best time to repair a nipper board, rescue board or surf ski is before the surf club season starts, so October on the Gold Coast. Check every craft for open dings, cracks, soft spots, split seams and loose fin or leash plugs, keep anything with an open ding out of the water, and send photos for a free quote while the racks are still quiet.
Search interest in nipper boards roughly doubles in November and December, and that is when the club season and the summer holidays arrive together. A ding found in October is a quick job. The same ding found the week before a carnival is a scramble.
Can a nipper board be repaired?
Yes. A nipper board is a foam core wrapped in a hard shell, much like a surfboard, so dings, cracks, broken rails and damaged fin or leash plugs can all be repaired the same way: open up the damage, dry it, rebuild it, laminate over it and fair it back to shape. Colour matching blends it back into the original finish.
Our own proof is a Google review from a visiting family. Their son’s Race One fibreglass nipper board had a hole in it, Joe fixed it before their flight home, and in their words "the colour match is spot on".
What is worth knowing before you send photos: club craft are built in different ways. Many are fibreglass or epoxy over foam, some use carbon, and some training boards are soft or moulded plastic. Hard shell fibreglass, epoxy and carbon is what we repair every day. If your board is a moulded plastic one, send a photo and ask, and Joe will tell you straight what can be done.
Pre-season checklist for surf club craft
Go over each board or ski in good light, deck, rails and bottom, before the first training session. This is the list we would work through on the stands.
| Check | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Deck and bottom | Cracks, open dings, pressure dents with broken glass | An open ding lets water into the foam, and wet foam is heavier and weaker |
| Rails, nose and tail | Chips and cracks from racks, trailers and other boards | Rails take the knocks, and a cracked nose or tail spreads |
| Soft spots | Press gently around the deck: anything that gives or crackles | Can mean the shell is lifting off the foam (delamination) |
| Fin and fin box | Cracks around the box, a box that moves, stripped screw threads | A loose fin box can pull out in the surf |
| Leash and handle plugs | Cracks around the plug, a plug that wobbles | These take a lot of load in the shore break |
| Surf skis | Split seams, cracks round the footwell and venturi flute, rudder damage | Skis are hollow, so a split seam can let water inside |
| The bag and the racks | Sharp edges, missing padding | Prevents next season’s dings |
If you find soft spots or water inside, stop using the craft until it has been checked. Paddling a waterlogged board only spreads the damage.
What we repair on SLSC craft
Everything on the surfcraft page applies to club craft. Joe repairs:
- Nipper boards, rescue boards and malibus: dings, cracks, broken rails, noses and tails, fin and leash plugs.
- Surf skis: dings, split seams, venturi flutes and colour matching.
- Paddles: chipped and cracked blades and shafts.
- Stand up paddle boards and foil boards used for training.
Joe shapes surfboards, stand up paddle boards and custom paddles, and lays up his own open water paddling fins, in the same Currumbin Waters factory. Knowing how a craft is built is how a repair goes back in properly. He has also done repairs for Burleigh Boardriders.
How much does it cost to repair SLSC craft?
Nipper boards and rescue boards vary in size and build, so they are quoted from photos. Surf skis have their own job sheet in the factory, and these are the guide prices from it.
| Surf ski repair | Guide price |
|---|---|
| 1 ding | $220 |
| 2 dings | $290 |
| 3 dings | $350 |
| Split seam | $300 to $350 |
| Venturi flute | $140 |
| Colour match | $50 to $300 |
| Extreme job | $600+ |
| Paddles | From $90 |
Guide prices. Joe confirms the exact price from your photo.
The full list for every craft is on the surfboard repair price list, and the surfcraft and SLSC repairs page has the details for skis, paddles, SUPs and foils.
Why October, not December
Three reasons.
First, time. Repairs need the resin to cure and the finish to be sanded and colour matched, so most jobs are not a same afternoon thing. Starting early means the craft is back before it is needed.
Second, damage grows. A small open ding that sits through winter lets water creep into the foam. Fixed now, it is a small job. Left until the first training session, it can be a bigger one.
Third, the craft get busy all at once. Nippers, carnivals and holiday surfers all want boards in the same few weeks. If you are a club organising several craft, or a family with more than one nipper, ask Joe about bringing them in together and he will tell you what works.
How long a repair takes depends on the damage and how busy the factory is, so ask when you send the photos and Joe will give you a straight answer before any work starts.
What to do if a board dings mid-season
- Get it out of the water. Do not keep paddling it.
- Let it drain with the ding facing down, and keep it out of the sun and out of a hot car.
- Do not seal over a wet ding with tape and carry on. Tape is a get-home fix, not a repair.
- Take close-ups of the damage and one wider shot of the whole board, and send them through for a quote.
Then drop it at 2/14 Nuban St, Currumbin Waters, Monday to Friday 9am to 4:30pm or Saturday 9am to 12pm. Walk-ins are welcome.
Questions
More answers on the surfcraft and SLSC repairs page and in the FAQ.
Can you repair a nipper board?
Yes. Dings, cracks, broken rails, noses, tails and fin or leash plugs on fibreglass, epoxy and carbon nipper boards, with the colour matched back in. Send photos and Joe will quote. If the board is moulded plastic, ask first and he will tell you what can be done.
How much does it cost to fix a nipper board?
Nipper boards are quoted from photos, because sizes and constructions vary. Send close-ups of the damage and one wider shot of the board. The quote is free and there is no obligation. Surf ski guide prices start at $220 for one ding.
Do you repair rescue boards and surf skis?
Yes. Rescue boards, malibus and surf skis for surf lifesaving clubs and their members: dings, split seams, venturi flutes and colour matching, plus paddles.
When should I get club craft repaired?
Before the season, so October. Demand for nipper boards peaks in November and December, and a craft that is checked and repaired early is ready when training starts.
How long does a nipper board repair take?
It depends on the damage and how busy the factory is. Ask when you send the photos and Joe will give you a straight answer before any work starts.
A nipper board, in a customer's words
Amazing service from Joe! I sent a text about repairing a hole in our son’s Race One fibreglass nipper board whilst on holidays and he responded straight away. He managed to get it fixed within the tight timeframe we had before our flight home, which we really appreciated. The repair looks fantastic and the colour match is spot on. Great workmanship, quick turnaround and really easy to deal with. Highly recommend!
