SUP Paddleboard Repair

Paddleboards are fragile!

The paddleboards might look very heavy, bulky and robust, but they are actually very fragile. They are made of foam with a thin epoxy lining, which is like an eggshell. If bounced on the floor or against rocks, the epoxy will crack and salt water will enter the board. The salt water will eat the foam and the board will disintegrate. So please take care not to drop the board or hit rocks. If that happens, please report the damage to us so that we can exchange and fix the board before it takes water.

If you are paddling in an area with many rocks on the beach (like Chocolate Hole or Ditleff Point), you might want to consider renting an inflatable SUP or the soft top ones, which are more forgiving.

When loading the boards onto the car roof, it is best to first wash the sand off, since sand on the boards will scratch both the car roof and the board. So when taking the board out of the water after the last paddle, it is best to not put it down onto sand while wet. Instead, bring it to the car right away or lean it against a tree.

Another thing that can break is the fin. When entering the water, make sure you are at least knee deep water so that the fin can freely move before putting the board down, otherwise the fin might get stuck or break if you step on it.

When leaving boards on the beach, put them down with the fin in the air so that there is no weight on the fin

Inflatable Paddleboards won’t break from the rocks but can burst in the sun. When fully pumped up and left in direct sunlight for hours, they can burst. Try to store the boards in half-shade or let a little bit of air out before for example leaving them on car roof in the sun all day.

Paddleboard Repair on St. John

We have epoxy and polyester resin, fiberglass&filler and can repair surfboards and paddleboards. Unfortunately, the resin is very expensive on the island and cannot be ordered from the mainland due to shipping restrictions on chemicals. That’s why board repairs are quite expensive.

  • small ding size of a coin: 20$
  • medium ding size of a cigarette box: 30$
  • large ding like in photo: 150$

Taking care of paddles

Paddles are fragile too, especially the carbon fiber ones. Try to not hit rocks or the paddleboard it self with them. The alloy paddles are indestructible but have another downside, they do not swim. When falling off the paddleboard, hold onto the paddle. If the paddle falls into the water in an uncontrolled angle it might sink.

Transporting Paddleboards

Roofstraps for transport are included in the rental price. You can mount boards onto any car with 4 doors. If you have a smaller car with only 2 doors, we recommend renting an inflatable paddleboard.

Watch this video on how to mount boards on the car.

How to use an inflatable paddleboard

Follow the instructions here.