Skimboards are built to take a beating. They must be if their intended use is slamming into the pounding surf and riding the waves into the shore. If you hit the beach a few times a week, one board can last over a year. If you wait longer between skim sessions, it can last much longer.
No matter how often you use your carbon fiber skimboard, you should do your best to maintain it. After all, they can be pricy, and you’ll want to get your money’s worth. We’ve got X pieces of pro advice to help you extend your skimboard’s life.
Keep Out of the Sun
Beach days are all about fun in the sun, but we all know that too much sun can cause damage. We don’t just mean to a person’s skin, either. Skimboards, even including the normally hardy carbon fiber kind, can warp and wear down just because the material gets too hot from blazing sunlight.
There’s no avoiding exposure when you are out on the waves. In between sessions, though, we advise keeping your cruiser under some shade. In the car and at home, keep it away from windows. It may seem like a lot of hassle over nothing, but like putting on sunscreen, it’s a good practice.
Take It Out of the Trunk
A trunk is a convenient place for keeping your skimboard. It can handle getting a little wet, and it’s even free from sunlight thanks to having no windows. Unfortunately, the trunk is not free from the real risk to skimboard lifespan: heat.
Temperatures inside the boot can swell way higher than temperatures outside, further compounding the ill effects on your cruiser. It’s not that big a deal if you’re just stowing it there for drives to and from the beach. Making it the sole place of storage for your skimboard, though, would be a big mistake. Find somewhere else in your home to keep it.
Use a Skimboard Bag
Another risk to your carbon fiber skimboard’s integrity is friction. That might be surprising, given how often you have to cruise on barely submerged sand. However, even minor scuffs against hard surfaces can add up over time to wear away at the whole structure. No single bump will break the board, but it becomes more prone to damage on the waves.
You’d be wise to minimize that kind of contact, and skimboard bags can offer the protection your board needs. Just by sticking a board inside, you give it an outer layer to take any damage on its behalf. The result of this practice is a longer-lasting skimmer.
Go Easy on the Waves
Beginner boarders always have a rough time with the waves, and not just in the way you’d expect. As they struggle to learn how to handle the surf, they tend to approach each swell at angles that go hard on their boards. All that aggression can leave the board beaten up.
As you gain more experience, you will learn how to ride with the waves, rather than against them. Practice will give you a smoother approach. Just make sure that once you learn how to go easy, you keep going easy. That’ll save you the money you’d otherwise have to spend on prematurely busted boards.
Rinse After Each Use
Skimboards are built to ride over the ocean, and they do it with aplomb — especially carbon fiber skimboards. Unfortunately, saltwater can present a threat to the board once it’s back on dry land. If allowed to linger on the surface, the salt’s abrasiveness can slowly but surely grind away at the material.
As with the other threats on this list, the effects of this phenomenon are not immediate. Over time, though, they can become quite dramatic. For your skimboard’s safety, make sure to rinse it off with fresh water after each use. Most beaches offer access to showers and sink partly for this purpose.
Repair Holes Immediately
Even if you take care of your skimboard well, a little damage is almost inevitable. Small dings may not be much to worry about, but perforations on the material are another matter. Water can flow into the holes, potentially leading to serious issues.
If you see any stains after using your skimboard, let it dry and look for the holes. Once any water inside is emptied, rub some sandpaper against the affected area. You can get a purpose-built epoxy to fill the slot, and you should give it time to harden. Keep plenty around for whenever you have to do it again.
Contact a Repair Expert
Many patches are small and simple enough that you can fix them on your own. Sometimes, the damage your skimboard accrues is too much for an amateur to handle. That’s okay. There are experts out there who can help out, and you will likely find them at your local surf shop.
Contact the store and see whether they offer any repair services. Even if they do not, they might know someone who does. That’s the value of being part of a community. You may have to go a little while without your board. Unless the whole thing is cracked, you should be able to get it back in good condition.
Get a High-Quality Carbon Fiber Skimboard
Every skimboard, no matter its material, requires regular maintenance. Holes should be patched, dings should be buffed out, and boards should be rinsed and protected. With that said, a high-quality board made from a strong material will have not just a longer lifespan, but better odds of lasting longer.
Carbon fiber skimboards are the kind that professionals use, and they can satisfy enthusiasts of the pastime. You can find excellent examples right here at East Coast Skimboards. We offer a wide variety of cruisers with gorgeous designs, high-grade construction, and reasonable prices. That way, you can be sure that it will last you a long time and bring you joy every time. Shop with us today and see what we have in stock.