That sinking feeling when you damage your new board. We’ve all been there, it sucks! Our soft top surfboard repair guide is here to help you.
Unfortunately, the reality is you’ll end up damaging all your surfboards more than you like – fin cuts, hitting rocks, dropped in the car park (or maybe in your garage) 😉 – they’re all hazards of the sport. As such, gaining the skills necessary to complete your own soft top repair is an important part of the learning experience.
As for a simple tip – make sure you store your board away properly when not using it. Often times people damage their boards in the safety of their own home just because they have it leaning loosely up against the wall (this has happened to me soo many times!). Why not build your own DIY surfboard Rack.
As the materials that make up softboards are different to hard boards, the methods and particularly the products used to repair them differ.
For major repairs, it goes without saying if you don’t know what you’re doing it’s best to get a professional to take care of it.
But if it’s a typical hole, fin cut or minor damage then you should learn how to have a go at it. There’s something extremely satisfying about fixing a surfboard, even if it doesn’t look perfect.
Do not use bodyboard repair kits for a soft top surfboard repair!
Let’s start by saying what most soft top manufacturers tell us. DO NOT use bodyboard repair kits to complete your soft top repair such as “The Blob” or “Sponge Rez” as they will eat away and damage the internal EPS foam core.
Bodyboards look very similar to softboards with their slick bottom and foam decks but bodyboards are generally made of PP (Polypropylene) or PE (Polyethylene), while the softboards are made from EPS (Extruded Polystyrene).
Where and what type of damage?
The severity of the damage and the specific location on the board will require different approaches so we will break it down by each component:
Fin chop / Holes
For punctures, cuts, gashes, pealed seams, skin rips and/or de-lams use: 3M Adhesive Sealant 5200 Fast Cure, Sikaflex 291, Gorilla Glue and/or hot-melt glue from a glue gun.
Epoxy Resin can be used but only in areas where you won’t place your hands or feet as it cures hard. The previous mentioned products dry to be a little more soft and malleable without any sharp edges.
Read next – Soft Top vs Epoxy Surfboard
Another option is SolarRez UV Cured Wetsuit repair. This dries clear and “rubbery” so there will be no sharp edges. As its Solar Cured, it may require a few layers to ensure the mixture can set.
Follow manufacturer’s instructions for correct and safe use of these repair compounds.
Ensure the area in question is clean and dry before attempting soft top repairs. Allow 24 hours for repairs to cure and dry before use.
Damage to slick Bottom
Most damage caused to the slick can be repaired in a similar fashion to dings on a typical hard surfboard.
Solar cured Epoxy such as Dura Resin or Gorilla 2 Part Epoxy are suitable products as they cure hard so is perfect for the slick side of a soft top surfboard.
If the surface of the damaged area is rough give it a light sand with a relatively fine grit sand paper/block. Once smooth, ensure it is clean and dry before applying any epoxy resin.
Apply the epoxy resin to fill any holes or sections and smooth it over using a bit of plastic so that it dries smoothly. Try to remove as much of the excess resin around the area in question to avoid having to unnecessarily remove it after it has set. Ideally you want to limit the amount of sanding that is required after it has cured/set. Be warned this stuff reacts quite quickly so you don’t have a lot of time to waste.
Bubbled Deck
Delamination or bubbles on the deck of soft top surfboards is a common issue that can occur from over exposure to heat, or even just from age or prolonged use.
This damage is generally very “cosmetic” and really shouldn’t affect board performance. If it’s a bubbled deck, we’d recommend slicing the deck, just enough so you can squeeze some glue in there.
Gorillia 2 Part Epoxy or a similar product will work well for this. Just double check packaging or ask at your hardware store to confirm it is an EPS safe one, and if you have any doubts, test it on a small sample area first.
Temporary minor repairs
If you are on a surf trip or away from any repair materials and you get a fin cut or small hole in your softboard but really want to keep surfing it, a simple “temporary” soft top surfboard repair trick you can use involves materials you are likely to have on hand:
- Surf wax (any kind)
- A lighter
- A spoon or metal cup
Place a small piece of wax in the spoon and heat with lighter flame until it starts to melt.
Carefully pour the liquid wax into the crack/hole you are filling.
Give it a bit of time to cool and harden and use the bottom edge of the spoon to press it firmly into place.
This is only good as a temporary fix to limit the amount of water that will get into the hole. It is not an ideal fix and should be properly repaired as soon as possible.
We hope you learned something – please feel to comment with any questions or issues you have with your foamie, or any tricks of the trade you have for soft top surfboard repair.
While you’re here, feel free to check our in depth reviews and softboard buyer guides.
Check out our article on how to wax a soft top surfboard.
How do you repair rails that have separated from the bottom of the board? Would you recommend 3M™ Marine Adhesive Sealant 5200 Fast Cure or something else to rebond the rails?
Hi Matt!
Yeah the 3M Sealant fast cure is what most people use and should do the trick for that issue. Is it just a small section or major – what type of board is it? Let us know how you get on!
Which glue to use? My soft surfboards slick bottom has detached from the foam? Quite a large surface.
Hi Toni – Gorilla Glue (epoxy adhesive) should do the trick.
Is there anything you can do about a soft top that has buckled and has a nice flex in the middle now? Can you stab skewers into it or something to make it flex less??
Hi Sam – thanks for the question!
Unfortunately sounds to me like you may have some pretty serious internal damage there within your soft top – more difficult to fix and I don’t have any easy suggestions. Not sure if you want to spend money or if it is worth it – but wouldn’t hurt to take it to a surfboard repairer for their take on it?
Cheers,
GET FOAMIE
Hi!
The top of my soft board was cut the other day by a fin. The cut is approximately of 15 cm length and 1 cm depth (It does not seem too deep) and doesn’t look to reach other than the top foam layer. Therefore, the fix is about filling the hole and avoid water coming inside the board.
What type of product would you recommend using to fix that (and leave a smooth surface if possible)? The 3M™ Marine Adhesive Sealant 5200?
Many thanks! Cheers
Hi Nacho – sorry just saw your comment! Yes the 3M Marine Adhesive should be perfect for shallow cut like that. Good luck!
I broke my softboard a couple of weeks ago and I am scared of fixing it.
There is sort of a crack from the side to the middle of the board, but is not loosen. Should I try to squeeze the glue within the crack? It would be hard since the board is thick and the parts divided by the crack barely move. (again, is not loosen, the crack stops in the center of the board)
I hope you are able to understand the explanation, if not I am willing to email you a picture.
Any help would be MUCH appreciated, I really want to surf again and that is my only board!
Hi Mateus, can you send a photo or two to hello@getfoamie.com and I’ll be able to get a better idea of what you’ve got there. Thanks!
Hi. I left my brand new odysea board in my car overnight. The light was on and the heat burned a hole into the bottom. What’s the best product to use for this? And any advice on how to get color in there so it slightly matches?
Hi Christina!
wow thats unlucky. How deep is the hole? I’d suggest filling it with Epoxy resin eg Solarez. With regard to the colour I think the easier option would be to use a matching spray paint or paint.
Good luck with the repair 🙂
Good morning!
Thank you for such a great website! Yesterday, my Odessa board received a fin cut on the tail that went through both the soft top and the slick bottom (clean cut). Luckily, the cut is only about 2 inches into the board since it was actually stopped when it hit my fin. Would you recommend 3M Marine Sealant 5200 to fix the entire cut? Or, should I use a combination of 5200 on the top and something more solid on the slick bottom (e.g. Gorilla Glue)? Thanks for any advice!
Hi Mike!
I suggest you could use an epoxy product eg solarez for the whole thing. Without seeing it – as it’s a small cut being on the tail it probably doesn’t matter too much what you use (as in hard like slick or not). I’d just use one product.
Hi,
I just got a wavestorm off of craigslist for super cheap, but it’s got a decent bit of separation between the top foam cover and the internal foam core. It also looks like the prev owner tried to paste it up w something that ate a bit out of the internal foam. see pics here: https://imgur.com/a/J9rrvyx I’m looking to get it back together so I can take it out soon (the prev owner says its still rides w the current damage, so I’m hopeful). Is this the type of thing I could paste back together w 3M 5200 Fast Cure or do I need to find a different product?
Thanks!
Rocky
Hey Rocky!
I recommend a product like Gorilla Glue (Epoxy).
Apply it on the outer layer as best you can throughout that area and then you’re going to have to try and hold it down in place with consistent pressure until it sets – 5 minutes or so.
It won’t be perfect but should do the job for a while. It will happen again over time though. Good luck!
Hey been trying to replace a long fin box in a boardworks surfboard. It’s a regular surfboard box. I first tried to use epoxy. It seemed to hold but then the box fell out. Is epoxy to hot that it eats the foam? What the best to secure a fin box in?
Thanks
Hey Ken,
Epoxy will be ok to secure a fin box I believe, but you have to make sure it’s an EPS foam safe epoxy.
Also maybe sand the fin box to create a rough surface for the resin to adhere to it.
Hi, I’ve just received a Catch Surf Odysea Log and unfortunately it has been damaged by the courier.
There is a small ding in the top layer of foam which is the size of a thumbnail and doesn’t look very deep.
I don’t really want to send it back as everywhere has sold out, need it for a trip and am in the process of hopefully some kind of compensation as the courier messed up.
I’m looking at using a glue gun for the minor repair, but was wondering if you would recommend an alternative.
Many Thanks,
Phil
Hey Phil, the downside of board deliveries right? Yeah if it’s a small superficial ding – glue gun should be sufficient. Enjoy your trip!
I have an 8 ft. South Bay board that appears to have bubbling on the slick bottom. It seems like it’s just air in there. Do I need to pierce it to get it out and reseal with epoxy?
Hi Stacey,
I had someone send me through a video of a new south bay board with same issue. I suggested to them that they contact south bay and get some feedback. let us know how you get on?
how do you replace foam on a board that lost its foam or do you just epoxy where the foam is no longer there. its a surftech soft top
Hi Ian, how big a piece is missing?
Hey guys!
So I have a light cut on the back top of my foamie (like where a track pad would go in between fin screws) and per ur guys suggestion I got the 3M adhesive but I forgot it’s a white paste. It’s a dumb little detail I know but I’d rather have like a clear or silicon glue or sealant so it blends in with my blue board a little better.
With the said, I saw gorilla glue does have a 100% silicone sealant. Would this work? Or would it not be strong enough to hold on? Thanks guys for this article!
Hi Joe,
Yes that will be fine for a small cut on the deck
Get Foamie
Hey!
I bought a bom bora 8’0 foamie a few months ago. I had it on top of my car and my antenna went into it and has put about a 1cm cut in it (past the blue top layer) and about 3cm length. There is a bit of a superficial scrape next this too. Would the 3M adhesive be fine to use?
Also not that it’s a damage but the sides of the board are kind of rough and when sitting up and scrapes the insides of my legs, friends who have borrowed have experienced the same thing. It’s a different feel to the top of the board. Have you come across this at all or know what could help for this? Cheers in advance
Sorry just in addition to above, would the silkaflex 291 be ok as it is more easily accessible
Hi Mandy,
The sikaflex 291 should do the trick to seal that cut. As for the sides scraping the legs, not much you can really do there except for wearing wetsuit pants or something! All the best.
Love the site! My son just got a hand me down Catch Surf Skipper and the bottom is scratched up. No cracks, but scratches. Anything we can do to refinish the bottom?
Hi Chachi,Thanks for the feedback! It depends on how bad the scratches are – if they’re just superficial I’d suggest leaving as is. If they are getting to the point where they are starting to crack you could consider a layer of epoxy to seal it. All the best!
I broke one of the rails of my foamie. It’s a pretty big chunk with exposed foam (maybe 2″ x 5″). The piece could probably be removed but it seems like it could also be glued back in place. Which product would you recommend? Should I glue the chunk back on and fill up the seams or just remove it?
Hi Jayne,
If it’s a large and intact piece of the foam I would suggest glue in back in place and fill in any gaps.
Good luck!
Hi – appreciate the Get Foamie site! Wondered what your take was on the strongest foamies available?
I just snapped my 8’0 Catch surf odyssey Log and am gutted, only had it since November. Guess I’ve been watching too many JOB videos!.. decided to stay on into a really hollow section I knew I wouldn’t be making it out of instead of fading off the top. I’m not keen on spending another $700 or so to replace it so was wondering if there were stronger substitutes out there?
Hi Olly, sorry to hear about the board! If only we all had a never-ending supply of boards like JOB right?! 😉
It’s hard to say man, I don’t really think any soft tops that I know of are going to withstand continued abuse in really hollow / heavy breaks/shallow water… but to be fair neither would fibreglass boards. I think you were quite unlucky to snap it after one heavy wave but that’s the way it goes sometimes…the wrong wave and the wrong split second decision I guess.
Any one else got any opinions on this?
Hey a friend of mine let me have a wave storm because they are convinced it’s dead. I want to try and revive it to be able to lend it to friends. It has a couple little dents/mini chunks and scrapes in the foam top but I don’t care too much about those (I could always just fill them in later with some gorilla glue?). The main concern is that the laminate base at the nose is peeled back about 9 inches… and to be fair it does look haggard but I am wondering what I could do? A surf buddy suggested a contact cement and to leave it clamped up… any other suggestions?
Hi Michael,
I’d suggest something like an epoxy adhesive like this one from gorilla glue should do the trick. Probably not a bad idea to leave it clamped while it cures. Maybe leave overnight.
Cheers
GET FOAMIE
This website and your reviews are awesome. I have a softlite softtop.
I have a compression damage to the bottom rail from straps on the roof rack. The strap has pushed down on the edge of the slick bottom causing a 2cm crack to the bottom edge and foam compression to side rail. Anyway to expand the foam with heat? and then epoxy or glue the bottom plastic?
Cheers
Hi Andrew, thanks for the feedback!
Unfortunately I’m not sure of a good way to fix the impression without risk of damaging the foam. I’d be wary of trying heat. You can repair the crack in the slick bottom using an epoxy product.
Anyone else got any ideas of the foam compression?
What works sometime with surfboards foam is to use a rag dampened with water and put the iron on it for a little bit, this creates a bit of vapor that helps expand the foam. I’d be careful to do it for a short time first, however it shouldn’t burn nor melt the foam.
Hi! This post is super helpful. Repaired some minor top dings to my Odysea log with 3m 5200 and when I pulled off the packing tape all the fill came with it. Any suggestions?
Hi jessica! It could be that you are just using the wrong type of tape, you should use a masking/painters tape. Also, try letting it cure longer.
Hey, I have two older foamie that are showing their age. They still are structurally sound but the top farm is starting to break down a bit and flaking away. Is there a way to reseal them?
HI Andrew, sorry for the delay in responding!
It’s a good question and one I’m not sure the answer. Paint type products may not work to seal, i’m wondering if a sealant type spray could work instead? It’s an issue with the soft tops when materials break down.
If you find any solutions to this please share!
Great Advice on your website. Same issue with a ElNino soft top. Great board my kids love it but top surface is flaking away quite bad now so not really environmentally friendly for the ocean.
That’s my thoughts a spray on type sealer that locks it up but I just haven’t found it. I’ll continue looking 👀
Hey,
So I bought a Bom Bora 9ft to practice and move around on. The board structurally is fine but the foam ontop has lost its smooth seal and is now giving me a painful and nasty foam rash every time I surf. I am wearing 3/4 tights which helps but wondered if there was something I could do for the seal? I have even contemplated duct taping!
Thanks in advance!
Hi Ellie,
Unfortunately most soft tops seem to irritate the skin so short of wearing a wetsuit, it’s hard to avoid the rash! I’ve seen something about using wax paper and an iron to seal crumbling deck foam – see more here: https://surfing-waves.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=33344
hi i have a Grecko 9ft surfboard my daughter broke it in half. two foot from the nose. Both wooden stringers broke. I feel sad I had for about 5 years it was my go-to board to let folks use. Can it be repaired?
Hi John, Sorry to hear that! Unfortunately I think if it’s cleanly snapped in two you’ll likely struggle to ever restore sufficient structural integrity.