Ding in Middle of Bottom -- Getting Water Out?

[Roger]

I just noticed a substantial exposed ding on the bottom of my Hellfire -- it is in the bottom of the board right over the Hellfire insignia. From prior damage, I know the danger of failing to get all the water out of a Firewire.

Here is my question... The place with the damage is not a place where it can easily drain out. Indeed, I haven't seen any water come out of the crack at all. However, I am leery of patching it up without a thorough drying.

Should I patch up the ding and drill a hole in the back to allow any water to drain out using gravity?

Or should I just use board bog for the next few days and then remove the temporary repair and let it air dry for a month or so when the waves are smaller?

Or should I drill out the existing hole to allow more water to evaporate?

Or something else?

Feedback appreciated. Oh, it is an FST.

[Slowman]

Get a saw and cut it in half longways and separate and leave to dry! Sorry, seriously I think from the sound of it the ding is pretty much at the lowest point of the rocker line. I'm sure with some adjustment at either end you can arrange it so that it is the lowest point and leave it in that position to drain/dry out for a couple of days. These boards weigh about 2.5kg if it is around that weight it's probably all out. Some slight suction might also help by sticking a suction cup over the hole, if you can get one to fit.

[Chris]

yeah use a bit of paper towel too, it can help draw the water out. Just takes time and gravity. do your best to get you ding at the low point and be patient.

Hope this helps a bit!

[iggy]

Time is your most important friend now!!!.Make sure the board is completely dry before patching that up!!!.The worst thing you can have is water trapped in there!!!.Try to limit the damage to the existing one.

[prjwebb]

Try some rice too. That's good for drawing out water.

[Roger]

Thanks everyone. I will try these tactics. I am traveling soon, and can leave it stored for about 45 days with the hole at the lowest point.

Chris, what is the approximate dry weight of a 6'8" Hellfire FST? (I am assuming it is a bit more than Slowman's 6'2)

By the way, the Hellfire is the best board I have ever owned. Hellfire and SP is the perfect two board quiver.

[Chris]

hey roger, i don't have that info from where i sit. i would go more by touch and observations of whether water is still dripping out. One way to get a good idea is to put the board in a cold place and then take it out into a room between 70 and 80 degrees and maybe get it a little sun. Doing that causes the air in the board to contract, then expand. during the expansion, if there is water, the ding will bubble and/or drip.

give that a try.

NOTE: don't leave the board in hot direct sunlight for an extensive amount of time. If you don't see any bubbling or dripping after 10-15 mins, chances are the majority of the water is out.

Hope this helps.

[Roger]

This is the odd thing. I am sure the crack goes to the foam, and I am sure I did not crack it outside the water. But, I have not seen even the tiniest amount of water come out. When I heat it up as you suggest and put a paper towel at the spot the towel is totally 100% dry.

My assumptions are either that the water is trapped somewhere else in the board or that someone damaged my board in the garage and didn't tell me. Looks like we get a Hellfire swell tomorrow, so maybe I should patch it up today.

[prjwebb]

If it's dry and it doesn't feel heavy it sounds like that's the case.
Water should move through the EPS fairly easily so if there was some it'd be finding it's way out.

[Roger]

Thanks all. I am also ordering some Board Bog and will let you all know how that works out.

[JVSouth]

After reading this I would appreciate more advice on temporary repairs while away; having 10 days in Sri Lanka this June and considering how to handle drying out for repairs. Hopefully I will get no dings, but will take board bog and an epoxy kit in case; Question is how long to dry the board before a temporary repair. Could I say dry it till the water stops dripping then do a temp repair and do a proper job at home - i.e. dry it for longer later on? What are the short & long term effects of repairing and using a board if there is still some moisture inside? Would it limit or reduce damage to remove the repair and re-dry the board for longer when I get home?

It is a short trip, I want to minimise time out of the water - but also mindful of water damage. I will have only one board due to costs etc - AddVance Rapidfire. Advice and suggestions all appreciated.

[iggy]

A temporary repair is simply temporary. As long as you give it a proper repair once home everything should be fine. Let it dry in a well ventilated place.
There is also the old "sucking option".
Heat should be avoided since it could lead to delimitation if no supervised properly
Again the best thing is to let it on a well ventilated place and just patch it and then when home just perforate a little hole where the repair was to let it dry properly.
Hopefully you won't get any dings over there

[hanaleisurfer]

Let gravity and time do its work. I found a napkin works wonders. It will suck out the water from the ding. Also a ding repair guy told me to put a dehumidifier on in a room. Ding HAS to be dry before you fix it!!

[iggy]

Also, and this will sound crazy, put some uncooked rice on the ding, it will absorb the humidity, or so the urban legends say

[prjwebb]

Yeah rice will draw the water out. Also go from a warm place to a cool place and the slight expansion and retraction will act like a pump to push the water out. Repeat as necessary.
Id always give it as long as possible to dry even with a temp repair.

Where are you headed in Sri Lanka?

[JVSouth]

Thanks again all for good advice - Iggy - sensible; Rice is available in SL. PRJ; Plan is most time around Arugam, hopefully other breaks aside from main point are on; Hire car - drive from airport straight South, around coast as far as possible then up the middle through mountains and to Arugam. If I find any out of season surf in the South will stay there a bit, otherwise not really. Am getting ready for a white knuckle experience trying to navigate.

[prjwebb]

Sounds like fun! I would say you'd be unlucky to get a ding at Arugam. Fin scrapes possibly, but fingers crossed no dings, at least in the water!

[Chris]

thanks Iggy