Ding in Middle of Bottom -- Getting Water 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