What To Look For In A Ding Repair Shop
A few thoughts around what makes a great surfboard repair — and how to spot a shaper who can really save your favourite board.
Finding the right person to fix your board can make a huge difference. A bad repair — I have done a bunch of them myself — and you’ll have to redo them again shortly. Worse, they may affect how your board performs, or how long it lasts you.
Bottom, tail, fins. That’s where it gets serious.
The Number-One Thing
Dings on the deck or even cracks on the rail are something almost anyone can do. But as soon as the damage is on the bottom, the tail, or especially the fin boxes — you may need a real expert. Why is that? Because the bottom contours of your board, the tail rocker and tail shape, but particularly fin positioning, angle and cant, will very noticeably affect how your board goes through the water.
That’s why my number-one piece of advice is to find someone who is a ding-repair / shaper, with the emphasis on shaper. A shaper will understand fin placement, angles, and rocker as well as anybody — if they have a bit of experience.
Ask Questions
You want to get a sense of how confident the repair person is with the kind of damage you’re dealing with. If they quickly say they’ve done this before, that’s a great sign. Ask them what they’re thinking, how they might fix it. If they have concrete approaches on the spot — another great sign.
Ideally they’ll tell you what materials and techniques they plan to use. They might mention that they’ll reinforce the damaged area with an extra layer of fibreglass cloth or even carbon. The point is to get a feel for how experienced, competent, or even creative they appear to be.
As a bonus, you can ask whether they can recreate the colour of your board around the repair.
Know Your Construction
This is probably an obvious one for most of you: not all shacks can handle every construction type.
- PU (polyurethane). The most common board type. Pretty much guaranteed — you’d hardly call yourself a ding-repair shop if you couldn’t fix this. Can even be fixed with epoxy resin if that’s all the shack has on hand.
- EPS / Epoxy. Very common. Requires slightly different materials and techniques. Make sure the shop has experience and dries the board extensively. EPS soaks up water like a sponge, and fixing it too early can cause it to delaminate later when the trapped water boils in the sun.
- Carbon. Pretty rare as a full construction, but more and more boards (DarkArts and similar) are popping up. You’ll want a real specialist here. Look for well-known shapers or highly-rated shacks.
- Modern wood constructions. Even rarer — you may have a real journey ahead. Smaller fixes will most likely be possible using fibreglass and resin, but any serious damage will require specialists.
- Soft-tops. Often overlooked. Most shops can probably improvise a solution; some have specific ones. Broadly: for a soft board you don’t want repairs that fully harden the patch. There are special glues that seal dings without going rock-solid.
Turnaround Time
If you’re on a trip, turnaround time matters. Ask upfront:
- How long will the repair take?
- Can they do rush jobs?
- Will the repair be fully cured before you pick it up?
Cured ≠ dry to the touch.
Resin can feel hard hours after it’s mixed but won’t reach full strength for a day or two. If you surf a board too early, you risk popping the patch off — and undoing all the work.
Look for Verification
On DingShacks, verified shops have been endorsed by multiple surfers, or visited by us personally. The verified badge means the community trusts them. It’s not a guarantee — but it’s a much better starting point than a Google search and a hopeful drive across town.
Price Isn’t Everything
The cheapest repair isn’t always the best. Boards are expensive. Don’t save on repairs that don’t last.
Looking for one? Find a trusted surfboard repair shop near you in our community-driven worldwide directory.
Found a great repair shop? Endorse them on DingShacks to help other surfers find them too.