Gday Peter,

I've done a couple of old surfboard conversions so far, good cheap way to get a directional. Total cost of mine was $50 including board from the tip.

Dunno about the fins,, I'd just give them a bit of a shape and seal them,, they may work like that? If not you can always take them out and fit some FCS plugs..

I never bothered ading a layer of glass for strength, old board I got was already pretty tough (Rusty),, heaps of dings, cracks etc. Main thing I did was to make sure it was watertight.

Foot position was easy, rear foot strap should be (for me) toward the front of the forward fins, front strap is slightly forward of where I normally stand when surfing. Or just have a close look at a few pro boards, you'll be able to guess where they go. I put in 2 extra attachment points so I could move straps forward or backwards.
I recycled an old damaged windsurfer, stripped out the deck plugs, cleaned them up, marked where I wanted them to go and used a router to make a channel (just dont go through the stringer). Then made up a stand to hold the plugs in place (and stop epoxy going in th eplug hole), finally filled the channel with epoxy, easy. Seems to be strong enough, only prob I found is that I kept bending stainless screws,, will add extra plugs for next board.

Also made up some foam footpads for comfort (found the surfing grip stuff a bit hard on the feet).. Will see if I can get a pic for you later..

Best thing about it is you can flog the crap out of it,, break it,, have a laugh and then (after a trip to the tip) make another one..

Good luck, and send us some pics when your done

Just as a rough guide, my 6' 2" Slingshot SST mid strap positions are 205, 365, 915, 1075mm all measurments from tail.

Just give yourself a free plug while you're at it Stefan

6'5 is pretty big... ok to get you up and riding to begin with, or for lighter wind/smaller kite. Then once you get styling on that, then consider a shorter board and swap b/w the two as conditions permit.

Fins are crucial for directional, try it as is if you like, but i'd be replacing either with new one's or glassing ur own if ur up for it.

If you like the shape etc and want to play more, you can always take some length off the tail and or re shape rear rails to desired overall flow.

Strength is going to be ur issue and great idea to add more glass, only concern is of it delaminating (new layer not bonding or coming apart from existing glass) once under stress.

Generally surfboards can handle a fair load, you'll always get heel compressions and it will NOT hold up to any type of repeated aerial stuff. It will never be as strong as an EPS board, but for the price who's complaining?!?!

Forget about straps on this board, will be too tempting to get a little air here or there and end the refurbished life of this board, each to their own, but I find it (strapless) a more natural feel b/w you and the board & the wave.

Get some deck grip for front and rear feet and you'll be sweet.

Oh and keep us updated with how it all goes!!!

yeeewwww!!

Jedibrad is right, straps aren't really gunna be a help, they're more for the extreme conditions if you so choose. & I'd say that ain't you right now.

get on it as is and ride it like your best mates sister.

richswing said...

I use Q-cell to fill my dings, it's basically fine styrene balls that expand when mix with poly resin and it is lighter than body filler and it's dirt cheap to buy.

Q-cell is actually tiny glass bubbles, Not styrene. Styrene is the solvent that carries the polyester.

Wow - lots of great advice - good work guys.
If you want to go with pads/straps but dont want the hassle of inserts you can buy stick-ons from most kite shops. Dearer than inserts but way simpler.
If you are scrounging old bits ask at your local kiteshop/s. Most have a wrecking yard of old bits and pieces you will get for free (or super cheap) and if owners arent busy they are quite likely to to take a personal interest in your project.
For what its worth most of my kite'surf' mates also suggested that I forget about straps when 1st going from TT to surfboard. IMO definitely a great way to go for a start - esp on a big old clunker with lots of bouyancy like yours. Learn on flat water strapless and add straps if & when u want them. Also lets you think about where you might want the pads to go when you do get round to them.

Love these recycle jobbys

you would be surprised how easy it is Pete..easier to practice in knee to waist deep water... to avoid face planting in shallow water ..lay back both feet up wait till the angle feels ok ..(ie comfortable ,this becomes obvious once you have a few goes) bit gentle with the kite instead of over cooking it and voila ...
standing start is a little harder at first but once you get the hang of it ..
easier to launch with your front foot on the board rather than your rear as the board careers off in all directions from a standing start...
few other jump start variations once you become a little more adventurous...
unless the area you kite is totally free of rocks /oysters /sticks/sting rays...etc a pair of booties the first few times will save you feet when you are trawling around in the shallows after overcooking it ...
your knees and ankles will love you!!

COL said...

Just as a rough guide, my 6' 2" Slingshot SST mid strap positions are 205, 365, 915, 1075mm all measurments from tail.

i transfered these measurements to my board and they look much like where i had guessed i might put the straps. thanks col.

i went from reading that the back footstrap needs to be further forward, near the front of the thruster fins, and the front needs to be at the widest point of the board.



knowing what i do now, after all these great posts, i should have tried the board before starting to fill the deck. now i have raw bog on top.

could i wax it up and try? or will the wax stuff up the bog?

if water does get into the board through cracks in the glass, what will that mean? long drying time required before more work can be done? or worse?

yeah what i was thinking ^^

i've got all the gear in the post.
fibreglass mat 100gsm 4mx1m
10 stainless inserts 5/16"
plus i have a set of 4 2" twintip fins coming

5/16" was best i could get in stainless. i wanted to get this type as they look solid.
and i can straddle the stringer.



found em on ebay. (a handy place at times)

the glass, from what i could see, is quite light weight.
i just need to get the resin, that i know i can find local.

so i've gone this far, i'll add the inserts, glue em in, glass it up and try it.

Thinking sideways there Rich Nice.

Looking at the pics again makes me wonder what the guy was thinking to slice off the fins like that ?? That is really wierd.

My 2 cents worth.
Buy a $150 gum tree second hand 5'11" / 6'1" surfboard and just do it. Learning is trial, error, time and fun. And shouldn't be frustrating your self trying to repair a old board that will no doubt crack or break again in that learning period. However if you have the time and the want to do it. Good luck

A few points Peter, but don't expect to pickup all you need to know from a forum.
*Wax won't affect the bog, the problem is getting it off again. You'd need to clean it off thoroughly & give it a good sanding all over again.
*Water in the cracks won't matter unless the skin has delaminated from the core. Just rinse with fresh water & dry thoroughly. Urethane cores are a closed cell foam so they don't suck up water. If wet for a long time it may deteriorate the foam.
*You'll need a larger hole than those fittings or they'll break free of the foam. Say 20mm dia & 25mm deep & set fittings in with a thick Q cell/resin mix. You'll have a well greased screw in the thread when you set them, & don't screw them out until resin is well set.
*mat 100gsm? Woven cloth is measured in oz (ounces) You didn't buy chopped strand mat did you? CSM is alot cheaper but nowhere near as strong & soaks up miles of resin. ie heavy
* A serious word of warning. Polyester resin catylist is extremely dangerous to the eyes. wear eye protection when mixing. I don't know for sure if it's true but I heard of a case of catylist in the eye that eventually travelled via the optic nerve to damage the other eye as well!

i know you have the gear now pete but an alternative method you or anyone else can use is to buy 4 legrope plugs... insert them at appropriate attachment points for your straps and attach the straps with small thin cable ties..while it sounds bodgey the major benefit of this is when you get rolled by a wave or crash from a great height the first thing to go is the cable tie saving your knee/ankle etc as the leverage from a surfboard over 6 feet is far greater than any TT....carry a few in your bag as spares..won't be long and you will come to the dark side...(strapless) .. anyway .
you will need to replace the fins on that board to have any real drive/carve power unless you are happy to spin out/around on any wave that you catch
post some finished photos when you are done !!
cheers