Review: Solarez

This will be an ongoing process concerning my personal preference for the easiest/quickest way to fix digs:

When it comes to any form of repairs or construction, I'll be honest, I am no Bob Vila (Yes I actually know who he is). However, with that being said, I recently gathered up the courage to try and repair the dings on my 6.0 thruster. Until now, I usually took my busted boards to my local shop (Kennedy's), paid around $20 or so, and then waited for my beloved board to be returned to me. Yet I will be entering the real world shortly (meaning employment), and because of that, I've needed to budget my funds appropriately. So, like every other manly man surfer in California, I will be fixing my dings on my own.

For my first go on fixing my board, I tried Solarez. Solarez is a "fiberfill UV-Cure polyester resin," and it is designed to be an easy/efficient manner to fix dings, especially for (gifted) individuals such as myself. The process is relatively simple and begins with the individual identifying the area in need of repair (duh), then roughening the damaged area, and then placing a small amount of the resin (in the shade mind you) on said area. The instructions also suggest placing a bit of plastic on top of the resin, so that you can smooth it out with your fingers, but I have gotten away with not doing it all. Finally, once the area is properly covered, bring your board into direct sunlight, and presto, in 30 seconds the gunk should turn as hard as a rock.

Final decision:

The stuff is very easy to use, but it can be a bit messy and stinky (the smell is comparable to immersing your head in a bucket of kerosene). Also, the finished product can look a bit rough, and though it can fix and cover a ding, the material is still pretty sensitive, so treat your board like the special lady she is and be gentle with her. In addition, the stuff only works in direct sunlight, so cloudy days can ruin your chance for repair relatively quickly. All in all though, Solarez is a great alternative to duck tape, and I will be using it on my boards for whenever I have a minor ding to fix.