Is your bodyboard heavier than you think it should be? Are you unsure whether there’s water in your boogie board? Here’s how to check if you’re board is soaked.
Bodyboards are durable wave riding vehicles, but they’re not bulletproof. And if water makes it to the core, it will weaken and destroy the materials, leading to decreased performance.
In the worst case scenario, a waterlogged bodyboard will snap in two, and you will need a new one.
The trick to making it last longer is to monitor its health continually. Ideally, you should give it a check-up before and after a session, so that you can assess and detect any crack or tear in the different areas of the board.
If you spot any water entrance, leave it to dry in an outdoor space under the shade, and then immediately repair your bodyboard.
With the passing of time and the use, the plug leash may loosen over the years and open, letting salt and fresh water in. Whenever possible put silicone in the plug hole, and re-install the leash.
But it can also happen in the rails, nose, and tail. One of the most common issues is bodyboard delamination. It occurs when the glue between the deck and the slick loses power and needs to be sealed back together.
All three main types of bodyboard cores – Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), and Extruded Polystyrene (EPS) – are more waterproof than a standard surfboard’s polyurethane core, but years and years of seawater won’t do your boogie board any good.
But how can you check if a bodyboard is waterlogged or not? Perform one or more of the following actions:
1. Weigh your bodyboard before and after a session;
2. Squeeze your dry sponge and notice if water is draining away from the core;
3. Suck the cracks of the boogie board to detect the presence of saltwater;
4. Submerge the bodyboard in a bathtub and look for air bubbles;
5. Put your board in a sealed transparent bag and under the sun for 30 minutes – if humidity appears in the bag, it’s because it’s waterlogged;
Remember that the sooner you remove water from the bodyboard’s core, the more it will last.
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