Having an Inflatable SUP board repaired – Guest Post by SUP Bloke
SUP Bloke here. I’m going to talk for a minute about our experience of puncturing an inflatable SUP board, and then having it repaired. I’d like to convey that it was a good experience, and now I’m a more relaxed rider knowing they can be repaired to a high standard should the worst happen.
This happened last year before the current Corona virus situation, SUP Chick was going out for a quick paddle by herself while I was at work. Unfortunately the inflatable SUP was not sitting quite straight in its bag, unbeknown to SUP Chick allowing a corner to lightly drag on the ground on the way to the car. This wore a small hole right on the edge board where it folds when rolled up. Oh no! Possibly the worst spot to get a hole, especially considering the standard repair kit sent out with most inflatables looks like it could only do a mediocre job at best.
Sup chick was distraught, not only could she no longer get out for a paddle but the board was ruined, and just days before the Falkirk Wheel Lock and Paddle Challenge! Through the magic of Google we found Lomo Watersports UK, right here in Glasgow only 10 minutes from home. A quick phone call to them revealed they could indeed repair SUP Chicks board, and it was quickly taken down to their shop to be fixed. Oh the relief!
Lomo sell a range of water sports equipment including their own range of inflatable SUP boards as well as specialising in repair of wetsuits and dry suits. The quality of the repair they did on our board was fantastic, I would say it is probably stronger than original. Due to the difficulty of making a lasting repair on a natural fold of the board, the way they repaired it was to first glue a patch on from the inside (therefore the air pressure is pushing it out against the inside), then glue another patch on from the outside. The repair took several days, however that included time for the glue process to cure and for the board to be pressure tested. I marvel at the way they were able to first glue a patch on the inside, that must have taken some very dexterous hand work!
We were extremely happy with the standard of repair, all for a reasonable cost. If you’re ever in the unfortunate position of needing to repair an inflatable SUP and don’t trust the standard repair kit sent out with most boards, give Lomo Watersports in Glasgow a call and they will sort it out. If you’re not in the Glasgow area, it might require a little thinking outside the box but have a look around for somewhere that repairs drysuits, inflatable dingys or white water rafts. Below are a few links to Lomo, and I would point out this is in no way a paid collaboration with them, we just like their work!
Instagram @lomowatersport
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