I have a 3 year old RRD Cult Quad 83 which is in really good condition - except for the bottom, which has come away from the base which has come away from the core over about 75% of the board length - it feels like its just the outer shell. A board repairer tells me its fixable (drill lots of holes - inject glue - vacuum bag), and repair will probably work for a while, but can't say how long. Anyone got any first hand experience of this type of repair, or knowledge if its worth doing? I will use the board for jumping as well as riding, but Im only 70kg. Worth a repair, or put the money into a new board?
I've had 3 boards do that to me over the years, with the first one I kept riding it because it was water tight. The board was more flexible because of that, as well as slower, it's structural integrity was compromised, so didn't last very long and gave up the ghost when it broke.
I didn't try to fix the other 2 that happened later, couldn't justify the added weight of all that glue, even with vac bagging or sand bagging. Also if the board is flexing, you have to assume that the core strength is weaker also, so gluing the bottom back on never made much sense to me. So the other 2 are now wall hangers, and have been for quite awhile. I think it's from jumping too much, even with nothing but tail or nose landings.
had the same issue as you on my RRD, gave up fixing, sold it for 100$ and bought another board
mate had the same problem, fixed it by opening it and gluing it and then resealing it, worked but he still sold it has it looked real ugly and weighed more.
If it's an otherwise great board I'd do it. The added weight should be no more than a couple of hundred grams. I use short fibres and a foaming agent in my epoxy and some careful timing and vac pressure - the resulting durability is not assured though .
If not I'm happy to recycle the board with some $$ your way if it's in otherwise good condition or for parts
Sounds good Adam,
I've fixed them in the past, by routing around the rails and lifting the base off. If the underlying foam isn't damaged the old base can just be stuck back down, with a small amount of resin, but then extra glass has to be added over the routing groove to restore structural integrity. If the core foam is damaged, and it mostly is, then that has to be smoothed off, more foam added, and then a new base. Probably not worth the trouble.
Adam's way sounds better.
Mal Faulkner also has an approach that most people discount, but he's done 2 boards that way with no problems.
He just drills holes right though the board at about 20mm spacing down the board center line, and sews it together with something tough.
Where it's in the planing area of the base he sands out a channel for the threads, and aligns them so they lie flat. Then puts them under tension and fills holes with resin. Doesn't seem to add much weight but the fix is very visible, however it's extended the life of the boards he's done that way at least 2 years. (that's when I first saw them and they're still going), and it's not a lot of work.
Its true Decrepit - often the root cause of the delam has disintegrated the core to varying degrees the core. I have one open at the moment where the core has partially melted over a 700 x 700 area in the middle of the bottom. All the damaged material is now removed so I can replace the foam and laminate.
I recently did another where I repaired the delam(20% of bottom in the middle) with Decrepits method only to find the rest of the board delamed either side of it. If its had have been a repair to 70% of the board it would have had more chance of success.
Mal Faulkners method sounds very cool. I hear-by declare this method be known now and forever more as 'MALS METHOD' aka The Mattress Method. And my nomination for Mal's Knighthood is in the post to Tony - lets hope Lizzy signs it off!
guys - thanks for the advice. ManOverboard - where are you in WA? Im currently overseas, but need to sort this in september when Im back - probably be worth you having a look? I do jump quite a lot (sail a lot at coro) so maybe the core is damaged. The board is still watertight, and I have sailed it a few times since it delaminated but have tried not to jump. This was the first time Ive bought RRD (bought 2 Wave Cults - very happy with the performance otherwise, nice shapes) - I know any board can delam, but this is the first time for me in 20 odd years of windsurfing (mostly had fanatics before) its happened so not sure id buy RRD again.
Well now you mention it, one of the boards I fixed was an RRD, I thought the bottom was a carbon sandwich, looked the same, slightly sanded through paint layer with black underneath.
But when I sanded into it, I noticed the fibers were clear and the resin was black, so it was just glass with black resin.
It didn't mention carbon anywhere on it, so it wasn't false advertising, but I still think making a board that looks like carbon when it isn't is a bit underhanded.
I'm based in Woodlands, near Scarb's & Osborne Pk. I do pick up and deliver Windsurf/SUP/Kiteboards through WindSurfing Perth in Myaree weekly if thats easier. Either way, no problem!
Decrepit and Steveh, the RRD's that have glass and black resin are really obvious, made about 2009 - 2011 and they are advertised as being only biaxial glass, no mention of carbon.
The Contest construction with innegra/carbon is called just that and is obvious. Likewise, the carbon/kevlar ones before that were also pretty obvious.
I have had all 3 and can't bust them even with my classic flat landings.
At least RRD has not labelled the board as having carbon, when it is just little bit on top and the rest with black resin so you think it is full carbon (like some brands have 
)
It is very likely you have a fault same as any board can have. Any board can delam......
So please don't go off RRD
(I have seen many more busted Fanatics than RRD's BTW)
Here's a previous thread with some great ideas
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/Is-it-worth-repairing/#1403556
Yesterday I posted a photo of Mal and I at Taylors beach, on this thread,
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/FNQ-WINDSURFING-spots/
today I noticed you can clearly see his stitching.
