Workshop: How to repair your carbon fin

Stephan Gölnitz

· 26.11.2024

Carbon fins can be repaired quickly with simple means and soon be back on the water

The easiest way to do this is on coarse (80 grit) sandpaper with a spare carbon batten. But other defective carbon parts (masts, booms, extensions) are also suitable if you don't want to file down the seat post of your mate's carbon bike.

Too much carbon dust is not needed. Care must be taken to ensure that the fine dust is not inhaled and does not enter the environment.

The fin is then taped with crepe on one side as a working base.

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Photo: Stephan Gölnitz

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One stumble, a quick slip - and the noble fin is already touching down roughly at some entry points. ITA racer and surf tester Daniel Slijk knows an inexpensive and good repair option for quick and lasting repairs.

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Zack, one slip. And the fin was already damaged during the surf test on the rocky Lago beach. During the freerace sailing test, of all things, where we attach great importance to identical comparison boards and identical and good fins. What the ADAC does on the motorway - roadside breakdown assistance - in our case surf tester Daniel Slijk did with a quick repair on the beach. After 15 minutes, the fin was ready to ride again.

For the repair you need

Sandpaper (approximately: 80 and 180 dry, 240 and 400 wet)
Crepe tape
Carbon fibre sanding dust (from batten or similar)
Superglue (alternatively 5-minute epoxy)

The advantage of this method is that superglue is almost always available worldwide - in the popular Chinese shops, often for a few cents in many southern holiday resorts. If you want to work even more solidly, use a small amount of 5-minute epoxy instead of the glue (available in model shops, DIY stores and even China shops as a double syringe for the right mixture). The black powder can be mixed in beforehand and then processed as above. Such resins can usually be sanded after one hour.

We reveal how to repair fins made from other materials here

Stephan Gölnitz

Deputy Editor in Chief surf

Stephan Gölnitz comes from Bochum and had Holland as his home windsurfing territory for many years before moving to Munich in 1996 for the job of test editor at surf magazine. The materials engineering graduate worked as a surf instructor on the Ijsselmeer during his studies and competed for several seasons for the Essen sailing team in the Surfbundesliga and the Funboard Cup. He completed a traineeship at surf-Magazin in the test department and since then has actively accompanied almost all tests on the boom and for more than 10 years also as a photographer. Stephan has covered many thousands of test kilometers, mainly on Lake Garda and in Langebaan, but also in Egypt and Tobago. He gets his hands on over 100 new sails and boards every year as his company car. Privately, he prefers to surf with a foil on Lake Walchensee or “unfortunately far too rarely” in the waves. SUP is Stephan's second passion, which he pursued for several years at numerous SUP races. Today, he prefers to paddle on river tours with family or friends - even for several days.

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Workshop: How to repair your carbon fin

For the repair you need

Stephan Gölnitz

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