Yes, even YOU can spray your own board!
Ok, I am sure there are a few different board spray do-it-yourself tips out there, but this is the really simple one, where you need just a tiny bit of creativity and a couple of things from the nearest hardware store. I was in G-Land when I did this, but luckily had bought my basics in Bali.
All you surfers out there know that forking out that initial cash for a new board is hard enough and expensive enough on its own, so when its an extra £30 for a spray it can just be that little bit too much. Well that’s what deters me, especially knowing that the board could snap in the first surf!! For those of you who think you are not creative enough to do it, do not fear, I am certainly no artist and make sure I keep it really simple. This is the 4th board I have sprayed in the last 5 years or so.
What you’ll need:
Surfboard
Simple spraypaint cans (2 colours sufficient)
Clear Lacquer
Sandpaper (optional)
Masking tape
Step 1:
The first thing you need to do is choose or create a design, either you can just make it up, ask friends or search the web on sites like boardflare.com. This one I was actually going to do diamonds on the whole area but got lazy and realised it would look good with diamonds and lines too. Choose 2 colours that compliment each other, and having one bright is always good for simple designs.
If it is a new board clean it with thinners or acetone and if already used (like mine) then leave the board in the sun for 10 minutes and then scrape the wax off with a wax comb (bank cards also work). Try and get all the wax off using acetone/thinners or what I did here was just to rub it with a towel after doing as much as I could with a wax comb. You could do a quick sand with fine sandpaper to help the paint stick better (not essential but likely to last longer).
Step 2 (pic 1):
Now that you have decided on your spray and cleaned your board it is time for a little preparation. You want to make sure that spray-paint doesn’t go onto the rest of your board, so you need to cover along the edges of where you are going to paint. Here I just put cardboard over where the grip is and stuck a packet down with masking tape along the top of where my design would be (newspaper would have been easier but remember I was in the jungle!).
Step 3 (pics 2 & 3):
Now that you have prepped your board it is time to start spraying. I find that the easiest designs are the ones where you have a base colour (the lighter one) and then use masking tape or cut out stencils for the design. You want to get your spray as even as possible so hold the can about 20-30cm away from the board and spray over evenly. Let it touch dry.
Step 4 (pic 4):
Ok now it is time for prepping for the design. With a lack of options I just used masking tape to make my design. If I had put the sticky side down it would have taken paint off with it so I put it on upside down and bent the ends over to stick it down (simple if you try it). Make sure you are happy with it before you start spraying. At this point for extra effect you could spray a little bit of dishwashing liquid on the board for random ‘squiggles’, which you would wash off at the end.
Step 5 (pics 5 & 6):
Now that you have it taped up it is time for the second layer of paint. Once again you want it as even as possible and to make sure it is thick enough so that the new colour is dominant. Make sure it goes all the way to the edges. Let it touch dry.
Step 6 (pics 7 & 8):
Take the tape or stencils off, and Voila there you have it, your new design. If you used dishwashing liquid wash it off lightly with water. Once the paint is dry spray the clear lacquer over the design, this really helps to stop it chipping or rubbing off. If it is a bit rough you can sand it with fine sandpaper. Let it dry, wax your board up and go surfing!
This entire process took me about an hour and a half and is good fun. It is always good to do it with a friend to get an extra opinion, and it really is easy! You will have enough paint to do 2 or 3 boards depending on how big your design is. Enjoy!!
Chris Bond
Ticket to Ride
South Africa