Dolsey Ltd. Since 1978.

Michael Dolsey Designs is your best choice for surfboards, paddleboards, and accessories. Our innovative designs will help make your watersports experience successful and enjoyable.able. 

            

 SUP and Surfboard  Care and Maintenance,

 Fin Installation

 Warranty   

 

Care will increase the life of any board, polyester, epoxy, carbon, plastic or fiberglass. With proper care, Dolsey products will last for many years.

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Dolsey watersports equipment, surfboards and paddleboards are produced utilizing various construction methods and materials and some systems are more durable than others. General care and maintenance requirements are common to most construction methods. This includes proper storage, handling, maintenance and care. 

 

General care and maintenance recommendations:

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*Always rinse boards and watersports equipment with fresh water after each use. 

*Inspect plugs and finbox perimeters for cracks.

*If possible, store in a bag.  

 

Be mindful where you keep your boards. 

Sun and heat are epoxy enemies! when transporting or storing it.

We highly recommend keeping your board in a foil, tarp, or canvas light-colored /reflective storage bag, 

Do not leave a board in a hot vehicle, in the direct sun, or on a dark surface exposed to the sun.

A closed car or container can reach temperatures over 100 degrees F, and that can damage the laminated system and heat can soften adhesive under the deck pad, or soft board top. 

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Boards are not covered under warranty against delamination damage caused by neglect, such as exposure, excessive heat or improper storage.

 

Winter storage: 

A board may freeze without damage.  As suggested, place in a dry storage bag. 

 

Air vent gasing plugs:

Most gasing vents are maintainence free, not to be tampered with, or  unscrewed

Epoxy and plastic boards are equipped air gasing vent valves, most are maintenance-free. Check air vent slots to make sure they are free of debris. An air vent can malfunction if clogged. A gasing vent valve can break with force. 

 

Important ! Do not store your board in a wet board bag, dry the board before leaving placing it in a bag for any length of time.  Moisture on paint can cause paint blisters and even mold. When your board is not being used, always place it deck-side down when storing, or even on the beach. 

 

Inspect your board:

Inspect SUP before and after use,  for cracks, plug issues, and or box failures, after each use,  especially the plugs, fin boxes, and handles. If you see water bubbling out of any plug, handle or box, or crack, seal the leak with Solarez, epoxy putty, crazy glue, or other water-proof sealing system.

 Water standing in handles, or plugs can freeze, expand and crack the plastic. Wash off plugs, this  will help to eliminate salt crystal build-up and possible clogging, and or rust of metal in the plugs. 

If you are not able to fix a problem yourself, take the board to a professional as soon as possible, and before further use.

 

Duct tape is not recommended. Five-minute epoxy can be used in an emergency but it will have to be removed and a proper repair made. If a fin box has any cracks that might allow water in, it should be repaired or replaced by a professional board repair shop.

 

Installing the center fin:

Note: Center boxes are a standard industry size and will accommodate most standard fins. The fin plate and screw are standard with most fins.  For a center box fin, slide the metal fin plate into the center slot in the fin box, slide it all the way to the front or back depending on whether the fin secures at the front or back of the fin box.

To secure use a phillips or flat-head screwdriver to tighten the screw through the fin into the sliding plate. Hand bolts (screws with a raised top that can me tightened with no tools)   

Slide fin to the desired location. Consider that a 10-inch fin is not needed for tracking, a 6- or 8-inch fin may in fact be a better choice, or a flex fin vs a hard rigid fin. Next, it is not uncommon for fins to have a slight bit of play from side to side, a thin piece of plastic. called a shim, will keep the center fin fit tighter in the box. Do not be afraid to experiment with different fin setups, and with various sizes to change the feel and tracking of a board.

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Installing side fins: 

Side fin boxes can be one of many different brands and are secured differently. Many are FCS type of boxes which have 2 hex-set screws to secure fin tabs in the plug, FCS type has 2 tabs.  A Futures fin box system only has one hex screw mounted in the front of the fin which secures the fin in place   Dolsey SUPs come with FCS  fins, SUPs and surfboards.  A hex fin key is provided with board and fin set   Note that the hex screws for the side fins only need to be "hand-tightened" to secure the fin in place. 

 

Damage from force is NOT covered by warranty:

Fin and fin box damage caused by excess pressure or force: Shown below is 1 side box crack caused by a fin pushed in the direction of the box failure. You see the fin was broken off from pressure and the same pressure caused finbox to be pushed into foam . Needs to be either repaired or replaced.  Also shown below are 2 center finbox cracked due to excess force on box.

 

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 NEVER stand on a surf or paddleboard on solid surfaces when fins are in.

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Delamination:

Separation of fiberglass and resin from foam, looks like a blister or bubble.

This is caused by excessive heat exposure and is not usually a manufacturers defect nor covered by warranty.  

 

Fractures and Punctures: These are not covered by normal warranty on most SUPs and or surfboards.

Dolsey Bam bams, pc Woodys, and Plastech Fantastic boards are covered against breakage. 

 

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Construction Types 

 Most SUPs are constructed with an EPS core/blank, styrene bead foam. The core is either machine CNC cut or hand-shaped, then laminated with one or more materials such as wood veneers, fiberglass (most common ) or polycarbonates.  Boards can either be hand-laminated or molded.

Molded boards tend to be more durable. Boards with polycarbonate sandwich construction tend to be more durable.  

Fiberglass is more brittle and fragile than carbon fiber, and kevlar is more durable than both. 

New plastic and thermoplastic materials are molded over over carbon and or kevlar under systems and are extremely durable.  Plastic covered boards can be re-polished or repaired if required.

These types are generally the choice of rental and lesson providers. 

Polyethylene is also very durable but is very heavy compared to other board construction materials.   

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Consideration for the environment has always been a part of the Dolsey philosophy, and  our thermo-molded SUPs are at the forefront of durability, and eco-friendly construction. 

 

Wood veneer construction methods allow for beautiful boards, and sometimes are more fragile and require more care. Overexposure to the sun is your board’s worse enemy.  Although these boards are constructed of UV resistant materials, overexposure to the sun can cause the colors to fade. While this will not affect the performance of your board, it will tarnish the finish.

 

Dings or Cracks: 

A ding is a depression or crack in or thru the fiberglass shell.   A crack is a serious problem. usually caused when the board comes in contact with a hard surface at a rapid speed. A crack may breach the seal between the fiberglass shell and foam core allowing water to enter the foam core. This situation is serious and the board should be taken out of the water immediately and fixed. Small cracks can be fixed using “Solarez”. Large cracks will sometimes require a professional to repair. Boat repair shops or surfboard ding repair shops can normally fix dings, cracks, and fin box problems.

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Abrasions and scratches:

Can be repaired by carefully wet sanding with 400 grit wet-dry sandpaper, followed by 600 grit. Use a cut polishing compound, such as Novus #2 or #3, to bring the finish back to its original high polish.

 

Water Damage 

If your board appears to be suffering from water damage to the foam core, or laminates, you may bee discoloring in the area around the damage, or even water bubbling out of the core. Inspect the surface of your board for dings or cracks in the fiberglass shell. If you discover a crack or ding in the fiberglass, take appropriate action at once.

 

CAUTION/DISCLAIMER

Stand up paddleboarding is a sport that carries inherent and unavoidable risks affected by factors such as the skill of the user, weather, water conditions, shoreline conditions, and care of the paddleboard.

 

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING BEFORE USING THE PADDLEBOARD

INDEMNITY, LIABILITY RELEASE AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK

 

By purchasing and/or using the paddleboard, you affirm that you are aware that stand up paddleboarding has inherent risks that may result or be associated with serious injury or death.

By purchasing and/or using the paddleboard, you personally assume all risks involving the use thereof including, but not limited to, the risk of personal injury or death to yourself and others, as well as potential damage to property while using a paddleboard, whether negligent, intentional, foreseen or unforeseen.

By purchasing and/or using the paddleboard, you irrevocably and unconditionally agree to indemnify, defend and save harmless, release and promise to not bring a claim of any nature against, Dolsey Ltd. or it's dealers. 

By purchasing and/or using the paddleboard, you understand that paddleboarding is a physically strenuous activity, that you will be exerting yourself, and that if you are injured as a result or in an association of a heart attack, panic, dizziness, hyperventilation, drowning or any other cause, that you expressly assume the risk of said injuries and that you will not hold the Indemnified Parties responsible for the same.

By purchasing and/or using the paddleboard, you understand that your own physical and medical condition may affect the safe use of the paddleboard. By purchasing and/or using the paddleboard, you understand that the use of a paddleboard should be limited according to the instructions in the above Caution/Disclaimer, including the supervision of children by adults.

By purchasing and/or using the paddleboard, you accept the paddleboard as is and accept full financial responsibility for the care of the paddleboard to a standard required for safe use.

As the purchaser and/or user of a Dolsey paddleboard, it  is your voluntary act, and by purchasing and/or using the paddleboard, you hereby agree that this indemnity, liability release and assumption of risk is a legally binding agreement on you and your heirs, executors, legal representatives and assigns. 

 

 

800 969 7473                        

info@dolsey.com