Can anyone give me Skimboarding tips?

Question

Skimboarding is my FAVORITE thing to do in the summer. I can skimboard for hours on end. Any info on tricks, tips and the best places to 'board?

Answer 1

i like to surf and skim board.heres alot of info on skimborading.this wed site is where i go tolearn new tricks.

As with surfboards, keep you board out of direct sunlight. (Not much problem in the UK!) It warms it up and breaks down the resin, and weakens your board. Darker colour boards are more prone to this.

1.Repair your dings early! Get into the habit of checking the board for dings after every skimming session. The last thing you want is the water to penetrate into the foam, which will seriously weaken the board. Ding repairs on the bottom of your board are easy when using a Quick Fix ding repair kitCracked rails on you skim? If you notice that there is a crack in your rail, firstly let it dry out completely. Use a needle file  to file open the crack slightly, and then rough up the surrounding area with some sandpaper.

Then get your ding repair kit and follow the instructions on the pack for mixing the resin and hardener then apply it to the crack. Put plenty on, you can always sand it back later. Use the tip of  a cocktail stick to work it into the crack and make sure penetrates it fully. Let it dry overnight. The following day you just have to carefully sand the rail back to its original profile. For smaller cracks, you can use superglue instead of the resin.

Note: If you have a top of the range carbon epoxy board, do not use the resin or superglue method. You will need to get it professionally repaired using a specialist epoxy resin.

Want your board to slide easier and gain some extra speed? Get some Slick Speed Wax!

Is your skim all scratched and worn from the shells, sand and stones? Well here's a tip from pro skimboarder Brad Evers, that he posted on Skim Online's Message board. "To smooth a rough tail that's been worn by sand: lay the board flat, bottom up. Drip superglue all over the area to be smoothed. Use the wide edge of a credit or calling card and smear the glue all around. Squeegee the glue away from the center, towards the rail. Wipe up any spillage. Let the glue dry all the way and in a few hours you will have a new smooth tail on your skimboard."

If you want to get some deck grip off your board, then use a razor-blade to slice the glue between the grip and the board. Work from one edge and be VERY careful with the razor blade. Gently peel the grip off as you slice away the glue.

Ok, so you removed the deck grip, how do you get it back on again? Well use some 3M spray adhesive, that you can get from DIY stores. Spray it on and place the grip!

This tip has been suggested by Alun Evans. If you have got a large rock or two in your skimming area, where the board might get washed against them, take a plastic carrier bag and fill it full of sand and place it on the edge of the rock. If your board gets washed against the rock, the sand bag will cushion it and stop the rails getting chipped/cracked. It only works if you have a couple of rocks in your skim area, unless you want to line the entire cliff edge of your local skim spot with sand bags!

If you want to add stickers to your board, and you don't want them to come off in the water, this is what you want to do.Lightly rough up the area where you want to place the sticker with some sandpaper. Then clean the entire area using a paper towel dipped in some some acetone or your mum's nail varnish remover. Then wipe the area dry with a clean paper towel. Then you can carefully place the sticker over the prepared area. press down firmly, ensuring there are no air bubbles. Leave overnight and then apply some wax around the edges of the sticker. This has worked for us on a number of different boards, but don't forget it only works on the deck side - stickers DO NOT last when applied to the bottom of a skimboard for obvious reasons!!

This is a well known trick of the trade in the USA. If you are skimboarding in windy conditions and you are having problems dropping the board because the wind keeps catching it, the trick is to kick sand onto the bottom of the board near the nose. This adds weight to the board so when you drop it, the nose comes down quicker and it is not affected by the wind so much. As soon as the board touches the water the sand gets washed off. The downside is that people will stop you and ask why you are kicking sand on the board!! Believe me, the amount of people that stop and ask what you are doing is amazing!!

Answer 2

Well, if you sand skim, then you could go to a flat beach where you can find in a lot of places. If you are more experienced, then go to a steep beach, wait for the water to recede, then drop the board, and prepare yourself for the force of the wave. Before you drop the board, look behind you for people because if you fall off your board, the wave will rush it into someone's shin, and that HURTS. Do not skimboard at night, since it is obviously dangerous. Sunset is low tide which is perfect for sand skimming. Also, when you are sand skimming, you could stick your fingers in the sand, and that will make you turn 360 degrees or maybe more. Make sure to stop spinning before you hit the wave (if there is one) so that you don't fall and get rushed underwater. Hope this helps, have fun, man!