Hi. I am thinking of purchasing a used surf ski. It has sustained some damage and was professionally patched. Would you trust this or would you keep looking? It would be a substantial savings over a new boat but is it worth the savings? It is a carbon boat. I have no experience with patching so I am at a loss here as to what would be the smart thing to do.
Hey Buffy,
How 'bout a description of where it has been damaged / fixed. IF it was done by a pro you will either not be able to see it or if color not quite right ( still o.k. ) you should not be able to FEEL it when you run your hand over the repaired area. What kine boat is it ? How old ?
This helps to help you.
IMO, The word “patched” connotes something less than quality.
Amature Repair …
Pat is certainly correct in the above post, but even if a boat has a really ugly amature fix-it job it still is probably 100% functional. (Don’t ask me how I know.) Take a friend along who knows something about skis to make sure the repair is solid.
patch location
Unfortunately, this is something I would be having shipped to me. It is on an inventory list of a surf ski manufacturer. This is what they said:
“The patch job went well. There was a carbon fiber and divinicell foam patch that was put on the inside for extra rigidity. The outside gel coat is applied as thin as possible to keep the weight down so if you examine the spot closely you will see some variation of the color as a little of the black fiber is visible.”
It is a Futura S1A in full carbon.
Probably just fine
patch
Ok. Now I am finding out this was a demo boat used for the manufacturer’s photo shoot that hit a reef! Sounds like it has been patched in several places which he never took the time to sand down.
Probably just fine… BUT
if you are concerned DON’T buy it. I doubt a manufacturer would sell an unsafe boat. Composites are easily repaired for the most part and it’s probably very functional. Can you have a third “knowledgeable” party examine the boat?
Can you chat with the manufacturer directly or the tech that did the repair???
All you’ll get here, my input included, is speculation. Deal directly, discuss your fears, chat with the right people, and get good direct info. Negotiate an exit strategy if the craft is not to your liking.
Good luck.
Call them
What site? I don’t see it on HUKI’s bargain page.
If the boat is being sold by Huki and they did the repairs I doubt they’d sell it if unsound - and I can’t really imagine it being a hack job. Some discoloration as noted - and likely stronger than new.
Likely no one on Paddling.net knows squat about this particular ski’s repairs - but many will attest to both HUKI quality and integrity. This may get you some peace of mind if they’re the one’s repairing/selling it, but a call can get you answers or at least first hand info either way.
If it were a killer deal…
One would think one of the “insiders” would have snapped it up.
I’m Guessing
it’s a Futura badged Huki?
In any case, Vince should know something about boat repair…