Clear Coat RepairWe've had 2 known instances of clear coat peeling on paddle boards that are stored outdoors year round. While extended outdoor exposed storage will void the warranty, the resulting clear coat peeling we've seen is fairly easy to fix, and in no way affects the performance, structural integrity, or usability of the board (fixed or not).There are 2 main options for repair of SUP clear coat. We suggest doing a spot test with option 1, since it will save significant time in the repair process and lessen the likelihood of sand-throughs.Option 1. Remove only loose clear coat sections, clean thoroughly, and spray clear coat over entire area (including existing clear coat that remained intact).Option 2. Thoroughly sand board removing all clear coat, clean, and spray entire paddleboard.For either option it is very important that you only lightly sand, and be sure to not sand through the epoxy or bamboo. This is another reason option 1 is preferred. Option 2 should only be used if the remaining clear cote is severely discolored. Again, we highly recommend you test a small area for option 1 (allowing clear coat to fully dry before judging the result) before proceeding to option 2.Materials needed.Sand paper:Option 1:280 or 320 grit400 grit (for wet and/or dry sanding)(500 grit optional)600 grit for wet sanding800 grit for wet sanding (optional; if higher gloss finish is desired)Note for Option 2 you may need to add a more course grit like 180 or 220: It is recommended that you not use more coarse paper than is necessary. This is a time saver, and helps to avoid over sanding. The only difference is Option 2 is that you're starting with a more coarse grit sandpaper, and sanding the entire board, removing all clear coat, and being very careful not to sand completely through the epoxy and / or bamboo. Note that this may appear like a slight difference in the process, but is much more labor intensive, and will take much longer."Green pads" Scrubbing pads, like household dishwashing pads.Colorfast clean microfiber towels / cloths for cleaning and polishing. (Don't use "red shop towels" or other towels that are likely to leave lint or colored filaments behind.)Small bucket or bowl of water.Larger bucket or bowl of water.Masking tape and paper (newspaper or masking paper to cover the deckpad, or other areas you don't want to spray)One or two 12 oz cans of Spray on clear coat spray. Similar to Rustoleum Painter's Touch 2X Clear Coat. The main characteristics to look for in a clear coat spray are multi-purpose bonding (they normally list, wood, metal, plastic) and UV resistance. Polyester resin is another type of commonly used clear coat (even for epoxy boards). This more advanced process is beyond the scope of this document.Sanding Tips: When changing grits in sandpaper, change cleaning water (small container, like a bowl) and towels as well. If not they will transfer loose grit and you will continue to score the surface or your SUP as if using the more coarse grit. Use a larger bucket / container of clean water to fill a smaller "working" container, in which you'll be rinsing wet sand paper. Avoid contaminating the large container with sandpaper grit. This way you're sure to avoid accidentally scoring the surface when you've moved up to a finer gritStart with only as coarse a grit as you need to remove desired material.Step up in grits incrementally to save time and provide a better result. For example, if you start with 280 grit, ideally you would then use 320 until smooth, then 360, and then 400.Don't skip too many grits. For example. 240 to 320 to 400 (skipping 280, and 360) is likely ok, and will work in most cases with a little extra effort, but 220 to 400 for example, will not remove the larger scores from the 220 (at least not in any reasonable amount of time).Clear Coat Spray Tips:Tape and cover the SUP's deckpad edges or any other area you want to avoid spraying with the clear coat spray.Follow the spray manufacturer's directions. Materials vary, manufacturers take into account their specific formulations for different conditions and best results.Multiple, very light coats, almost always produce a better result. It's much easier to avoid runs, and orange peel finished with lighter, layered coats. Save yourself sanding time and defective finishes. Having the patience to do very light coats will likely ultimately save you time and result in a better finish.Option 1 detailed directions. Use the 320 grit (or near, 280 or 360)sandpaper to remove "hanging" and loose clear coat. If loose clear coat is tough to remove, a more coarse grit can be used, but it is highly recommended that you not use a more course grit than 240, in order to avoid accidental sand-throughs. Before the next step we recommend sanding smooth to at least a 320 grit. This will avoid large visible sanding swirls through the clear coat. The finer the grit, the fewer swirls. If however, you sand much finer than 400, the surface may not be coarse enough for the clear coat to properly adhere.After the loose clear coat is removed, rinse the paddle board thoroughly with clean water.Allow the paddle board to completely dry.Tape off areas you don't want to spray (deck pad, or areas with in-tact coating you don't want to repair)Apply clear coat spray per the spray manufacturer's instructions. Note recommended spray distance, temperature, and multiple coat directions. Tip: There is no right or wrong number of coats (actually clear coats are not even necessary for most Creed SUP boards). Keep in mind that more clear coats add more weight. While less provide less durability for the clear coat itself. Clear coats are little to no factor in Creed SUP board overall durability. The added UV resistance is however a nice plus (in addition obviously to the aesthetic enhancement).Allow clear coat(s) to fully dry.With proper clear coat spraying you should be able to start sanding with 400 grit. We recommend light 400 dry sanding, cleaning the board completely, and then 400 grit wet sanding, followed by 600 grit wet sanding. To remove heavier "orange peel" or slight spray imperfections, you may want to start with a more coarse grit, but will then need to finish with 400 and then 600 to get the best finish. Be careful not to sand away the entire clear coat.Use green pads remove any swirls left by the 600. Since all green pads aren't exactly the same, test a small area to make sure that swirl pattern is not greater on the green pads than the 600 wet sandpaper. If desired, you can also sand with 800 and then 1000 grit to get a smoother and glossier finish. You can use 800 / 1000 grit instead of the green pads.Polish with car wax. You may want to use a cutting compound with a sander / polisher set on a lower speed setting (curring compound is sold in the same places / sections as regular car wax), then wax. In either case, swirl marks that are coarser than 600 grit can't be removed with polish / wax, and will be visible through clear-coat and wax, so make sure you haven't skipped grits before going forward.Enjoy your shiny like-new board!
