My 2014 Falcon is starting is peel off what looks like a clear coat, anybody else's doing the same? It is occurring mainly down the rails, with obvious delineation between where the decals were put on.
In the motley areas it scratches off pretty easily with a fingernail. Aside from what it looks like, should I be concerned at all?

Thanks,
Scott.

That's a common thing that seems to happen to boards (not just Fanatic) that have been stored in a board bag wet.. or in a moist or damp environment.. It seems like the matt finish is slightly porous because it never seems to happen to the old full gloss boards.

Interesting, it has never seen the inside of a cover, but I do typically just put it back in the garage after a fresh water wash each time, that is, I am not leaving it in the sun to dry or manually drying it off before putting it away.
Wouldn't have thought it would stay damp for long though, I am in QLD and there is plenty of air space in the garage.
Aside from aesthetics - no cause for concern??

I don't know for sure but I've heard that leaving it in the sun for a while or shade on a hot sunny day might reverse the effect and make the white blotchy areas go away.. What does the local sup dealer say.. Maybe get them to contact Fanatic Aus for you and see what they recommend.

OK, thanks mate. I might just drop them a line myself and see what they recommend.

From all the ones I have repaired it seams standard on this finish for that to happen certainly on the 2014 boards, I believe it is a acrylic clear coat.Theres not much you can do other than try and remove it and get it sprayed with something a little better.

Whats the best way to store your board in the summer months?

We have similiar weather here in Chile as in Oz.

Summer is just around the corner

Take boards to the beach in the bag.

Take them home out of the bag.

That's a bummer. Given the markups, if I were Fanatic and saw this, I'd offer to repair or replace to keep you happy.

A major issue would be potential resale or trade-in value..if anyone would buy it or trade it, that is. For the price we pay especially 2016, and given they are made in Thailand [or China] , I think it is poor workmanship or materials to not have products that will last the test of time. But the overpriced nature of SUP industry has been covered in other threads..It's be almost a warranty issue I would think.

I can't believe that the SUP consumers are so complacent when it comes to expensive products. If it were a car with clear coat issue, it'd be warranted. Research and development needs to be taken seriously by the SUP manufacturers, not just about shapes, but about materials lasting for more than 1-2 seasons. Seeing your photos, I wouldn't want to buy a Fanatic. Money down the drain. The SUP consumer is being taken for a ride. In the Trade Practices Act, it's almost not "fit for the purpose".

I would think that SUPs are actually meant to go, and be used in, and cope with, water/wet environments.

For the record , I have a 12'6 Fanatic Carbon Falcon Race, well used, with no issues.

My guess would be that the clear coat doesn't have an adequate UV inhibitor.
Much like varnishes - there are indoor varnishes and outdoor varnishes, the main difference being the UV inhibitor.
Suffice to say that the coatings without a UV inhibitor are cheaper.

Interesting CharlieUK that it seems a common problem with the 2014, I haven't really seen enough carbon boards to have noticed it on anything else.

My main question is if it actually requires this coat of acrylic? It certainly isn't on all areas of the board, the area around the decals looks to have been intentionally missed.

Definitely a warranty issue! Any product less than 2 years old with that amount of damage due to poor quality deserves replacement.

FYI I got this when I foolishly tried to redo the rails with a water-based acrylic varnish :-)

Nah, I haven't tried anything like that Colas. The fact that it has intentionally not been applied to around where some of the decals are makes me think it is not necessarily required, I will see what Fanatic say.

By the way... Does a clear finish exist in a rattle can that would be good for touching up repairs on shiny production boards? I've got a few dings on my Surftech Laird that I plan on trying to match the color and then hopefully hit those areas with some clear spray.

You get all what you need at sellers of car paints: paint, varnishes. Spray cans, and the touch-up pens are quite handy for small repairs.

In France I use: www.bleu-distri.com/

Your best bet is to get the exact color refs from the board builder: RAL, Pantone, ...

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colas said..
You get all what you need at sellers of car paints: paint, varnishes. Spray cans, and the touch-up pens are quite handy for small repairs.

In France I use: www.bleu-distri.com/

Your best bet is to get the exact color refs from the board builder: RAL, Pantone, ...

How do you match the board builders paint color? Do you use paint chips?

I'm hoping to find clear in a spray can. Do you know of any that works?

Just ask the board builders. They know the color they use.

Or, in France, some car accessories or home builder shops have devices that can give you the color of a paint (some special camera).

Any clear varnish spray can for cars will work. Just choose glossy or not.

I have been in touch with Fanatic and it will not be covered under warranty - not necessarily the flaking issue itself, but because the board is older than 12 months and I am not the original purchaser.
They also confirmed that it is a cosmetic issue only, which is what I had suspected, but it has alleviated my concerns none the less. I don't think I will worry about trying to get it all off and re-applying something, sounds like alot of work for no real benefit, and potentially I could make it look worse.
As Bradsdubs mentioned, the loss of value on the trade may be a concern when the time comes, but I will worry about that later.
Aside from the obvious, I am still very happy with the board.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

Scott.

Select to expand quote

colas said..
Just ask the board builders. They know the color they use.

Or, in France, some car accessories or home builder shops have devices that can give you the color of a paint (some special camera).

Any clear varnish spray can for cars will work. Just choose glossy or not.

Thanks colas.