...I have an Exocet Silver Line 115 board that the graphics sticker has cracked and come away , particularly around the rear rad pads.

This occurred in late November 2023. Initially, because water was coming out from under the pads I thought it was a hull construction issue ie gone soft.

Fortunately not.

On peeling pads back a bit it became clear that the graphics sticker had been applied without proper trimming to allow rad pads to attach directly to the board , instead the pads were glued , mainly around the edges to the sticker itself.

We all would be aware that the back foot applies significant pressure especially when railing the board and so it's no surprise that the skin looses adhesion to the board and the pads start to come away and let water underneath.

The board is 2019 superseded model bought by a sailor from Brisbane new on 5/12/22.
Barely used, I bought it September 2023 ish from him . The board was as new.
So, a board around a year old in otherwise exceptional condition has been sitting idle for 3 months .

I contacted the seller of the new board and he has contacted Exocet for some redress in December 2023. Still there has been no reply from Exocet.

I suggested Exocet could supply me with a set of larger replacement pads as the originals don't properly overlap the double density foam underneath and won't attach with enough surface area to the rail , or fund a sheet of hydro turf for $200 so I can replace the undersized pads. Either way, I will be providing the time and effort to rectify a problem that Exocet or their representative factory have created. Additionally, unless I can get larger pads from Exocet and trim things nicely , there will be a level of devaluation to consider as it won't look exactly original.

Just be aware of the level of support you can expect.

You didn't try to glue the original pads back down?

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Boardwalk said..
Just be aware of the level of support you can expect.

Not sure about Exocet but there is a possibility the warranty doesn't transfer when the board is sold especially if it's a 2 year old model and there is no receipt showing when the board was first purchased.

Are the pads currently on the board damaged? I would try and glue the original pads back on the board after cleaning up the peeling graphics.

The fault is with Cobra. If its still under warranty, and yours isnt because its more than a year old and its a secondhand board, Cobra, via Exocet and the shop it was bought from would fix it, depending on what the fault is.

I had a 2015 Exocet which had a soft spot in the deck and Exocet gave me a new board, once Cobra had viewed the video I made. They gave me the updated next years new model as it happened. I live in the UK and bought the board from a shop in France. I found them easy to deal with. But that was back then. Ben Proffitt mentioned that recently Patrice had sold the company. I havent found any other mention of that elsewhere, and it shouldnt really affect warranties.
My replacement board, and another 2016 board (and other brands like Tabou), had a lot of vinyl graphics on it, and most on the rails and hull wore away very quickly. I thought they stopped using vinyl graphics, but seems not. Hopefully its just a 1 off with your board and not all boards Cobra make with graphics.

ps. When dealing with faulty goods, I think in most countries your contract is with the shop you bought it from, not the manufacturer directly. So you need to go through the shop. I see this with queries like this on Fanatic's website, which I occasionally peruse for interest.
I found Exocet themselves not very good at contacting via social media or their own website contact page. That was 2020 when asking about new boards and I had some queries.

A photo would help to judge the severity of the issue.
If it is just a case of the deck-pad becoming loose, then simply glue it down and enjoy the board.

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Boardwalk said..
Just be aware of the level of support you can expect.

Yea, not surprising that there is no support from Exocet. This is the windsurfing industry afterall .. not a worldclass and modern industry.

Who was the retailer?

The retailer is also liable for the warranty costs if a 14 mth old board is not of reasonable durability under your Australian Consumer Law rights blah blah

Personally, I would add some bad publicity on seabreeze for (a) Exocet as you have done and (b) the retailer who has not offered to help, then move on. Not worth wasting time.

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JakeNN said..

The retailer is also liable for the warranty costs if a 14 mth old board is not of reasonable durability under your Australian Consumer Law rights blah blah

In Oz, is the warranty passed on when you buy a secondhand board?

As mentioned in original post , the pads don't fully cover the underlying foam which creates the "double density" and also don't wrap far enough past this underlying foam to get sufficient purchase on the rail to keep them from lifting again.

I have been through the shop where the original purchase was made but hesitate to mention names as in good faith I am assuming he is doing his best in relation to the issue, however it is taking a long time.

I have a copy of the original purchase receipt provided by the first purchaser but haven't been asked for it.

Regardless of the technicality of warranty periods, this area of the board's construction is sub standard especially as there is strong evidence of the board's overall excellent condition.

A picture says more than a thousand words

To be a windsurfer one must master the art of contact adhesive. Save you trouble it will.

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Cuchufleta said..
A picture says more than a thousand words

True. Full phone so will retrieve from computer... for your perusal ??

As mentioned in original post , the pads don't fully cover the underlying foam which creates the "double density" and also don't wrap far enough past this underlying foam to get sufficient purchase on the rail to keep them from lifting again.

I have been through the shop where the original purchase was made but hesitate to mention names as in good faith I am assuming he is doing his best in relation to the issue, however it is taking a long time.

I have a copy of the original purchase receipt provided by the first purchaser but haven't been asked for it.

Regardless of the technicality of warranty periods, this area of the board's construction is sub standard especially as there is strong evidence of the board's overall excellent condition.

Did the black not overlap the white when you first got it?

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Shifu said..
Did the black not overlap the white when you first got it?

Correct , but you wouldn't have known because the graphics sticker overlaid the white foam and then the black pad was stuck to the sticker. Wasn't until a few sails with back foot pressure on the area that the sticker cracked , lost adhesion, let in water and the pad started lifting. Then , I worked out WTF was going on...

Clearly Cobra's QC went out of the window with that board. In your 2nd picture, is the black the softer foam and the white some sort of harder filler?
The oldest Exocet I've got was made in 2003, I still used it a lot until I started foiling. The youngest was made in 2016. I've never had this sort of problem. I've had 7 of them and use them until they are knackered or completely outdated. Maybe they have changed the way they do the DDSA pads.
I dont know whether the graphics going under the pads is an issue, a lot of boards have those vinyl graphics on the deck and I bet they arent trimmed to the footpad. Give me a plain white board any day.

So, yes, it is poorly made but it is not the end of the world. Just glue it back down and enjoy the board.

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PhilUK said..
Clearly Cobra's QC went out of the window with that board. In your 2nd picture, is the black the softer foam and the white some sort of harder filler?
The oldest Exocet I've got was made in 2003, I still used it a lot until I started foiling. The youngest was made in 2016. I've never had this sort of problem. I've had 7 of them and use them until they are knackered or completely outdated. Maybe they have changed the way they do the DDSA pads.
I dont know whether the graphics going under the pads is an issue, a lot of boards have those vinyl graphics on the deck and I bet they arent trimmed to the footpad. Give me a plain white board any day.

The white is softer , like a secondary padding. It seems to fill a recess shaped into the board to create the double density.
The concept of DD may be fine but execution is also flawed as it does nothing with the footstraps in the outboard position because the DD area ends up under the arch of the foot , not ball or heel. But of a gimmick perhaps.

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SurferKris said..
So, yes, it is poorly made but it is not the end of the world. Just glue it back down and enjoy the board.

...yeah but , as explained, that would be sticking foam onto foam and expecting it to last more than 5 minutes in a high stress area. Sure there is a cross over point where you need to get on with it but it doesn't hurt to inform others of a potential problem they could look for and avoid.

I think you are overly concerned about reglued pad coming off again. If it's glued properly it won't. There are many boards with dual layer pads where the top does not overlap the bottom.

This is how I would fix your board:
Restick the existing pads with contact adhesive
Buy a 10 dollar pack of exercise mats from bunnings (black)
Cut and shape a 25mm wide strip to fit alongside the edge of the existing pads - You can shape it with a knife, sandpaper and any king of sanding tool.
Glue the strip alongside and butting onto the existing pad - make sure you get the glue on the mating edges and square up the edge of the existing pad if necessary.
Do some final sanding and cut traction grooves into the new home-made pad if you like.
Follow the instructions on the glue tin religiously.

On the board below I peeled up the top pads, ground out the lower of the double density pads, repaired a crack under there (had to dig all the way dound to the bottom of the board, rebuild with foam, glass and carbon, made a new bottom layer of pad from bunnings execise mat shaped with knives, paper, belt sander, and dremel, and glue the original top layer back down. This was in two pieces with had to be edge glued as well. No problems so far (unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the pads under construction). You can see that the join between the two parts of the upper pad falls right under the sailor's heel, as I recall the bottom layer was barely covered by the top. I don't expect this to come off, and if it did I would just glue it back down.







This is a rough cross sesction of my repair

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Shifu said..
I think you are overly concerned about reglued pad coming off again. If it's glued properly it won't. There are many boards with dual layer pads where the top does not overlap the bottom.

This is how I would fix your board:
Restick the existing pads with contact adhesive
Buy a 10 dollar pack of exercise mats from bunnings (black)
Cut and shape a 25mm wide strip to fit alongside the edge of the existing pads - You can shape it with a knife, sandpaper and any king of sanding tool.
Glue the strip alongside and butting onto the existing pad - make sure you get the glue on the mating edges and square up the edge of the existing pad if necessary.
Do some final sanding and cut traction grooves into the new home-made pad if you like.
Follow the instructions on the glue tin religiously.

On the board below I peeled up the top pads, ground out the lower of the double density pads, repaired a crack under there (had to dig all the way dound to the bottom of the board, rebuild with foam, glass and carbon, made a new bottom layer of pad from bunnings execise mat shaped with knives, paper, belt sander, and dremel, and glue the original top layer back down. This was in two pieces with had to be edge glued as well. No problems so far (unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the pads under construction). You can see that the join between the two parts of the upper pad falls right under the sailor's heel, as I recall the bottom layer was barely covered by the top. I don't expect this to come off, and if it did I would just glue it back down.







This is a rough cross sesction of my repair

Thanks for the detailed outline of your repair, well done. That level of effort has obviously yielded good results.

With all due respect, while functional and quite neat it doesn't present as original which, for my almost new board is a factor and kind of at the core of my beef with Exocet/Cobra.

I do think the wear will be excessive in the foam on foam area but I take your point that done your way, it would be good from a practical point of view.

I could have fixed it and have a friend who is an ex board builder who is very knowledgeable, the point is more around the level of product support and at least trying to hold Exocet accountable especially in light of the deafening silence.

Again , thanks for the effort to outline your approach.

How some brands deal with warranty is not fair to the consumer (us). I've seen a similar case with JP recently where the brand accepts the warranty claim and then it takes months before a replacement board becomes available because the brand first sorts the warranty claim with Cobra.

I think this is not fair and from a consumer's perspective the factory doesn't and shouldn't play a role in this. If the brand believes it falls under warranty, they should provide a replacement (or repair depending on the issue) and how they sort that with their suppliers is not our business.

According to the retail outlet this case was an exception so hopefully that is true but still it's sad after paying thousands of dollars for a brand new board only to wait for a replacement for months...

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Boardwalk said..

PhilUK said..
Clearly Cobra's QC went out of the window with that board. In your 2nd picture, is the black the softer foam and the white some sort of harder filler?
The oldest Exocet I've got was made in 2003, I still used it a lot until I started foiling. The youngest was made in 2016. I've never had this sort of problem. I've had 7 of them and use them until they are knackered or completely outdated. Maybe they have changed the way they do the DDSA pads.
I dont know whether the graphics going under the pads is an issue, a lot of boards have those vinyl graphics on the deck and I bet they arent trimmed to the footpad. Give me a plain white board any day.

The white is softer , like a secondary padding. It seems to fill a recess shaped into the board to create the double density.
The concept of DD may be fine but execution is also flawed as it does nothing with the footstraps in the outboard position because the DD area ends up under the arch of the foot , not ball or heel. But of a gimmick perhaps.

It might be a different story if you were the original purchaser, or it might not. It is disappointing they never replied.
I have the predecessor to yours, 2015 S 110l. The DDSA pads dont add anything to the comfort as it has the footstarps on the rail, like yours. I'd say the AV freerace I recently bought is better for comfort over the chop.
The DDSA pads are great on my old x-wave and Cross B&J boards.

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Boardwalk said..
The board is 2019 superseded model bought by a sailor from Brisbane new on 5/12/22.
Barely used, I bought it September 2023 ish from him . The board was as new.

I think you got scammed and it had a repair around the footpad area.

It's a second hand board. Your problem is with the person who sold it to you.
I don't see why you feel entitled to the manufacturers warranty or the shop warranty. You have not paid for it.
Just glue it down and go sailing!