How to spot Structural vs. Cosmetic Damage
Structural vs. Cosmetic: How to Diagnose Your Rowing Shell Damage
When you hear that sickening "crunch" against a dock or see a new line on your hull, the first question is always: How bad is it? To the untrained eye, a spider crack in the paint and a crushed core can look surprisingly similar. Here is the Brightside Rowing guide to diagnosing your damage and whether you need professional help or can DIY a repair.
1. The Cracks
Cosmetic: Usually looks like a spiderweb or tiny radial cracks. This is often just the brittle outer layer reacting to a minor impact or temperature change. It’s ugly but doesn't compromise the boat's stiffness. This type of crack is also common to find at manufacturer’s glue joints on older shells.
Structural: Usually defined lines that run parallel to the direction of the impact. If you see a crack that follows a straight path for more than an inch, it likely goes deeper than the surface.
2. Tap Test
One of the most effective ways to find hidden damage is through assessing how the area sounds when tapped.
Method: Take a heavy coin or a small plastic hammer and lightly tap the hull around the suspicious area. If you hear a change in how it sounds, you are likely hearing delamination, usually where the inner carbon skin has separated from the core.
3. Check for Soft Spots
Gently apply pressure with your thumb near the crack. If the hull feels spongy or deflects more than the surrounding area, the internal core may have been crushed. It may also make a crunching sound, which is usually the inner carbon skin rubbing against the honeycomb core.
Warning: Continuing to row a boat with structural damage can cause water ingress into the honeycomb core, which makes a repair more difficult and adds unnecessary weight to the shell while in use.
4. Check the inside
If you can reach or see the area from inside the cockpit or through a hatch, look for white stress marks on the interior laminate.
Because rowing shells are typically composite "sandwich" constructions, if the damage is visible on both the outside and the inside, it is 100% structural and needs professional composite layup work.
5. Solutions for Cosmetic & Minor Damage
If you’ve determined the damage is mostly cosmetic, you don't necessarily need to pull the boat out of rotation for the whole season. Here is how to handle it:
Quick Fix: For tiny hairline cracks that might let in a small amount of moisture, we recommend 3M Scotch Clear Heavy Duty Packing Tape. It is remarkably water-resistant and clear enough to keep an eye on the crack. It’s the perfect "band-aid" to get your crew through to the next break without adding weight. If you need this fixed off season, we can arrange to have it put into our schedule then.
Touch Up Paint: If you have paint chips or deep scratches that bother you, we offer Matching Paint Touch-Up Kits. These are custom-mixed to match the factory colors of major manufacturers like Filippi, Hudson, Vespoli, and Empacher. Each kit includes the same high-solids urethane paint that we fix the boats with. It also includes the applicators you need, allowing you to touch it up easily in your own boathouse.
Seal it: For small nicks or punctures that need more than tape but less than a full layup, we recommend using a West System G/flex 655 thickened epoxy syringe kit, which costs about $15-20. This can be sanded smooth after 24 hours and will accept the touch up paint as well.