Paint pens are a really simple way to add color or design to your surfboard.
They are especially useful if you want a more detailed design, instead of just covering your board in one color.
If you’re looking for a smooth, one color, solid finish, you probably want to use spray paint.
That being said, my girlfriend painted my surfboard with only two solid colors using paint pens (see video below) but it has a “messy” looking finish to it, which is what we wanted.
Painting with Paint Pens
- Scrape the wax off your board. Let your surfboard sit it the sun for a few minutes, and scrape all the wax off. Do a really thorough job. (If you are painting a brand new surfboard, you’re lucky!)
- Remove wax residue with acetone. You won’t be able to scrape all of the wax off, so you need to remove any remaining wax with acetone and paper towel or a sponge. If you skip this step, the paint won’t stick to the board very well.
- Sand the surfboard. Use a fine sandpaper (200 grit or higher) to “rough up” the surface a bit, which will provide a better surface for the paint. Then wipe it with acetone once more to remove any dust.
- Paint! We used Posca pens, but there are a few other brands you can buy also. Just press the tip against your board a few times, and the paint will start flowing out. Then you can just use it like a marker. You can buy paint pens with different tip thicknesses, if you are painting a design that requires a lot of precision.
Wait for the paint to cure overnight (or as recommended by manufacturer). If you want, you can spray a few clear coats over the paint pen design, to prevent it from chipping or rubbing off, but we didn’t do this.