Have you ever loaned a board to a mate and wondered what would happen if they broke it? Or worse - found out for yourself? Here's three hypothetical scenarios that have happened to surfers just like you. What would you do if it was you?

Scenario One - The Monster Swell, that you're going to miss.

You check the forecast and see a monster cyclone swell approaching. It's going to be glassy, cross offshore and way bigger than all your boards could handle. Except for the gun you keep for special occasions just like this. You check the work roster, and see you're working. Unavoidably stuck at work, with zilch to no chance of chucking a sickie, so you answer the ringing phone with a begrudging 'Yeah?'. It's your mate, and they're asking to borrow the gun for the swell. You agree, seeing you can't use it anyway.

Swell day comes and goes, that night your door bell rings and it's your mate returning the gun. To your horror, he/she presents it to you in two halves and asks what you want to do about it?

Do you, A: Laugh it off, because you never used it anyway. B: Make them buy you a brand new board. C: Pay for it to be repaired yourself. D: Get it repaired, and ask them to pay.

Scenario 2 - The 'Wanna try my board?'

You're out there on a fun day at your local beachie. You just got a brand new stick and you're giving it a true day-one thrashing with all your mates. Out the back it's a little flat, and while talking about how good your new board is, you offer it to someone to try for a wave. He graciously accepts the offer and you strap on the leggy to his old beater, watching as he paddles into the wave of the day. All you know, is that one minute you saw he/she paddle in, the next they're pitted deep and getting spat out in the shallows. He/she paddles out, but doesn't look like they enjoyed it.

You find a crease down the middle of your brand new board where it's hit the bottom, so you paddle the floppy mess back to shore.

Do you, A: Blow up, and make them buy you another brand new board. B: Pay for the repair yourself, because after all you offered it. C: Accept their offer to pay for a repair. D: Accept their offer to buy you a brand new board and keep the old one for themselves.

Got a story about loaning a board to a mate? Share it with others in the Seabreeze.com.au Surfing Forums , where there's a raging debate going on about 'loaner' etiquette when it comes to a surfboard.

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