Going along really nice on the flying thong the other day, just about to get a personal best distance record then BANG!
I got ejected out the front, clear from the harness.
I remember looking backwards as I was hitting the water at my gear coming at me.
I guess a turtle strike.
Fin damage and one hole on the bottom of the starboard formula 160 board.
I've just ripped into the hole and thought I better stop for some advice.
Filling it with epoxy and qcell then glass over it, is the plan.
Sound ok?
I'm not sure if removing the bit I did was a good idea. Felt so brutal. It was very springy under it, flapping.
Anyway it's out now.
I can't complain about the turtle putting a stop to my session that day, I'll get to sail another day. Hope the turtle is ok too 
Yes you can fill it with resin and qcell. I like to laminate fiberglass with resin microsphere mix so ended less brittle. S?quence could be: mix resin+qcell+a little bit of cabosil if you have, spread this mastic on foam not to thick, lay fiber over and push it in (maroufler in french) add mix over. You also can glue the leftover in at this stage. Sand, glass and finish.
Big enough that worth sticking a bit of divinycell etc in to save the weight
chase a board builders offcut
use 5mm with qcell under, so it's level or a bit proud, then sand down to a smidge under level for 2x glass
but yes a a fill then glass would be perfectly fine
I rushed to get the flying thong back in the water and the repair is ugly but will work. Top skim coat was hard to get flat, and stayed a bit sticky, so it was hard to sand. And turned into a big mess. I sprayed paint primer without masking up the area, it went everywhere. 
Does this seem like a turtle strike to others?
It was super hard like rock and sent me flying as the board stopped.
Has it's shell hit the fin and levered up into the board?
The fin was tuttle in deep tuttle and just pushed up about 17mm into the box. Screws are ok.
The fin seems fine.
I sanded the chuncked edge then put some suncure resin around it and sanded again.
I figure if it didn't break then, it's not going to.
We've been well aware there are many turtles here but never hit them. Been wondering what would happen.
Most importantly, it now has a psychedelic tiki man which the turtles should see coming and not mistake me for a white cloud as this one did. 
Select to expand quoteMobZ said..
Most importantly, it now has a psychedelic tiki man which the turtles should see coming ...
They will see it coming....FROM SPACE !
You don't want to get run over by a runaway Mardi Gras float.
Check the box isn't damaged if the fin went in that deep. I hit a turtle a couple days ago. Same kind of fin damage. Geeze it makes a noise and rattles the teeth. Those bastards are solid.
What I noticed is that on my board with a white bottom (green edges) turtles generally go out of the way quick enough that it's not an issue.
However on the other board with a dark grey bottom (orange edges), I've had quite a few near misses which makes me an suspect that they don't see me coming as well on that board.
I use short fins, in the case above when using long fins, a turtle might have been cruising below the surface and neither they or you had an idea what was coming.
Foiling is a different story, very dangerous and many hits as they won't see you coming at all.
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
I definitely think you should take Pride in that paint job 
Rainbow turtle deflector works good. No hits and jibes had a little more fancy flare in them I highly recommend going to town on your tiki man with the fluro love sticks for an hour or so. It is very good for the man/board relationship. 
Don't worry about the wingdingers. Here windsurfing and winging can be seen sharing space happily and then a pair of winged goat boats invade.
Yeah like surfpaints, but no name ones from the dollar shop. Acrylic.
At first I thought they were not going to work on the glossy surface but then I just let it flow out and it did.
The edges where colour meets was heaps of fun watching as there it melded into to each other.
Clear over the top.
Turtle proof.
Select to expand quoteMobZ said..
Yeah like surfpaints, but no name ones from the dollar shop. Acrylic.
At first I thought they were not going to work on the glossy surface but then I just let it flow out and it did.
The edges where colour meets was heaps of fun watching as there it melded into to each other.
Clear over the top.
Turtle proof.
Holding up ok ?
Im all for a bit of custom scribbles n change.
Got a lil bored of the 2000 all blue AHD.
Just a basic Loungeroom mask n spray n regrip.
