No matter how careful they are, whether they're riding a large wave or an ankle-slapper, sooner or later surfers ding their surfboards. On the reef. On the water. On another surfer's board. Even doorjambs can take out a chunk.

If you're Brian Ikeda, this is a good thing. The surfer's inevitable calamity is Ikeda's job security. He's a ding repair specialist with a thriving business in 'Iwilei. On a typical day, he'll repair three to five boards.

The 53-year-old Ikeda, owner of Board Works, can take a buckled surfboard with a thumbprint-wide crease across its midsection and erase all signs of damage. He actually likens what he does to dentistry, although it's something closer to art.

But the average surfer can do this at home, Ikeda said.

The key to successful repair of a traditional, fiberglass and polyester resin surfboard is to understand the two basic types of damage, the goal you're shooting for and the way that your repair materials work together, he said.

Ikeda divides repairs into non-structural, which are cosmetic damages, and structural, which is a broad term to cover any kind of gouge you can imagine. In either case, you need to rid the board of any damaged foam, fill the ding with new material and re-seal the board's fiberglass skin.

"If you're not picky about the outcome, anybody can do it," said Ikeda, who fixed his first board when he was 10. "If you are going to do it yourself, it will take time. But it's not that hard."

For all the fun that can be had gliding on water, if you compromise the skin of a surfboard, water quickly becomes the enemy.

"The whole deal is to keep water out of your board," Ikeda said.

Salt water can damage the foam inside and the impact that created the ding more than likely destroyed the foam in the area. Crushed foam cells are worthless and need to be removed, Ikeda said.

"You go to a dentist and you have a cavity, he's not just going to put a cap on, right?" he said. "He's got to get in there and start from the root and go out. It's the same with a surfboard. You repair from the inside out."

If working to ensure a dry foam core sounds laughably simple, consider that Ikeda has seen scores of repairs where the water was still trapped inside. Trying to dry the board without exposing the foam to air turns your repair job into a waste of time.

"It's going to stay wet until you open it up," he said.

As with any home project, repairing your surfboard will be easier if you have the right tools.

Ikeda's favorite piece of equipment is his Dremel high-speed cutting tool. Its quarter-sized blade easily cuts through fiberglass and it can be used to carve away damaged foam. It will set you back about $100, but without it, you'll have to use a utility knife or a block sander.

Another must-have tool in Ikeda's ding-fixing kit is his orbital sander. Given that repairs involve several steps with sanding, a 5-inch orbital sander will speed the project along. You can get one for about $20.

All repairs should be covered with fiberglass cloth soaked in resin to seal whatever fill material you have placed in the damaged area. Not only will this strengthen the board, it will prevent the seam around the repair from developing cracks that will let water in, Ikeda said.

Ikeda is a master of the seamless finish. His customers always ask him how he does that.

His secret? Two layers of cloth with the top layer extending further out than the one underneath. If he used only one layer, he'd bump into the repair. With two layers, he can blend them into one with his orbital sander.

"You never see the edge," Ikeda said. "It rises slowly. This way it won't look like a Band-Aid."