Bark Dominator Handling Do's/Dont's

[SUP-Sarge]

New to the Forum - Hello to all from Miami!

I'm picking up a Bark Dominator on Monday.  I bought the "yellow/red" Pro-Elite model along with an Epic Race bag.

While it seems to be an excellent board in the water, I've also read that one has to treat it gingerly out of the water as it's prone to dings, dents, etc.

Any advise or do's/don'ts on storage, transporting, handling, etc.?

Thanks

[Area 10]

It is true that you have to handle it fairly carefully. But most of those comments were made when the board first came out - it was one of the first production models to be made lighter and therefore less durable. These days there are plenty of lightweight race boards that are just as fragile, or perhaps even more so. So you don't need to worry. I've had mine since the first models first came out, and I've treated it carefully and it has had no major issues.

When you put it on a roofrack, like most displacement nose raceboards, either avoid resting the domed part of the board on the roofrack, or load it bottom down. If you do the latter, then you MUST make sure that you use plenty of padding on the rack. But this advice is true for all carbon or part-carbon raceboards with a domed front deck. Make friends with thick roof rack pads and don't go crazy with tightening the tie-downs and you'll be fine. Good luck!

[supdiscobay]

Do the new BARKS have an active vent or a vent screw?  My older BARK 14' pro elite has a screw and I have to open it every time I am out.  When I start to unscrew it, I can hear the air coming out or sucking in depending on the temperature differential.  I leave screw out while in storage, as I live in a place where temps hits the 100's in summer.  Keep it covered in sun.  Mine has the black bottom and even after 5 minutes it is boiling hot in the sun.  I always carry some strips of rail tape with me, in case I need to patch a hole/crack.  It even works in the water.  I have fallen on the board and cracked the front deck.
I never weighed the board when I got it, but it weighs in at a little under 26 lbs.
Have fun and enjoy the new found speed.

[SUP-Sarge]

Thanks guys.  Great advice.

[1medic]

I've got Barks and I replace the metal philips head vent plug screw with the plastic thumb screw style so i can open and close the vent without tools.