I am trying to find out about all available foot straps for surfboards that are being paddled in.
I am aware of www.surfstraps.com, but am curious to see if these work or if there are any other options out there.
thanks
A friend of mine came back from living in HI for a winter a few years back and told me about that device. He said it was a lot of fun and worked better than one would think (he said that it would work on a thin film of wax, but if it was too bumpy it would not adhere). Of course he still surfs without them too, and well I might add.
Similar note: I experimented with the Xtrak “X-strap” a few years ago. It was fun since I could pull the board as well as push against it. It felt quite a bit like snowboarding, and I could really forget about trying to keep the board under control since it was always where I wanted it to be. Of course, I like surfing without this sensation too since it is traditionally about leverage, and not pull. The negatives to that system were that I would occasionally not be able to slip my foot cleanly into the strap and would instead wind up standing on top of it or I would smash the tips of my toes into the vertical edge of the strap… when one’s skin has been soaking for a long time, it is apt to split- ouch ouch ouch!
There was another company called “sector deck” that used a velcro pad on the board and sock-like open-toed booties with velcro on the bottom. I believe they went out of business.
bbennett…
Whichever footstrap system (esp. if stationary) you use, it really helps if your board is designed with its “accelerator and brakes” balanced directly under your feet, whether central or tail-oriented. This means a shorter board that doesn`t require shifting your feet forward or backward.
In fact, a number of the handling problems commonly attributed to foot straps actually are the fault of inappropriate board design.
It`s a lot easier to build a design specifically for use with footstraps, than trying to make them work on the wrong board.
what about the stuff called “sector deck” it was designed for skimboarding, but i think it could work on a surfboard too. i have a pair built by myself and have worked great when i skim. the thing is described in http://www.skimonline.com/equipment/buyers_guide/sector_deck.htm
jstephen,
Give it a try! Things like “Sector Deck” are easy to
test… much easier on skimboards than larger surfboards. My limited experience with Velcro foot attachments vs. foot straps has been…
With Velcro attachments, precise “feel” of foot positions can be more difficult to target. Once in place, Velcro tends to inhibit subtle foot action, such as pivoting.
Velcro and strap attachments both interfere with escape movements, but in different ways.
Unlike Velcro, footstraps are more secure under the heaviest upward, sideways and pivoting stresses.
I had a glasser waaaay back in the seventies who made footstraps by gluing an old pair of Rainbow Slaps on the deck of a little fish.They worked just fine.It was also funny as hell.
Howzit Mr.Clean, Well necessity is the mother of invention. I would of loved to have seen that board, it would've made a great ad in a mag. Aloha, Kokua
i have wanted to put straps on a paddle in board for a while , would windsurfer straps work
how would the sector deck work when skimboarding wouldn’t the Velcro get covered in sand
what kind of board would straps work on
Quote:
what kind of board would straps work on
A Tow Board
Here are some products I designed that will
allow you to add straps to a board without
inserts. They are based on 3M VHB adhesives
North Shore Inc
Surftech
Please feel free to post any questions regarding
your application.
-Hein