Any experience with the various tail traction pads avaiable on the market? Anyone have any brand prefrences?? Do you prefer them over wax?? Why?? Do you like the arch bars?? Thanks
Any experience with the various tail traction pads avaiable on the market? > Anyone have any brand prefrences?? Do you prefer them over wax?? Why?? Do > you like the arch bars??>>> Thanks Arch bars and tail kicks help to locate your backfoot at really critical moments. I personally like Sticky Bumps Traction Pads. Some people feel tail pads induce to much drag. But, I figure if you are planing, the water is not going to be flowing over your deck.
Do you think using one has helped your surfing? I can’t see drag being an issue because, like you say, how can it create drag when you’re planing? Also, a lot of the pros use them without any negative repercussions
Arch bars and tail kicks help to locate your backfoot at really critical > moments. I personally like Sticky Bumps Traction Pads. Some people feel > tail pads induce to much drag. But, I figure if you are planing, the water > is not going to be flowing over your deck. i also find they give my back foot/knee more leverage when duckdiving, plus saves the tail area from pressure dings. i like on-a-mission pads. i lightly wax them every once in a while.
Do you think using one has helped your surfing? I can’t see drag being an > issue because, like you say, how can it create drag when you’re planing? > Also, a lot of the pros use them without any negative repercussions There are times when I surf with my back foot just forward of the tail pad. Then the next sector back is traction w/o arch, then traction with arch right over the sweet spot, then the kick tail wedge to let you know that’s it and there aint no more. It’s all in the postioning of the pad.
Tom, What is the goal with positioning the pad. I figured you just line it up about an inch forward of the end of the tail. Is there somehting else I should consider? Bruce, Why wax the pad??
Tom,>>> What is the goal with positioning the pad. I figured you just line it up > about an inch forward of the end of the tail. Is there somehting else I > should consider?>>> Bruce,>>> Why wax the pad?? I always position my pad so that the leading edge of the kick tail is right above the center of my trailing fin. In that positin the arch bar runs the center of the board the length of the area from the front of my center fin to the front of my side fins. That has typically been my sweet spot.
I always position my pad so that the leading edge of the kick tail is > right above the center of my trailing fin. In that positin the arch bar > runs the center of the board the length of the area from the front of my > center fin to the front of my side fins. That has typically been my sweet > spot. i put em about the same, around an inch in front of the leash plug, right over the fin cluster. i like the longer ones that reach a little farther forward, as for wax, i just find a little bit makes it that much stickier. sometimes when they’re new they feel a little slick. lightly pencil the outline when you position it and sand that area lightly with some 100 grit paper, wipe it clean and stick it on…