am i the only shorty rider out there that doesnt see a need for traction pads? why does everyone have these things?
for traction?..then why does everone wax them?
to find the sweet spot on the board?..muscle memory
because theyre made by your sponsor?..ok you got me
if you notice, in most pics the rider is in front of the pad anyway…give me some good ol wax…maybe a little sand mixed in
besides, you cant chew on traction pads…and they dont smell as delicious
in most pictures of riders in the tube they’ll be infront of the pad, turning they’ll be on it.
I like them for back foot position
I like the feel of it under my back foot (in the few months where I’m not in boots or numb from not wearing my boots)
I like duckdiving with a pad.
I always tended to want to scoot up single fin style to trim, so when i started using a trac pad in 92 it helped me keep my foot back on the tail on my then regular board – a thruster. I felt it gave an added degree of confidence too - really ‘traction’ right?
when i got my fish a coupla years ago i even put a trac pad on it if you can believe.
So after riding hulls a while now, i realize the tracpad aint’ so essential for my type of surfing now - smoother, arcing, turns. maybe for the kinetic type of thruster surfing it’d be more essential.
i also ride a neumatic mat… which is one big traction pad. 
its funny, I use them to tell if I’m on a sweet spot on my thruster . . . if you asked me 4 months ago I’d tell you they are essential. But other surfers have told me their foot placements adjust better if you don’t have them because you’re not looking for the pad, but feeling the board’s response . . .
So a quiver was dropped on my lap, lots of shorties with no track pads . . . time to experiment.
I get the thinnest pad I can find. I really only use them for the wedge at the back…helps keep your board under control in hairy fins-free situations. I don’t use them on boards I don’t do fins-free turns on … like retro fish or longboards. Otherwise, wax is just fin.
I like pads on thrusters up to maybe 7’0", because I surf off my back foot more and don’t move around as much on my board. It gives me somewhere to dig in, and does add traction. On fish and retro style boards, you need to be more on your front foot, so pads encourage bad habbits. I’ve used pads on longboards, but what’s the point? I like moving around a lot on top of my boards… even the short ones.
You can chew on pads, but they taste better with peanut butter.
I get the thinnest pad I can find. I really only use them for the wedge at the back…helps keep your board under control in hairy fins-free situations. I don’t use them on boards I don’t do fins-free turns on … like retro fish or longboards. Otherwise, wax is just fin.
To play Devil’s Advocate, if all the pad affords you is the wedge, wouldn’t it be better to shape (or have someone else shape) that into the deck? I speak from complete ignorance, never having used a pad. However, I do have an opinion of the cosmetic effect, and it ain’t good… :->
-Samiam
shoot i remember the early-mid80s when astrodeck first came out. people used not only the tailpad, but they’d putem upfront too. That shit was like sandpaper, and you’d see people’s chest and stomach all rubbed raw.
if all the pad affords you is the wedge, wouldn't it be better to shape (or have someone else shape) that into the deck?
It’s been done, but they are a pain to shape and (especially) glass. If you’re a garage guy making one… no problem. But if you’re in production, it’s way easier to stick a pad on later. Besides, they give surfshops something to make money on, and surfers a way to personalize their rides… the skull and crossbones pads are so cute.
yeah…ive seen a lot of older boards that still have the sticky residue from waxless traction systems gone awry
it seems like a good idea until put into practice…but theres a lot of instances of that
I’ve thought about that… but I think that would look even uglier. Pads are light, soft, forgiving, don’t need wax, form to fit your foot…
Well, I don’t think anybody “needs” them, but they do help sometimes. I’m tall and have a narrow natural stance, which is good for long boards and fishes, but not for shortboarding. I used to struggle on shortboards until I put a traction pad on to help me build that muscle memory for back foot placement. I suppose I don’t need one anymore, but it’s kind of like a security blanket now.
yeah i like the kicker for a guaranteed sweet spot in critical drops
the sweet spot can make or break the wave for split second speed bursts
but i wouldnt pay retail for one
just stick a bit of eva block in place does the same thing
stops dents on a pupe
thing i noticed, a lot of guys put theres to far back cuz its cool
the kicker in between the fins is good for the sweet spot
i guess putting back for airs makes sense
but not many people can do them
In the spirit of Sways homemade trac-pad.
I have very high arches in my feet and the arch bar gives me way more leverage.
Most of the time I just make the arch bar.This one was for duckdiving and surfing
Ian
if you’ve ever had your backfoot slip off the tail of your board at exactly the wrong time and catch a rail in the nuts you’ll know why they can be beneficial.
sometimes the only thing touching the board on the drop is a couple of your outstretched toes pinching the wedge.
The do cause some major rash on the knees but so does a heavy load of mrs. palmers on a hot day.
While we’re on the subject-
Has anyone tried the “Clear Grip” deck traction film from Surf More Products? Supposedly replaces wax, offers UV protection and is translucent so you can see the graphics under. I was just wondering because I’m making wood boards now and it’s kind of a shame hiding the wood grain under a coat of what quickly becomes dirty wax.
worse than a pad
check out Dave’s new Surfco clear soft air baffled tail pads for woodies…
I like Dave he’s doing the right thing putting safety first…
But if you really want to try it
I think I have might a left over roll of that clear full deck stuff
I bought a couple clears and the one with the american flag back in the 90’s
The only thing they’re good for is reducing forward movement = big drag device.
If you like you footing and a kick type tail , just concave it in the area you want.
The next comp I enter,I’m going to give all my competitors a tailpad with as much kicked edges as I can find !!!lol !!!
Here are some of my homemade pads. I searched the web for a roll of PVA foam to match the resin tint on the bottom of the board. I ended up with a 2’ x 4’ roll of it (minimum order), so I have a bunch left over. I covered up part of Garrett’s and Ikaika’s names, so I sharpied them back on to the pad.
The only thing they’re good for is reducing forward movement = big drag device.
If you like you footing and a kick type tail , just concave it in the area you want.
The next comp I enter,I’m going to give all my competitors a tailpad with as much kicked edges as I can find !!!lol !!!
Herb … if you’re saying that much water wraps around to the deck to where a traction pad would cause drag - wouldn’t your back foot/heel/toes be like a parachute, with or without a traction pad? Unless my toes or heel was hanging off past the rail line, I don’t know that I’ve ever felt water drag from my back foot while on the deck.