…may be I leave this rock too late but not until today that I stumbled upon this product: hexatraction.
Do you guys tested it?
A bit in the expensive side.
Thanks
I really want to hear all the different options out there because the insane prices of wax less traction is just not right.
Lets say a full length traction pad, Its a piece of Eva foam - why does it cost over $100?
Cork rolls were too hard to get reliably. Eva foam with grip pad I couldn’t find a sensible prices from China. I believe sugar in the hotcoat isn’t great?
All this is cheaper than versa and stuff like this above but it doesn’t seem like normal pricing. Maybe I’m just old and underappreciating the price of things?
I can’t of think why can’t we make this stuff ourselves
I have not used nor even heard of Hexa Traction. It looks interesting…
Cork is cheap and easy and works great. Easy to get at the local hardware and craft stores as well as on ebay.
Downside: it’s ugly
I’m a fan of a thick chunk of EVA…nothing adds impact toughness to the deck like a nice thick piece of foam.
But yeah there’s room for pricing improvement for sure, I’ve also done the china search and came up empty.
there’s a spray on grip that acts like sugar on the deck I tried it and found its not very good.
I bought a bunch of this stuff. I put it on my new boards, but they haven’t been in the water yet.
https://www.viskus.com/
I also got this stuff, but it’s expensive. This stuff works OK here in Hawaii. My brother has been using this on his boards.
https://www.surfcohawaii.com/Wax-Mat-s/159.htm
What’s wrong with good old Surf Wax? Are we becoming a bunch of Metro Sexual Puuzziez o’ what.
Hahaha
My goal is a board that I can leave in the car and not worry about the wax getting all over my seats.
No wax and glass on fins equals a board that is super user-friendly. No fuss. Just grab it and surf
You can get atrodeck, etc for reasonable prices wholesale especially if you get SUP size and cut up to fit multiple shortboard sizes. You can do a textured deck (squege hotcoat) for minimal wax use. Also cross scratching with 40 grit on a normal hotcoated surface, especially combined with a shaped deck will give you non skid and not cut you up like a sugar coat.
Also many free traction pads available on broken boards in the trashcan or one piece at a time washed up on the beach upcycling!
About 25 years ago a guy I know asked that exact question. Basically he dd a bit of research and discovered that the shit they were selling as Gorilla Grip was basically some super cheap foam rubber with glue on one side. The rest was marketing and other stuff. He began making his own stuff. He sourced the rubber from a factory in Christchurch, purchased a press to cut it out, packaged it in a paper bag, and then was making good money selling tail grip for something like $20 a pop. This was when the same product made by Gorilla Grip was selling here for $85 a pop!
Overnight he effectively put the importers of Gorilla Grip in NZ out of business. I’m not sure of the percentage of grip in NZ he was selling, but it was pretty high. Anyway, after about a year or two of this the importers of other grips (mostly coming from Australia) realised that they couldn’t get away with shafting the NZ surfing public anymore and were forced to drastically drop their prices. By this time my friend had made a bit of cash and decided to get out while the going was good. I think he enjoyed sticking it to the big companies more than anything. The other grip manufacturers fought it out amongst themselves. Over the years the prices have steadily increased but never to the heights of 25 years ago.
So basically the product that makes grip you buy is dirt cheap. The rest is basically marketing. You’re probably paying for some pro surfer’s photo shoot in Indo. That sort of thing.
So yeah, there’s scope for someone to produce a basic product that gets the job done for a fraction of the cost of what we’re being charged.
Footnote: The guy I was talking about is one of the most successful businessman in NZ. A very clever guy. You wouldn’t know from looking at him though as he shuns most of the trappings of wealth. I think he enjoys the challenge of a business venture more than anything else. I worked for him for a few years whew I was a lot younger. He shared a lot of knowledge with me and the advice he gave me back then has helped me greatly in my business dealings. He’s a good man. Someone I have a lot of respect for.
Yoga Mat Wal-mart works pretty well.
…hello; actually the question is about that brand (they just responded my email inquiring the prices) and if its worth to expend that money and may be sell it here; but seems that there are not enough margin for benefits after the import taxes etc.
The Gorilla grips were far better than the ones that you find now; that are too thick, absorbs too much water and if you do not use a bootie the back foot does not have enough grip.
The grips I posted are sticky like wax and very thin. I’m looking for something that won’t melt when left in a car. I don’t use racks, just put my boards inside my car, so the wax will get onto the seats or other parts it touches. I’m using towels and seat covers, and I usually wash the boards before I put them into the car because they are stored outside and get dirty.
Another reason I started looking for these is the way the wax messes up our washing machine. The wax I use gets into the shorts and tops I wear and when they are washed, they leave residue in the washer. I did a test one day using hot water to hand wash my shorts and there was quite a bit of wax residue. This is enough reason for me to find a better alternative.
http://www.foamorder.com/foam/closed-cell-foam.html
We use Eva foam for manufacturing at my work. This site is like $25 for 40"x80". Scroll down to EVA and select thickness
25 bucks for a 40" x 80" sheet there you go man. i guess you have to come up with your own way to grid it - heated press or a mill? labor intensive you could hand sand a grid…
Router works to cut grid in EVA
Also the hex grip and similar are pieces of a 3M grip tape product cut into into cute shapes. Forgot the name of the 3M product but probably easy to find. Quite an upcharge for cuteness.
I have tried silicone window caulking. It works. It’s reasonably clear. Not sure how long it lasts though.
I use Versa traction on some of my boards. A bit pricey, but looks good (clear) and works well summer and winter. I hate wax, and this is the best alternative I’ve tried. Not abrasive, easy to apply. The only problem I’ve found is if I’m wearing a Yamamoto rubber wetsuit, like my Isurus. The rubber is so slick that I tend to slide off the board, doesn’t happen with any other of my wetsuits. I buy it here, but it’s available directly from their own website as well.
And here it is, covering the entire deck on my favorite groveler:
Did you just squeegee it on after squeezing out the tube?
how do you remove it and keep it in one piece to reuse it?