Disregard
I have tried looking for yoga matts, everything I have found so far has been really thick and bright colors. I did come across this flooring stuff that is really tough EVA, it is used to line your garage floor so it gives it a nice surface to stand on or they sell it like a jig saw puzzle pieces. It was cheap too 10 bucks for a huge roll. You might have some luck looking for that stuff, I tried it and it works well, just it was too thick for my liking, it was light tho. There is a place online that sells EVA by the sheet http://www.canalrubber.com/ethylene-vinyl-acetate.html
and this is where I got textured neoprene, its pricey but you get a large amount of it.
http://www.foamorder.com/neoprene.html
I've tried neoprene, slippery. EVA is the stuff, my favorite has been the harder,hier density, thin, EVA Infinity Surf used to sell but they sell Hydro Turf now which is softer. Craft stores sell paper sized sheets of flimsy eva foam used for making kid's cut outs, it is smooth, non textured ,still works pretty good but it's weak for damage, will tear and scuff so best used for utility not looks. I've looked and looked all over the web for that harder, hier density EVA but only find infinite EVA supply sources in Asia, none or few in the US. Sandals and shoe parts are commonly made with EVA foam so it should be common but not much luck locating it. Stomp pads are EVA. The Canal Rubber EVA sounds like the craft store material? Anybody else appreciate the hier density EVA, any luck finding it? I'll be trying the Versadeck type material Herb mentions from the drawer liner source. I'd like to try all the different ideas. Max Power, did you use 3M 77 spray adhesive on the bath tub mat material? did you sparay one or both surfaces? did it stay waterproof? Thanks
This is so odd as there is a demand for it, I’m surprised the surf industry hasn’t made something clear and grippy that doesn’t cost a fortune, I know for my snow board they sell a clear stomp pad material that is really grippy, all they would have to do is make it in sheets. The 3m 77 Spray worked well, only been out a few times but it seems to hold up well, it was the EVA that tore off not the glue. Only issue is that it is kinda yellow but if you are careful using it that shoudn’t be a problem. I think it’s contact cement type of glue. That garage floor EVA mat I mention is perfect, it is the denser type of EVA, just wish I could find a way to make it thinner.
This is so odd as there is a demand for it, I’m surprised the surf industry hasn’t made something clear and grippy that doesn’t cost a fortune, I know for my snow board they sell a clear stomp pad material that is really grippy, all they would have to do is make it in sheets. The 3m 77 Spray worked well, only been out a few times but it seems to hold up well, it was the EVA that tore off not the glue. Only issue is that it is kinda yellow but if you are careful using it that shoudn’t be a problem. I think it’s contact cement type of glue. That garage floor EVA mat I mention is perfect, it is the denser type of EVA, just wish I could find a way to make it thinner.
Max,
You mentioned earlier that you tried a #40 sanded finish. Did that work or did you like something else better?
with a router you could thin down the garage EVA matting. It would be tricky making it thinner but groves would make it seem smaller. ive been wanting to try it but i figure theres gotta be some similar in price but thinner
Right now I think I like the sanded finish the best out of all of the methods I’ve tried. I used a #20 finish and I pushed down really hard on it, to make some deep scratches. If you are a surfer that likes to grab the rails, you could do the rails with #40. Since I surf in colder water, I use booties and that also gives me lots of traction, I have tried it with bare feet and it seems fine as well. If you are scared that you will sand down through to the cloth, you can tape off the deck where you are going to sand and put a thin coat of epoxy first.
How does it hold up with dirt? Does the rough finish pick up dirty hand prints or other debris?
Not that I can tell, definetly not like wax, nothing sticks to the sanded finish. And if it did get dirty you could always just scrub it with brush.
so i was browsing yoga mats, and majority of the mats are 1/8"- 1/4" thick. 1/8" thick shouldnt be to much. I am more worried about the grip of the foam. It is EVA foam, but they have like a wierd layer on top with those little bubble ball over them. .. But It looks like I am going to be trying it out so I will post my results.
tuf, 1/8 should br just fine. SUP mats from Hydroturf are 3/16 or 1/4, too much, we're trying for traction here not cushioning. Be sure to let us know how it goes with the yoga mats
picked up a yoga mat tonight. I am not to sure about it, but i have a beater board i am going to try it on. Not sure i would rush out to get a yoga mat just yet, I wont know how it works till after the weekend though.
What about taping the deck and putting an extra hot coat and then scoring it up with #20 or #30 and then putting a layer of silicon sealant like clear RTV with a textured roller? The scratches would give surface area for the silicon to grip and the silicon should be pretty grippy if it is applied with a texture to it…
Just thinkin…
I reckon Versatraction is excellent value and I’ve had to pay freight to Australia as well.
Here a branded tail pad for a surfboard costs $45 Aud +.
No value in that.
The versatraction works really well and for my 6’6" egg I used a funboard kit which did from nose to tail and still had a panel left over to put on another board.
The other thing is using them for 2 years and still looking good.
I suppose the eva pads and yoga mats are ok for the retro 80’s look and the yoga mats could soak up the water to give the board a nice heft. :-).
oops, double post!
How easy is the VersaTraction to cut? In my old age I seem to have developed an allergy to Sex Wax so I’m thinking about using some non-wax replacement for my next board.
what ever happenned to the idea of using cork?
This seems like an interesting idea. I wonder would clear bathroom/kitchen silicone work as well, that stuff sticks forever even to smooth surfaces. I have an old board I could try this on.
You can easily cut versa traction with scissors to make it whatever shape you like.