Grip

[bumfluff]

Who uses grip on their board and who doesnt and why?

I have only used grip on one board in my life, but im thinking about giving them another go.

[black duck]

never used it. Never even ridden a board with grip. Don't know what i'm missing out on.

[bumfluff]

I mainly use grip as means of protecting my board from duckdiving compressions. I use it on almost all my sticks. I don't find it makes a lot of diference to performance whether I use wax or grip though. As I said, it's mainly to stop compression in the tail area when duck diving, and also taking late drops can leave some pretty nasty heal dents in the tail of a board. I guess if you're only surfing in 2ft all the time, then it's not a problem, or if you're surfing a mal, which are generally glassed fairly well.

Yea thats partly the reason I want it, to protect my board. I also reckon the kick on a tail pad would have to help with turns and just knowing your back foot is in the right spot as soon as you take the drop..

[Grooter]

My first two boards had grip but I haven't put it on my last two.

Didn't notice the difference between using it and not using it to be honest which probably has a lot to do with the way I surf i.e. not a lot off the back foot

And I always get my boards well glassed (as I want them to last) so deck compressions are a pretty minimal thing for me as well.

[alakaboo]

i normally don't like it, i've got a dodgy back foot so if i need to move it the grip seems to result in me re-injuring it.
most boards i've got second hand i've ripped off the grip. it generally hasn't made much difference to the surfing.
on one board it went from a dog, to a really fun board, because i reckon the grip was set up about 5cms too far forward and the board was very finicky about foot placement

on boards that are short for me, i.e. under my height, i don't mind it. i've tended to ride fairly flat boards, so the kick gives you something to lever the tail down in turns and quicker takeoffs.

[DV8]

Use it , always have . I like to know when by back foot is in the slot . Always go for ones with decent arch bar , but recently I'm thinking I might try a flat one just to get that little bit more feel. Not that I expect I will actually feel more just a placebo effect.

Got high arched knuckle feet so grip feels comfy under hoof.

[Cpt.Caveman]

I use grip on all my boards. I've always used them so I find boards without them feel very unusual and take some getting used to, feeling kind of lost as to where my back foot is. I think it might be all in my head, but I find they make the tail feel springier and more buoyant and I really notice it when its not there (and just wax).

I usually get a grip with a high bar and an arch bar, as I have high arches in my feet.

[bohdidontsurf]

Yeah I am with Devo and the Captain. I tend to have my back foot too far forward and like to feel that arch so I know I am in the right spot. I did have a single fin once so I thought ya cant put a deck grip on a single fin...well first reo I tried to do my back foot slipped straight off the back of the board and the tail ran up my leg right up to my nuts. I had a graze up my leg that trailed right up to my scrotum.....Only way I would surf without one now is if I wore a hecta protecta.

[dUg]

On retro twinnies I prefer no grip for the same reasons - back foot is further foward and I like the sensitivity. Also prefer no grip on longboards / mini-mals: don't really see the point unless you're one of those big fat blokes that just takes off, plants your feet, and rides in a straight line.

On all my 3 and 4 fin boards though I find tailpad is a must, although on my really short boards I have recently found my back foot is on top of the heel kick on late take-offs ( and the pad is already well back toward the tail ). I'd like to try a low-kick or near flat pad on some of those boards to see if it helps.

[Topher]

As others have said, on fishy and eggy things I don't like grip because i tend to shuffle around a bit and don't turn from the tail as much. I never liked grip that much until recently I started to try to consciously change the position and the way my back foot sits - I'm trying to get it pointing forward or at least parralell to the stringer, and plant it a bit further back. I tried a really high grip and loved the way it felt and it told me where my foot was.

Now I'm that into high arched grip that I took a real flat low grip off a board to change it for a high arch one. (And taking a grip off is NOT an easy task).

[dUg]

And taking a grip off is NOT an easy task.

I've got one, or possibly two, words to say to you. Heatgun.

[bumfluff]

Sounding like grip might be worth a go. Ive got high arches so a guess a high grip is the go.

Any specific brands or styles better than others? I like the look of the Taj's Creatures of Leisure...

[Topher]

Heatgun Wouldn't that be a little bit bad for the board. I have a heatgun that I roast coffee with, it gets to like 300degrees or something crazy.

Squid grips are cheap, good and very archy. Got a bobby martinez o&e one with a gift voucher a month or two ago and it is even higher. Huge.

[DV8]

Sounding like grip might be worth a go. Ive got high arches so a guess a high grip is the go.

Any specific brands or styles better than others? I like the look of the Taj's Creatures of Leisure...

Creatures team pads are all pretty similar . Recently tried "FARKING" traction High kicks and high arches .........good price too.

[dUg]

Heatgun Wouldn't that be a little bit bad for the board.

uh...yes... don't point it at the board.... point it at the tailpad you dislike. the glue will go all gooey, and it'll peel off easily. sometimes the glue comes away if the pad is a bit older, but I've used the gun to get just the glue off ( with a paint scraper )and it works a treat. just take your time and don't hold it in any one spot for too long.

[bumfluff]

Tailpad is on. Got a Creatures one with a medium foot arch and a good sized kick on her.

Also got a dead flat one for my 6 ft ultra lite, just for comparison.

[JET01]

Mal - no pad
6'8 waterskate - pad (g-grip Carve)
6'4 More quadfather - pad (g-grip Carve)
6'0 Jackson biscuit - no pad
5'10 Southpoint epoxy fish - no pad.

I used the 6'8 to come down from a minimal years ago and loved the pad for reference point purposes that have already been mentioned.
I'm still not convinced that i have the pad in the right spot on the 6'4 More, but at $60 for my favourite pad i'm not going to try moving it anytime soon. should've surfed it a few times first.

I thought about putting some flat grip on the biscuit... was going to buy mal pad from squids and cut it down to size, but seeing as it's a summer slop board, i'll spend alot of time in boardies and the knee chaff just isn't worth it.

[NickyG]

ive got a grip with a decent kicker and a arc pad in the middle.. It's always a good feeling when your foot is right square on the grip.. Also helps with the duck dives although.. I've copped it in the balls before when the board has slipped between my legs when mucking around in the surf