Traction Comparison Update 2022
Like many surfers I have been on the lookout for a traction solution that has everything that I want. Throughout my forty years of surfing I have tried many different things. Traction needs to be sticky, but also allow some movement to adjust my feet as needed. It must work in hot and cold water. It should not melt in the sun nor get all over my car or other places that I put my board. It needs to be cheap. It needs to last.
Wax
Wax is the old standby and is great with the traction issue. I used this when I first started surfing since it really was the only thing people used back then. The problem with wax is you need to use different ones for hot or cold water. The wax I would use in California would melt right off in Hawaii. It is messy. I would always have some on my car or inside my board travel case and it would end up on the bottom of my board which I did not want. I have a hairy chest so going shirtless was not ever an option. Wax is cheap but must be reapplied all the time. It is rather frustrating to not have enough on your board in the water or to have forgotten the bar at home.
Traction Pads (EVA Foam)
I next put traction pads all over my board. I found multiple problems with this. One is that my board weight increased. Having the whole board covered in traction pads is heavy. The second was that some of them were too thick. I found that the Channel Islands corduroy type was the thinnest and lightest I could find. They were expensive at forty dollars for the front pad alone. Combined with a tail pad you were out seventy plus dollars. I used these on all my boards for a period of time. They are clean and do not collect sand. They do not contaminate your car or the bottom of your other boards when you stack them on each other. Another problem for me was that the front pad would act like a grater on my toes as I stood up and dragged my front foot across the pad. This is due to my inflexibility. I just could not lift my foot up enough to clear the pad. I never got this with wax because it has a certain amount of slide to it when you do not have so much pressure on it. Lastly if your board has graphics or a nice look to it the pads cover it all up. Not a deal breaker.
I next discovered RSPro Hexatraction. I was excited about this stuff. It was light weight and see-through. I bought a pack for seventy dollars which seemed steep but figured if it worked, I had found my solution. I put it all over a surfboard I was using and went out for a surf. When I stood up the stuff was great. A perfect balance of grip and ability to adjust my feet as needed. There were no melting issues and it worked in hot or cold water. The problem was when I would go from sitting to lying down to catch a wave and micro layer of water would get between me and the traction and the board would just slip right out from under me. This seemed to happen a lot and it became frustrating to have a wave go by and my board pop out from under me. It was embarrassing.
This is my latest discovery. Since Viskus went out of business and I used my last panel I needed an alternative. It has a more rubber type feel to it vs the RSPro which feels like thin plastic. This eliminates the slipping issue while lying on it that the RSPro caused. I am using it on my Foil Drive board. It has excellent grip when it gets wet. It is not as much grip as an EVA pad but is equal to wax if not a little better. It will not melt in the sun. You can slide your foot on it if you need to adjust a little. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. It is easy to put on and easy to remove. It works in hot and cold water. It lasts a long time. You can still see the graphics on your board thru it. It is great for the bottom of your board for paddling out over shallow reef.
Viskus(No Longer Available)
Summary
Traction is a personal thing. Some people want more than others. I find that what I like may not work for others, but I hope this article will help you in your pursuit of the traction you desire. Right now, I use a combination of three different types. I use a traditional tail pad without an arch. I shave down the tail kick so that it does not hit my legs while paddling. I like that I can push my foot back to the kick pad and know I am in the right spot. For the front foot area and where I lay on the board, I use the Viskus traction and now Surfco Wax Mat. This allows me to adjust my foot without lifting it off the board. On the rails and nose of the board I use the RSPro Hexatraction. It is clear and light weight and I have some grip but no weight penalty. I have not used wax in years. I like that I can put my board in my car and not worry about wax getting all over my car.
