Why You Need Surfboard Traction Pads
There are tons of brands making traction pads for surfboard these days. Additionally, some surfboard traction pads cost a lot of money while others don’t break the bank. I recommend a traction pads for surfboard, they carry so many benefits which include traction and foot placement. Surfboard traction pads help you place your back foot in the right place when standing up. Specifically, they help place your foot over the fins for turning.
The above-mentioned concept of having your back foot over the fins is a little confusing, as it is not always the case that your foot should be over the fins or on the pad. However, it is necessary when turning the surfboard. Having a traction pad for your surfboard gives your back foot a lot more grip than wax, so when you are laying into the frontside hack, your feet won’t be sliding all over the place.
Additionally, there is a raised part of the tail pad called the ‘kicker’, which you can nestle your back foot into when doing your turns. Nestling your foot into the kicker creates added grip, which minimizes slippage leading to massive spray! Personally, I have tried both opinions and you definitely want a tail pad, not wax, when putting that much force into the tail of your boards
Our Top 5 Picks for Surfboard Traction Pads
The HoStevie! surfboard traction pads are a great option if you want quality at an affordable price. Honestly, after using their traction pads I was blown away but their performance. At only $20 these surfboard traction pads are a steal!
When measuring a surfboard traction pads cost, there are a few points to cover. This specific surfboard traction pad has a lot to offer in terms of durability and functionality.
Next on our list of suitable surfboard traction pads is one from a very reputable brand. Inevitably, their quality may exceed that of the other brands but so too does the surfboard tractions pads cost.
Now, here's another relatively expensive traction pad that has pretty good quality. To be honest, all traction pads are pretty much the same. I bet they are all made in the same factory
FCS traction pads for surfing are pretty much similar in price point and quality to that the above-mentioned traction pads.
Surfboard Traction Pads Cost
When determining our top 5 picks for surfboard traction pads, a large factor is the cost-to-quality ratio. The surf industry is growing rapidly, almost as rapidly as the pricing of their products. Interestingly, all of the above-mentioned traction pads cost around $50 except one. The HoStevie! traction pad is only $20 and is of similar, if not the same, quality as the major brands mentioned below. Naturally, we gave this traction pad the number 1 spot on our list.
These days the pay-for-what-you-get mentality is being completely overruled. Moreover, there are tons of new brands challenging the market. Naturally, it is our perception that products with a higher price must be superior, but this old notion is rapidly changing. Especially when the products’ performance, practicality, and durability are all similar, if not the same.
What About Other Brands?
There are a plethora of brands on the market. Now, every Tom, Dick, Harry, and Lucy is making their own version of knock-off brands, and don’t even get me started on the number of Eastern brands you can find on the market. Not to say that there is anything wrong with these brands but the surf industry is currently undergoing a shift. Naturally, sentiment in the industry lies with the long-standing primordial brands that created the culture we know today. Now, while I applaud their work, I also question not only the surfboard traction pads cost, but the cost of most products they distribute.
Nowadays, there are other brands birthing that challenge the status quo. Thus, do we really need to break the bank to get the latest, greatest Crosby flaming lion traction pad?
So, is the traction pad that costs a third of the price just as good?
These are hard questions that each and every one of us has to ask ourselves. So, at the end of the day, what’s an extra $30 when buying a traction pad? My personal opinion is that when you are paying that extra $30 is that you are not necessarily paying for better quality. In this case, you are paying for the brand and I am not saying you shouldn’t support brands that are charging you for their status, but I am asking you to consider whether or not you think it’s worth your extra $30. Obviously, speaking from experience, I would prefer to pay less for the same quality product and support a small-owned business.