Surf Tips "Back Foot Traction Placement" Surf Better for Beginner-Advanced Surfers
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- čas přidán 6. 09. 2024
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In this episode I talk about proper back foot traction placement.
Dominator 2 Size 5'4"x 19 3/8 x 2 1/4 (25.9L)
My Height: 5'9"
My Weight: 160 lb or 72.57 kg
LOT of people need to see this... too many boards I've bought used where they put the damn pad like 6" up from the plug, while claiming "tail paid included", which will have to be ripped off🤦🏻♂️...pad ALL THE WAY BACK, all the time people, please.
I cringe a bit when I see tiny pads meant for step ups/hpsb's on really wide tail boards 😩
Love all the mathematics and thorough “scientific” breakdowns and explanations that aren’t too confusing or high brow. I watch these videos while standing in line at the post office wearing ear phones or at the grocery store or while eating lunch or dinner call. Super interesting
Been cutting my pads for years to get them placed correctly. Each time I get a new board I experience "pad placement anxiety" and spend far too much time agonising about it before I actually commit and stick it down. I see so many second hand boards with badly placed pads. It's a sad affliction.
At least I know I'm not the only OCD weirdo out there haha!
hahaha this is good knowledge.
Yep that rear foot placement 1" makes all the difference between ripping super fun vertical turns and only doing weak intermediate style cutbacks
As suggested, I placed my pad as far back on the tail as possible (had to cut an inch off the pad), but when I surf with my foot directly over the center fin, the board gets way too loose/out of control. My board (pod mod) works best when my foot is over the front half of the center fin. If I want a tighter arc (in small/slopey surf), I put in quad trailers and keep my foot placement about the same as with the thruster set.
Glad you posted this as I just got a pod mod yesterday. I'm playing with pad placement now. What length pod mod do you have? I'm thinking of centering the kick roughly midway of the center fin.
@@adamdeveau6311 my pod mod is a 5'10. I don't put my foot quite that far back, but I do agree that sticking the tail pad as far back as possible is the best way to go.
Great input, ...54 yrs. old and getting back into surfing shape and taking off my grip that I just put on 1 of my boards! Thanks
I remember seeing photos of rippers where their back foot is all the way back, like over the leash plug as their doing solid vert maneuvers.
great summary as I've heard that the Dom II is sketchy on bottom turns as a thruster...
this is probably why i like riding quads... because my back foot is never over the rear thruster fin. im defiantly a front footed surfer and as a result always thought about fin cluster placement..
Great post... if you love Quad set ups you gotta check out our 5 fin set.
www.shopsurfnshow.com/collections/fins/products/momentum-series-5-fin-set
Did you try riding it as a quad after moving the pad back? I’m curious if it felt like to far back when right on the tail kick?
Yes... it went great.
This is epic. I always wondered about this and was suprised it wasn't mentioned more frequently about precise foot placement over the fins the placement of the tail pad 👍
Thanks for the tips, when I transitioned into short boards, I always placed the traction pad up to far forward.
I appreciate the info being included in the original review too. Recently bought a dominator 2.0 and cut my FireWire action pad similarly to get it over the rear box based on your suggestion. Cheers.
Hey Noel. Have you thought about doing a review on a Smith Shapes? They've launched in the US and I'd love to see a review.
I saw him say in another comment he’s talked to them and they won’t send a board at this stage
Best video on how to put a deck on your board!!
That was was a great video. I've beens surfing all my life and I've always been paranoid about my pad placement. I've got a mashup on the way and I think im going to have to do this. Thank you!
Always appreciate the tips and great info. Only thing I’d add is maybe angle the cut out to a sort of V shape. The leash gets less stuck. ✌🏼&❤️ from Boston,MA stay safe ya’ll🏄🏽♂️
Hey Noel, great video! Can you give us the details on that rack/stand that you’re using. It looks bomber.
@@rfnvb2 this rack is legit for sure. Here is the link.
boardraxx.com/
Ive been using this RIKT I just bought. I'm obsessed. so much easier
Wish I had seen this video 15 mins before I just installed my traction pad... dang
I was thinking I was being sick picky with new traction pad but Noel is next level !!! Good video
I've learned a LOT with you. I appreciate your content as a nerd surfer haha. Bless!
Hey Noel really glad u had this video up, put on a tail pad and realized it was way to far forward. Got a new one now got a nice position over the fin. Thanks man🤙🏼
Who's going to make a tail pad that solves this problem? Swallow tails with the leash plug offset to the side are very annoying, for the exact reason outlined in this excellent tutorial.
Agreed…
Love the videos man!! Can you do a review on a wave storm!?!
can heat up paid with a hairdryer to soften the glue if not coming off easy. Also, that's, why I measure and adjust how far back your rear thruster fin are and also how far back side fins are so your got a consistent variable between assessing how boards perform as even 1/8 th of an inch, will make the board feel different and also affect where your back foot needs to be to find that sweet spot IMO.
which is not easy as futures lock you into pretty well where the glasser puts them. You really need the same sets of fins made with the fins set in different positions which is pretty hard unless your making fins yourself.
Informative video on traction pad placement from a knowledgeable surfer. A lot to consider in relation of leash plug location to traction pad placement. Hopefully FireWire will change the location of the leash plug on the Dominator II.
Same thing happened on my pyzalien2 i cut it up but the middle part eventually came out. Doesnt look great but still practical. I surf it better on the quad setup.
Somehow photoa of that board online shows the plug further down and in the middle. Pyzel Australia has made it different for some reason.
Thanks for the info. I'm about to order a Pyzalien 2 in Oz, so I'll ask them to install the plug further back.
@@markmcdonald7459 No worries. I also ordered it a size too small. Good board i love it despite the paddle being less than expected.
Hey Noel,
I feel the same as you when it comes to the importance of having the pad over the rear fin. I’ve noticed on some Instagram pictures of pro’s boards that they sometimes have the pad pretty far up, and this really surprised me since they need all the performance they can get. Do you think some actually prefer the pad further up, or they are just not careful about pad placement?
each to their own. pro's have their boards/fins placements dialed in..go watch tom curren surf.. his booted for is always dacing around..he says it him self in the occ-cast interview..i wonder if curren likes his fin cluster a tad furture up the board..? tom carroll i believe liked his fin cluster tighter together..
Now this is what I’m talking about, super helpful. Thank you!
at 6:25 minutes is the answer. thank you i hadn't thought of that
I dont know what an inch is but the rest of the video was nice, thanks!
How old are? If you don't mine me asking. I'm 41 and still surfing well , so when I see you surfing and shreading I'm wondering how old you are because if your in you 40' s ripping like that. Gives me hope for sure
Stoked to hear your shredding at 41. I’m 47....
@@surfnshowreviews7777 nice! You rip. Enjoying your video's alot. Thanks for the reply!
WOW! so simple and explains why two of my boards work better as quads (2 new grips coming up)
What about twin-fins like a Fishbeard? - Same principle or do you line up a bit behind the back of the fin base?
I like my pads all the back on every board... even Twin Fins like the Fishbeard. Let me say it this way.... if I surfed the Fishbeard without a pad or any board without a pad I will always want my back foot all the way back for precise turns.
Great video, thanks for the explanation on where to place the traction pad in relation to the fins!
Please keep up the vid big Dhaka’s from Panama 🇵🇦 👊🏻😎
WD40 with a microfiber towel also works GREAT. Then just soap and water with a washrag to get the WD40 off. Afterwards, looks like a Brand new board.
Si let’s say you wanted to ride that board as a twin fin, does that mean the traction pad is moved even further up then the quad set up? Great video btw 🤙🏽
Not really… I say always put the pad all the way back and move your foot forward. It’s easier to move your foot around compared to moving the pad. I always put my pad as far as I can get it.
Awesome quick surf tips! Love it
Thanks. This was super clear and super helpful.
Thanks so much for this great video!!
Late to the video! Do you recommend still placing it all the way back for the thruster possibility if I do still plan on riding it mainly as quad?
Always put the pad all the back… you can always move your foot forward to do turns.
hey noel, im sorry this is my third time commenting but my post keeps disappearing (probably because i put an image to show)
I did as shown in the video and someone told me i was harming the dynamics of the swallow tail of my board because the tailpad is too far back, too close to the borders... Is it true ? i cant put it more forward or my foot will be more on the middle of the thruster fin, but now its true that it is very close to the borders of the swallow tail. i dont know what to do
Just go surf the board and if you can do the turns you want and the board feels good with sharp turns then you are good. Just go surf…
@@surfnshowreviews7777 yeah i went surfing, i didnt feel anything wrong but im still learning discovering the turn aspect of surfing, like i mainly do open carves and bottom turns, sometimes cutbacks if the waves are big and easy but its much rarer (my first complete, successful cutback was probably a month ago), and he was so adamant about it and then the other people said that hes almost a pro and i should listen to him cause im not as good as him...
so now i started doubting maybe i didnt notice cause i am not good enough 🥴 like is such a thing actually possible, breaking the dynamics of a tail by sticking a tailpad too close to the borders ? That seemed wild to me tbh, but its true that ive never seen a tailpad as close to the border as this one, even my bigger wave board didnt need to be as far back to cover the thruster fin
@@KC-ro9ro I wouldn’t worry about it. If the board feels responsive and turns feel good without bogging then you are good.
@@surfnshowreviews7777 okok thank you !
Great tips, good job Noel!!!
Wow super good tip! Never would of thought of that.
Quick question, do you also need to be over the back fin in 2+1 setup? Or is it not as important as a regular thruster
I like my foot all the way back on every setup. The board is most responsive that way. You can move your back foot up for more speed through turns but when you want precise turns step back on that tail block.
@@surfnshowreviews7777 Super clear, thank you!
Hi Noel, great video as usual. So I ended up getting an Astro Pop (thanks to your reviews, cheers!) and find myself trying to figure out where to place the pad.
In your Astro Pop review video I noticed that you are using the same CL pad of this video, but you did not need to cut the pad to move it backward. Also, from what I can see, your back foot would not be completely on top of the back fin (like it is here) with the pad placement you have on the Astro Pop.
When placing my pad on the Astro Pop, I'm finding that in order to have my back foot on top of the farthest back fin (this would be in the thruster or 2+1 configuration), the pad entirely covers the leash plug. This is a pretty similar pad to the one you are using, so I was wondering if you chose a different pad position for the Astro Pop (maybe having to do with making it work with all the possible fin configurations)?
Thanks again!
I say push the pad all the way back against the leash plug. You can always customize your pad by cutting it a bit
What about the little bump on the middle of the pad.. would you recomend for a flat foot? Or should i choose a flat pad ?
Most of my friends with flat feet prefer a flat pad. Just make sure you get your foot all the way back on the tail kick for solid turns
Wow, you are a genius, thanks for this!
Phenomenal video 👏🏼
You might want to try the new Slater Action pad for that Dom2
Very good and remarkably important review !
I reckon the leash pulling on you and pushing the pad right from the middle to the sides is gonna eventually rip it off
Just use a pad that has a cutout for the leash plug already and always put it back as far as you can. Pretty simple.
This video is amazing!
Surfing noob here looking to purchase my first short board. Can someone tell me why they use one traction pad for the back foot and use wax instead of another traction pad for the front foot placement? Shouldn't it be more convenient to have traction padding for both feet? 🤔
Front foot traction is a bit much for me and I prefer wax. I have gotten so used to wax that when I use front foot traction its a bit harder for me to move my foot around and feel the board.
@@surfnshowreviews7777 besides, in warm water, if You surf without a top, the traction will rip your chest skin off...
@@carlosaramosss8166 Thanks for the tips. 🌊✅🙂 I'll make sure to put on a rashguard for each session, just ordered Van Der Waal traction to use instead of wax, some other people mentioned it will irritate the skin and pluck chesthair off LOL.
Hi where should the traction pad go on a twin fin please?
Thank you so much 😊! Now all I need is keep money now
Good Stuff one thing that is over looked very easily... 🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼
Justin
Hey noel can you do a board review on the glazer 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
Trying to get one... FW is sold out and they said they have no boards to send me. Sorry
Similar to Dusty Starr, does moving it back for the Thruster config adversely impact riding it as a Quad?
Eu kero cumprar um surf
É pusivel
Mandem a rasposta
Yes a little... it will feel ultra loose as a Quad but you will adjust to it. If you don’t move the pad back and want to ride the board as a Thruster you will run into similar problems I did if the Leash Plug is up a bit to far.
hey Noel,
can u help me out? Which one would you pick between a js monsta box and a DHD dx1 phase 3 or even a DHD 3dv, for a everyday surf in 2-6ft beach break/point-break
Thanks
Keep with the great reviews
Never tried the DX1 sorry... I would go with the DHD Wilko F13. If the beach breaks are hollow then I might go with a board that has a little more rocker
I use a pad with a hole cut out and no foot arch this way i will naturally find the best spot for my foot
Where I can get the foam table you're using to place the board on in this video?
Boardraxx.com
@@surfnshowreviews7777 nice, thank you!
Hi Noel, really love all of your videos and this one is super informative. It does however bring up a question... If the ideal is to have the back foot lined up with the furthest back fins does that mean that we are limited to what length boards we can properly ride for our height? Take someone 5'9" like you who is not as advanced, you may be riding a 5'2" Seaside but this same height person may ride a 5'7" seaside or may even ride a larger 6-6'6" board. How can that person have their back foot at the right place while having a comfortable surf stance and being properly (fore-aft) balanced on their board?
With longer boards you should move your feet around on the board more. For example… if I’m riding a 9’ longboard and I want to turn that board quickly and get sharp turns then I need to stand all the way back on the tail block for best results. However when I’m surfing that longboard down the line I need to scoot both of my feet forward on the board to maximize speed and glide. The longer the board the more I move both feet forward and back to maximize speed and performance. To me it doesn’t matter how long the board is…. The pad needs to be all the way back for the sharpest turns possible.
@@surfnshowreviews7777 Noel you are a legend! Thanks for the answer! I guess what I was referring to is that with a short enough board you can ride most of the time with your feet at the same spots as you would on a surfskate. You are totally right about back foot placement for the sharpest turns, I was just simply wondering if there was a desirable length to height to always have the back foot near or at that placement. I feel that with my 6'0" shortboard I need to move around a little and felt that with a 5'4" board my feet would not move around as much but I may be wrong. Thanks again for your insight!
@@terryeyland5305 my back foot moves around a lot on every board. I move it up to maximize speed down the line on HPSB and a 5’ Groveler. It’s really a preference but some might move their back foot less on shorter boards. My back foot movement is consistently moving on all boards
@@surfnshowreviews7777 I can see the back foot moving around but I guess with shorter boards the front foot does not need to move so much compared to if you were running a 6-7' board. Thanks for the amazing insight as usual. You are a legend!
Hi Noel, could you please tell me why you tighten the string attach that way? It’s not conventional at all.
Not sure I understand what you mean? There is a few different ways to tie your leash string that work well. My focus here is not how to tie the string if that’s what your talking about... but that your leash string does NOT go past the Tail Block.
Hey Noel any recomm on a quad fin setup for the Pyzel Gremlin got one for Christmas but I haven’t got it in the water yet I’ve been honing in before making the step up to a short board
Futures or FCSII fin boxes?
Brilliant. Thanks! 🤙
great info, very thorough. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Noel, so will the board still go just as good with a quad set up now that the pad is back further?
Absolutely
What is you fav leash?
Do you recommend creatures superlite comp or fcs freedom leash
Btw very nice video! Learning something new every time from you!
Do you have a link to the board stand your using in this video? Love the show Noel!!
The company is called Boardraxx.com. Here is their link.
boardraxx.com/
I like the accent when saying ‘nice precise turns’. Where is that accent from? Anyone knows? Thanks!
Hey Noel, I am trying to decide what CI model I should get. I am thinking a fever or black and white. I am surfing 3-7 foot beach break and point break. Just want to know your thoughts thanks
I like the Fever best... fast and responsive
Awesome!
Nice one. Thanks
Noel, sometimes i seem to have a problem with landing my back foot far enough on the pad during take off. Or even landing in front of it. When i practice on land my feet seem to get in place perfectly. Any tips on that?
Not really...when I pop to my feet I have to adjust my feet all the time too. The best tip is... set your feet first then shred.
what is the brand of surfboard stand (rack) you are using in the video?
The company is called Board Raxx. Here is the link to their site..... boardraxx.com/
Hi Noel, assuming the rear is lined up properly, how much traction coverage for the front fins as well for a quad/TRI setup? I noticed in your video that some of the front but not all was covered.
Not sure I understand your question??
@@surfnshowreviews7777 how much traction coverage do you recommend over the front fins? All or partial coverage? Basically traction for the foot standing directly over the front fins.
@@MichaelJDay I don’t think I have ever thought about that before. For me back foot traction is best all the way back…. Usually that means my foot pushed back against the traction kick for precise turns. My thoughts are never about how much of my pad needs to be over the side fins. Even on my Twin Fin boards I like my pads all the way back behind the fins.
Hi Noel nice review as always
tell me one thing how do you think that applies on a twinnie ? the deck right ojn top of the fins ?
thanks
Nuno.
I always want my back foot right over the Twin fins.
Great advice! Turns surfing are like an ollie on a skateboard in that, if your foots not in the right spot you can't do the move. Do you think the traction pad being all the way till the end of the fin applies if you're surfing a twin with a small trailer fin? Or could you get away with crisp turns still even if the end of the traction pad doesn't match with the end of the trailer fin but the traction still goes back far.
Most important thing is to have the pad set back far enough so your back foot is right over the Thruster fin. Doesn’t matter if it’s a Twin + Trailer set up...
On Flat Earth some advise to place it a bit further up to have back foot just behind the twins and above the trailer, what’s your opinion??
Thanx
czcams.com/video/CEOR-4IJTUE/video.html
Great stuff, thanks for sharing.
Wich size is the bord ?
5’4”
Hey Noel - Awesome vids, really great to have your channel as a resource for all things surfing. I recently got a new round tail (Lost Sabotaj). The tail gets pretty narrow quickly, any tips on a good more-narrow-than-usual pad for a board like this? Or would it be a good idea to try and cut up a regular pad thats wider? I bought a pad but it seems like if I line it up with my leash plug it will be nearly hanging off the sides of the tail. Moving it up fixes this, but then my tail block is just a a cm or so forward of the end of the base of the trailing fin. Thanks.
Narrower round tail are tough to fit a pad on. I like the Griff Colapinto pad by Creatures but you still might have to trim it a bit.
Pad placement… just make sure the traction kick is a little behind the third fin. Most of the time on narrow round tail boards it doesn’t have to be all the way back on the leash plug. Just make sure your back foot is able to get over the center box.
@@surfnshowreviews7777 Thanks Noel! Cannot thank enough for the quick response on this. Really appreciate it. I placed the pad just now, as far back as I could without hanging it off the sides. Looks like I can get my foot up against the tail block while still having it over 85 to 90 percent of the trailing fin box, from front to end of the box. Going to try this out as SoCal waves pick up going into winter. Worst case scenario, I don't love it and spend an evening removing & replacing. But I think it will be money. Thanks again.
@@E-Rod Thank you for the love and supporting our show through PayPal giving. You are da best
This video has been super helpful! Just want to start by saying thanks so much for all your vids. I have a similar question piggy backing off this comment. My step up which I don’t use for turns that often unless I’m laying into one after the barrel. It’s about an 75% over the trailing fin. Would this be beneficial in the barrel for generating speed? Locking in? Or should I have it back a bit more for making it easier parking into them/button turning?
Hi Noel, thanks for this video! It looks like I will have to do the same to my (new) pad. I just removed the old one and my new pad is also a creatures pad with a long kick and only a little cutout, so I have to also make a cut like you did to fit it properly. Just wondering though, does the cut-pad feel different? Like do you feel de hole in the kick or is it really just cosmetic?
I feel nothing after I cut it... just cosmetic
Tell me hot to use tail kick.
Great video!! Thanks!!
Thanks for the tips, Noel!
Just wondering how long do you change the traction pad on a certain board in average? (because my CI pad came off a bit in just three months)
CI pads need some work... your pads should not come off after 12 months. I will usually go through a board before I wear out a traction pad. Depending on the pad maker. If the traction material is softer then I will wear off the knobby’s. Just get yourself a Creatures pad.... either Giffs pad or Freestone and you will have no problems. Just make sure you clean off the board really good if your replacing the old one
Hey would you ever try the twice baked potato for true grovel board?
No... not a fan of those types of boards. To wide and flat.... they just don’t turn very well.
@@surfnshowreviews7777 Copy that :)
hey noel thanks for the video! would you also recommend aligning the traction pad back for keel fins + knub center fins? or would it be better to align it to just the keel fins? appreciate any tips 👍
I would align it just past the Keels... the nubster will just offer enough traction to control the slide.
@@surfnshowreviews7777 awesome thanks noel!
On a lost RNF 96 for example… Any tips on traction pad placement as a twin fin? I Watched this vid on getting the pad right over the rear fin on a thruster. But what about a twin?
any alternative pad recommendations?
it seems Jack Freestones are soldout in europe 😀 maybe Creatures should write you a check 👊🏻
The Griff Colapinto pad by Creatures is another excellent pad!
@@surfnshowreviews7777 thanks!
Hi Noel, I purchased a 6.4” could you recommend a fin setup (FCS) please?
Performers in PC or PCC.
Thanks 🤙
Hi Noel, just out of curiosity - what tailpad did you put on you CI fishbeard ? I could see that you put tailpad on both tested boards but didn't show in the review (guess it looked ugly). I have used the CI Fishpad and i hate it - will probably rip it off and replace it with more high-performance pad as i do miss the kick. Cheers
I used the Jack Freestone pad by Creatures on my Fishbeard. I don’t like the Fish pads out there.... I suggest you rip that pad off and use a performance pad.
@@surfnshowreviews7777 So how far back did you place the pad on the Fishbeard since there's no trailer fin? Great videos as always!
@@boldcityhomeinspections7790 I put the pad right up on the leash plug...as it sits beck well over the Twin Fin boxes.
Surf rack were can I buy or give demo. Thanks.
We'll see you on how long it takes before the leash rips the pad off when it grabs the inside of that cut out
That's what happened when I cut the notch out...so I don't do that anymore. Now, I have do some calculations and, drawing a straight line all the way across the tail kick, just cut off an inch or two (this, usually, still leaves a little of the kick to keep your foot from falling off the end).
How would you compare the dominator 2 to the rocket wide?
The D2 is faster, smoother, and it pivots better with a better wave range.
Does the D2 work well in small waves too??
@@reedh4010 yes
Buy some 3M spray adhesive and you won't have to keep buying new pads every time you have to rip it off for whatever reason.
I disagree with this placement. If your foot is sitting behind the rear fin the feel is really funky and the stance too stretched out. After 42 years of surfing I have settled on the rear edge of the foot sitting in the middle of the rake of the leading edge. This places the bulk of the pressure of the back foot at the front of the fin base. The front two fins do the turning not the rear fin so having your foot behind the rear fin is unnecessary and creates a really weird pivot to your turns. Additionally it means you have to do too much moving of the rear foot between pumping and pushing hard through a turn. In summary you still want the foot over the rear fin but not behind it. Precision in your turns comes from rolling the rail in progressively (ankle strength) not how you whip the tail around by pushing with the whole leg, a very imprecise movement.
Thanks for this. As I was setting up my new board, I realized that for me it just didnt seem right to have it that far back. I decided that my kick would run midway over the rear fin and at the back of the side fins.
Ahhh grip blocks are over rated I reckon. Just looking back through your vids and rarely do you ever have your back foot up against that block.
i dont think so.he is a backed footed surfer.. maybe when he is driving down the line but when he go's to position his foot for turns its all the way back..
@@MegaMr28 i disagree, foot well back and foot against the block are 2 different things. Blocks are over rated and probably only used well by 1-2% of surfers making it simply a gimmick
@@marcusdavis2208 czcams.com/video/l__QdtcMYPw/video.html