Standup Zone Forum
Stand Up Paddle => Gear Talk => Topic started by: exetersup on December 15, 2010, 07:10:24 PM
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I know this topic has been brought up, but I'm curious to know why one way works better for some than others. And way do boards with a glossy finish have such high maintnence? My old board with more of a matte finish barely had a scuff from scraping my rails. My new board with high gloss is all marked up only after 1 session. Not sure if I'll tape the paddle (likely) or tape the rails (probably not unless I need to cover up the scuffs).
Bueller?
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I prefer the paddle guard. The tape on the rails frays at the edges and looks bad after a while. The paddle guard is way easier to replace if you need to IMHO.
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A lot of those marks will disappear with a quick wipe of a rag and mineral spirits. Keeps demo boards looking like new.
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You would be surprised how much the paddle edge guards affect paddle performance, lots of drag on the release, added swing weight, excessive drag while feathering, etc... On the other hand the rail tape can not be felt in term of performance on the board IMO. Why would you reduce paddle performance when it's the board mfg's that need to address the rail ding issues? I believe this is a call to the board mfg's to make better rails where they get banged up the most. I have yet to see a Werner paddle fall apart from hitting the rails.
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Wow River thanks I had no idea about the paddle performance. Thanks for the heads up. I guess the best thing to do would be to work on your stroke so you don't bang your rails.
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I rode a rental recently that had grip tape for rail tape. Do not use that, it tore my belly up getting back on the board.
I rock the mastic tape on my paddle edge and I seriously doubt you'd feel a difference, it's less than a mm added around it. Not like the "edge guard" stuff.
Sometimes I need a Magic Eraser to get a black mark off after a wild wipeout, but no dings so far.
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I just like running pvc pipe tape (I think it's 20 mil). Or just regular electrical tape. Don't like how thick the paddle guards are and I don't like putting rail tape on my board.
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Lately, I've been using the airplane/helicopter (clear) tape on my paddle edges. It's thinner than mastic, not black and it's super-strong... Later, JD
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I agree that a paddle guard affecte heavily the hydrodinamics of the paddle apart from ugly.
I've been testing lately a new rail tape, and it's impossible (for me) to diferentiate the board with the rail tape and the board without ... and it's beatiful, and you can even personalise it with your colors.
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I use car door protector on the upper 1/3 of my paddle. When I went all the way around with it, I could feel the paddle vibrate when I paddled hard. I like having it on my paddle because the edge is very sharp and I think it protects me from cuts as well as the board.
I would like to see paddle manufacturers come out with a soft edged paddle, or at least a duller edged paddle. Some of the paddle edges are sharp as a knife. I also dull the trailing edge of my fins since I've been sliced pretty bad once.
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I made my own paddle guard with 1/4" drip line and silicon. Works great
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You would be surprised how much the paddle edge guards affect paddle performance, lots of drag on the release, added swing weight, excessive drag while feathering, etc...
I agree that a paddle guard affecte heavily the hydrodinamics of the paddle apart from ugly.
What are you guys using for paddle guards? It was a couple of months before I started using the Surfco Hawaii kit and I've been very happy with it: not only did I not notice a decrease in performance when I did, I saw a significant decrease in the number of rail dings. It's lasted a year without any visible degradation- which I can't say for my buddy's rail tape. That stuff got tore up on his first paddle. As far as "ugly" goes, I doubt anyone even notices it that doesn't know it's there.
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both are lame don't hit the board and you'll be good.
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For surfing- clear paddle edging ( shops in So.Cal selling it for 5-7.00 for enough to do one paddle) it lasts a long time/no board marks
For racing - no paddle edge ( it does affect paddle performance) , no UGLY rail tape
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Me being parinoid for my 1st year out I put rail tape and paddle edging on.Next season I'm taking off the rail tape. Should I expect some residule glue from the tape? If so what do I get it off with?
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Me being parinoid for my 1st year out I put rail tape and paddle edging on.Next season I'm taking off the rail tape. Should I expect some residule glue from the tape? If so what do I get it off with?
Alcohol
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I think rail dings are becoming a thing of the past as all/most board manufacturers progressively find the way to make rails that don't ding from paddle hits.
At a demo day of a 2011 manufacturer range, the 25 boards were out a full day for everybody to try, beginners to experts, and I can tell you I - like other - wacked the ones I tried a lot (had stability issues on the 5'11" :-). Paddles were carbon ones without a guard. At the end of the day, it was impossible to find a paddle mark on the rails of any board (but some had holes on the bottom from crashes with other boards)
So don't stress about the paddle marks. When/if you resell your board you will just repair them once, and your next board will probably dont ding at all on the rails.
If you do not race, some electric tape on the paddle is important to protect the paddle blade from damage on rocks, sand, ... and also yourself from cuts froms the blade. Bright colored tape helps also find the paddle in the whitewater if you let in go in a wipeout.
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Don't protect either the board or the paddle. After a year, show your wife the board and paddle and she'll see for herself that you need a new one of each.
Cheers
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Don't protect either the board or the paddle. After a year, show your wife the board and paddle and she'll see for herself that you need a new one of each.
Cheers
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve read on here haha
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one of those Mr. Clean white spongey thingys takes paddles marks & scuffs off like magic!! Get it slightly wet, even with salt water, and rub.......whooshka, like new. cheap, easy to use and fast. I usually do this as I'm rinsing the board. It's kept my white SIC looking sweet for years now. and you see immediate feedback on how poorly, or well your stroke was per outing.......
DJ on Seabreeze posted about using electrical tape on paddle edges [couldn't find it] which I used early on. Worked pretty well. Also cheap, readily available and easy to replace........worked on lower part of shaft even.
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one of those Mr. Clean white spongey thingys takes paddles marks & scuffs off like magic!! Get it slightly wet, even with salt water, and rub.......whooshka, like new. cheap, easy to use and fast. I usually do this as I'm rinsing the board. It's kept my white SIC looking sweet for years now. and you see immediate feedback on how poorly, or well your stroke was per outing.......
DJ on Seabreeze posted about using electrical tape on paddle edges [couldn't find it] which I used early on. Worked pretty well. Also cheap, readily available and easy to replace........worked on lower part of shaft even.
I just picked up some Mastic tape for that purpose. Cheap and easy
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one of those Mr. Clean white spongey thingys takes paddles marks & scuffs off like magic!! Get it slightly wet, even with salt water, and rub.......whooshka, like new. cheap, easy to use and fast. I usually do this as I'm rinsing the board. It's kept my white SIC looking sweet for years now. and you see immediate feedback on how poorly, or well your stroke was per outing.......
They are called Mr Clean Magic Erasers and yes, they do work like magic to remove just about any type of mark on the board. Great for spiffing up a board you want to sell.
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Hey guys: I had both rail tape and paddle guard. I like the rail tape because the surftech rail tape added a nice logo on the side of the board. It's pretty chewed up after 6 years and I need to replace it. I wish the rail tape had extended further up the board because that area gets hit the most by the paddle, or other boards or people. I had the paddle guard on my thicker older sup surf paddle and even though it was professionally installed, recently the glue dried enough that it came off and I thought yeah- it messes up the fluid dynamics so I left it of. I am tough on things and I did think recently of buying paddle covers to put on when I am transporting the paddles and putting them in / out of my garage - good idea?
Not to change the topic but surftech also put a SURFCO noseguard and nosetail on my board. I think it was because of reading a thread here that some purists said that noseguard is messing up your fluid dynamics and not giving you the ride "that your shaper intended". So i removed them. It looked nicer at the time, but over the years my nose and tail have been bumped, bruised, and the paint chipped off, so now I am having to repair those areas.
It's great to hear that board technology has improved to the point that you can't make rail dents with paddles! Then again the way I am rough on things -- I probably could find a way!
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Hey guys: I had both rail tape and paddle guard. I like the rail tape because the surftech rail tape added a nice logo on the side of the board. It's pretty chewed up after 6 years and I need to replace it. I wish the rail tape had extended further up the board because that area gets hit the most by the paddle, or other boards or people. I had the paddle guard on my thicker older sup surf paddle and even though it was professionally installed, recently the glue dried enough that it came off and I thought yeah- it messes up the fluid dynamics so I left it of. I am tough on things and I did think recently of buying paddle covers to put on when I am transporting the paddles and putting them in / out of my garage - good idea?
Not to change the topic but surftech also put a SURFCO noseguard and nosetail on my board. I think it was because of reading a thread here that some purists said that noseguard is messing up your fluid dynamics and not giving you the ride "that your shaper intended". So i removed them. It looked nicer at the time, but over the years my nose and tail have been bumped, bruised, and the paint chipped off, so now I am having to repair those areas.
It's great to hear that board technology has improved to the point that you can't make rail dents with paddles! Then again the way I am rough on things -- I probably could find a way!
RE: paddle bags, I bought one but never use it it. Because of that my favorite paddle is all chipped and scratched. Could be worth the $30 if you like to keep your stuff perfect.
And I wouldn’t say “can’t” make rail dents. No matter what it’s made of, seems like if you hit it hard enough, you’ll damage it (though I’m no expert). My 2019/2020 infinity boards are super durable. Lots of paddle strikes (especially a few months ago when my technique was even sloppier) with no damage, but also a couple paddle strikes that did cause a paint chip or two and a small crack in the PVC.
I personally dont see any sense in babying my stuff. I use it everyday and they’re hard to keep in perfect condition.
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I am not a fan of rail tape. I inherited a starboard with it and it still had chunks of kevlar on the rail missing. Once the rail tape was removed, the rails looked ugly. Ended up repairing and painting.
I have another board that I inherited with rail tape and it chafes me when I prone paddle the board.
I like my paddle guard on my carbon paddle. Joe Blair was the first guy I knew using them. I also paddle with wooden paddles (no paddle guard) and don't notice a difference. I am not a racer.
The only benefit of a paddle cover is if you live in a hot environment and have carbon paddles (black+carbon+sun+heat=bad). I sewed a nylon sleeve for my paddle with spare fabric for storage in my car (more inconspicuous).
When I first started I bought board bags for my boards, now I don't even use them anymore. They just add to the weight while transporting. And they get moldy when it rains.
I am hard on my gear and self-preservation comes first (Just snapped my 11' board in two this week swimming under a wave with a Crow Haley waist leash). Respectful praise to Beasho's invaluable shared knowledge over the years. Winter swell is here.
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I am not a fan of rail tape. I inherited a starboard with it and it still had chunks of kevlar on the rail missing. Once the rail tape was removed, the rails looked ugly. Ended up repairing and painting.
I have another board that I inherited with rail tape and it chafes me when I prone paddle the board.
I like my paddle guard on my carbon paddle. Joe Blair was the first guy I knew using them. I also paddle with wooden paddles (no paddle guard) and don't notice a difference. I am not a racer.
The only benefit of a paddle cover is if you live in a hot environment and have carbon paddles (black+carbon+sun+heat=bad). I sewed a nylon sleeve for my paddle with spare fabric for storage in my car (more inconspicuous).
When I first started I bought board bags for my boards, now I don't even use them anymore. They just add to the weight while transporting. And they get moldy when it rains.
I am hard on my gear and self-preservation comes first (Just snapped my 11' board in two this week swimming under a wave with a Crow Haley waist leash). Respectful praise to Beasho's invaluable shared knowledge over the years. Winter swell is here.
I was just cursing my board bag today while I was loading up after a session! I started using one to protect from dings, but it's such a pain in the ass that I'd just rather risk it haha I mean, for my Whiplash I wanted to keep it pretty and the shitty zipper on my FCS bag scratched up the paint on the side of the nose anyways, so what's the point ? Will likely still use them for highway transports and for the 7 days out of the year it gets hot up here, but besides that, I'm good.
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I also question why do I use the board bag. For trips to my local lake I don't use it. When driving to surf spots (90-120 min) I'll usually use it, but don't think I really need to. It's not like the thing will suffer if it is rained on, it's meant for water! Maybe when it snows I should use it to keep it warm.
I think I use it because I feel like my straps won't dig into or create marks on the rail if it's in a board bag. I try to never pull my straps so tight that it would, I think occassionally I have. And I have those THULE foam pads on the surf racks so if it pulls the board maybe a little tight it will just push down on the foam pad a little more, right? Or, does that bit of material by keeping it in the bag protect it a little more, which it may need? Believe it or not, I've debated this a lot in my mind, just never told anyone!!
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I pretty much gave up on rail tape until RSPRO came along. It actually does prevent paddle whacks or other rail dings from chipping the rail. It's expensive but it works much better than anything else I've tried, and I've been able to move the tape from one board to another several times. Looks good too.
Putting tape on a paddle you spent 100 bucks for is fine--no one spent months working out the design to make it complement good technique. Most of the effort in designing a paddle is in managing the flow of water across the face, both to help the catch and to keep it from wobbling. If I'm spending 500 bucks for a quality paddle, compromising the design effort and making it work like an el cheapo doesn't make a lot of sense to me.