Wax Mat traction pads by Surfco Hawaii

[blueplanetsurf]

Dave Skedelski from Surfco Hawaii has been working on this project for a long time and finally has a product that works great.  It's as grippy as wax (or better) without the mess.  Kevin loves it on his shortboard and and put together this video.  It also works well as nose traction on SUP's, or as a deck pad replacement, we just used it on a Kazuma board that came out really nice looking, I'll post a photo of that board tomorrow.  It's reasonably priced, we have it available at our shop now, check out the video:

[Night Wing]

One thing I wish he would have mentioned in the video. Since supper's stand up generally all the time, how comfortable is it on one's feet when standing on it for a considerable length of time?

[surfafrica]

I want!

[blueplanetsurf]

One thing I wish he would have mentioned in the video. Since supper's stand up generally all the time, how comfortable is it on one's feet when standing on it for a considerable length of time?

It's not as thick or soft as a regular EVA pad but is comfortable to stand on.

[exiled]

Any weight savings compared to an eva pad?

[blueplanetsurf]

Yes, they are thin and a bit lighter that EVA. 
For more information on the Wax Mats, check out the SurfCo Hawaii website:
http://www.surfcohawaii.com/Wax-Mat-Panels-s/161.htm

[ninja tuna]

I have a photo of what it looks like on a board in my surf expo thread.

http://www.standupzone.com/forum/index.php/topic,30563.0.html

[J-Bird]

So it looks nice, Ok, but how well does it really grip.  Can anyone who used it compare it to surfing with wax. or an EVA pad?

[jjdub]

Looks great! Any idea on how long is this stuff supposed to last until it needs to be replaced?

[blueplanetsurf]

It's very grippy, as Kevin says in the video, as good as fresh wax and he used to take wax into the water to re-apply while surfing.
According to Surfco it's made to last the life of a board.

[Beasho]

Is it comfortable? 

Guys wtf.  I have surfed a Padless board for 7 years with wax and all my other boards have pads.  The comfort of the wax vs padded board has never once entered my mind.

Wax works well but it wears away.  Pads are fine but they cost money.   

Go read "The Goal".  Best book on business, or rather how to improve your business, ever written.  Objective is to save / make money. 

If comfort isn't a factor, which its not then it's cost. 

How much do these cost?)

[Dwight (DW)]

Beasho, you in booties most of the time?

I've had long sessions where my feet go numb, with pad. Without pad, was a nightmare. Like standing on a concrete floor for hours.

[Beasho]

Switched from booties to boots.  I'm the guy with plantar fasciitis.

SUP related?  Probably. 

I use footwear most of the time.  Even in warm east coast water.

Maybe that's the solution. Either way best not to slip.

[Foilman]

Would be interested to know how it compares to the hexa traction pads from NRS. I was looking into getting those. Nice to know there is another option. Maybe the prices will come down a bit with more competition.

[blueplanetsurf]

I asked Dave to post a response but he could not figure out how to join and post and asked me to post this:

Kinetic coeffcient of friction test report, with a comment that the Hexa Traction from Spain is similar to the 3M Safety Walk. Poor wet grip and abrasive to the skin.

EVA foam pads offer better "cushion" to the feet, though are less responsive, heavy, absorb water, and abrasive to the skin.

Cost: higher than China foam, less than sealed cell foams like Sea Deck.

User product review:

Jamin Jones, Aug 14

Hey David,
We're very happy with the performance (and look) of this on our 7'10 SUP. I put a review on Facebook with some pics:
https://www.facebook.com/ben.jones.3386585/posts/10153817772196966?pnref=story
I'm going to place an additional order for our 7'7 SUP. I'll have more detail on exactly what we want in a later message.
Aloha,
-Ben