Front foot traction convert – Will I be banned from the erBB?

Lohena

OTF status
Oct 30, 2019
307
300
63
Dear erBB council of elders, the ultimate authority on acceptable surf gear:

I am a recent convert to front foot traction, please do not discontinue my account and ban me from the board!

A little backstory. Ever since I moved from a tropical locale to one that requires a 4/3 all year round, I’ve had a weird habit of dragging my front foot in the wax when I pop up. I thought this was due to maybe bad technique or getting old/weak, but last year I went on two vacations to tropical environments and I had no issue with this at all. So to try to fix this, I thought let’s get rid of all this wax between my feet and just put a traction pad on.

Well the results are in, and although my pop-up still sucks, my toes no longer get stuck in the wax and problem solved! Therefore, I’m replacing the wax on all of my boards with traction.

oddly enough, I also feel like the front traction gives me both better grip, and easier ability to move my foot around. (Also, I won’t admit it publicly, but I do like the clean look of a front traction pad better than dirty wax.)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Havoc and Aruka

kool-aid

Michael Peterson status
Aug 28, 2003
3,026
2,614
113
San Francisco
I like front foot traction. Feel really nice under foot.

Don't you need wax between the tail pad and deck pad?

I definitely do. Otherwise I slide around all over the place.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lohena

johnson7

Nep status
Sep 29, 2016
686
522
93
I like it too, maybe not on every board? To me it almost feels like another level of sk8 deck, my buddy hates it, but I like it on my smallest boards.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lohena

Lohena

OTF status
Oct 30, 2019
307
300
63
I like front foot traction. Feel really nice under foot.

Don't you need wax between the tail pad and deck pad?

I definitely do. Otherwise I slide around all over the place.
No wax, no slipping so far. (Yesterday was my first day trying it).

There was no downside at all for me.
 

racer1

Tom Curren status
Apr 16, 2014
12,922
14,982
113
Honolulu, Hawaii
I have one board with front traction and love it. I love pulling it out of my car, not waxing it and paddling out. I like the comfort on my chest/ribs. I like having both feet on the same level (all boards have tail traction).

I want to go next level and get a concave deck with front traction.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lohena

Waterlogged05

Michael Peterson status
May 14, 2005
1,923
1,822
113
I have a bord that is spineing, will putting tractkion on either side help lify my chest off the spine?
 

johnson7

Nep status
Sep 29, 2016
686
522
93
I do like the way they cushion my xiphoid process, does anyone else ever have a problem with that?
 
Sep 2, 2014
77
6
8
I've got front pad on all my boards, I really dont get why people still use a wax.
I put a small peace of traction in between feets and some strips for hands on sides. NO WAX ANYWHERE.
some boards are 3/4 of the deck covered with 2mm cork, works perfectly as well
for the price im buying it its even cheaper than wax in the long run as my boards are mostly undestroyable.
-no stress to put your board on the beach in the sand
- no messing with boardbags
-no dirt wax in the car and on the bottom of other boards
- anytime i pull out a board from the car its in the same conditions ready to surf
- no endless cleaning and degreasing a surface to make a repair.
- no wrapping the deck of repaired boards to protect the stands in the worshop from wax
- no sand in the wax
- no scraping off dirty wax and rewaxing the whole board
- its lighter than a thick layer of wax
- BETTER TRACTION
-and surprisingly no rash when surfing naked chest apart from one board with agressive pad excellent for steep drops.
- and it makes more sense as everybody is using tail pads and not fronts ?
and on and on. enough said ? :))
 
  • Like
Reactions: claw87 and Lohena

emmohl80

Nep status
Oct 17, 2010
677
495
63
Mason Ho front pad is my go to!

I do have a Creatures corduroy front pad on an old rnf that feels pretty good.
Not sure I'd ever do away completely with wax.
It's a hassle sometimes but I like waxing up. I love the smell of wax.
Reminds me of being a kid.
 
  • Like
Reactions: racer1 and CutnSnip

Lohena

OTF status
Oct 30, 2019
307
300
63
I've got front pad on all my boards, I really dont get why people still use a wax.
I put a small peace of traction in between feets and some strips for hands on sides. NO WAX ANYWHERE.
some boards are 3/4 of the deck covered with 2mm cork, works perfectly as well
for the price im buying it its even cheaper than wax in the long run as my boards are mostly undestroyable.
-no stress to put your board on the beach in the sand
- no messing with boardbags
-no dirt wax in the car and on the bottom of other boards
- anytime i pull out a board from the car its in the same conditions ready to surf
- no endless cleaning and degreasing a surface to make a repair.
- no wrapping the deck of repaired boards to protect the stands in the worshop from wax
- no sand in the wax
- no scraping off dirty wax and rewaxing the whole board
- its lighter than a thick layer of wax
- BETTER TRACTION
-and surprisingly no rash when surfing naked chest apart from one board with agressive pad excellent for steep drops.
- and it makes more sense as everybody is using tail pads and not fronts ?
and on and on. enough said ? :))
This is all true.
 

ehiunno

OTF status
Dec 27, 2019
325
635
93
some boards are 3/4 of the deck covered with 2mm cork, works perfectly as well
So you literally just glue 2mm cork to the deck? Does this work equally well in very cold and very warm water?

I had been thinking about getting a front foot pad to try but I've got a bunch of thin cork laying around. If that actually works I may try it...

I've never used front foot traction, but being back on the EC I'm getting really sick of the constantly changing water temperature, or the 90* air and 70* water making it hard to put on the right hardness. It's just annoying spending another $80 per board on two pads when you're already spending $700+ on the board...
 

everysurfer

Phil Edwards status
Sep 9, 2013
6,713
1,811
113
Santa Barbara County
Dear erBB council of elders, the ultimate authority on acceptable surf gear:

I am a recent convert to front foot traction, please do not discontinue my account and ban me from the board!

A little backstory. Ever since I moved from a tropical locale to one that requires a 4/3 all year round, I’ve had a weird habit of dragging my front foot in the wax when I pop up. I thought this was due to maybe bad technique or getting old/weak, but last year I went on two vacations to tropical environments and I had no issue with this at all. So to try to fix this, I thought let’s get rid of all this wax between my feet and just put a traction pad on.

Well the results are in, and although my pop-up still sucks, my toes no longer get stuck in the wax and problem solved! Therefore, I’m replacing the wax on all of my boards with traction.

oddly enough, I also feel like the front traction gives me both better grip, and easier ability to move my foot around. (Also, I won’t admit it publicly, but I do like the clean look of a front traction pad better than dirty wax.)
I had thed same issue. I'm getting fücking too old. Started doing hip stretches. Google pidgon pose. It's done wonders.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SharkBoy
Sep 2, 2014
77
6
8
So you literally just glue 2mm cork to the deck? Does this work equally well in very cold and very warm water?

I had been thinking about getting a front foot pad to try but I've got a bunch of thin cork laying around. If that actually works I may try it...

I've never used front foot traction, but being back on the EC I'm getting really sick of the constantly changing water temperature, or the 90* air and 70* water making it hard to put on the right hardness. It's just annoying spending another $80 per board on two pads when you're already spending $700+ on the board...
I cant claim that it works in really cold water as I live in canarian islands and we dont freeze to much in the winter, but I dont see any differences as cork is very good isolation and its not affected by temperature
I made cork deck for a bunch of friends and no complains.
what I can recomend is to create a decent arch like 1-2/8'' thick out of foam or cork first, then glue the cork over. good for foot and sits in chest like old board with wells next to stringer
you might as well use cork in strips to increase the traction, but its not necessary.
there a ton of shapers using exposed cork and everybody is happy with that.
give it a try !
 

000

Duke status
Feb 20, 2003
26,018
7,171
113
ive been using front foot traction since the 80s, any time i can get some free. ive never bought a pad and never will, but ive ad tons of hookups
i just hate wax
but i also hate that some pads are slippery with some booties
its making a comeback
 

GWS_2

Miki Dora status
Aug 3, 2019
4,141
4,391
113
Funny. I had a board a few years back I put front traction on. When it was new. Somebody gave me the front and rear pad. The board was horrible. I couldn’t ride it. I decided to take the front pad off. And the board was magic from the first wave with the pad removed.

If your front foot is feeling “stuck” in wax, a lot of times changing to a harder warm water wax helps.
 

SharkBoy

Miki Dora status
Oct 22, 2004
3,881
188
63
i'd get one if i was always surfing in a suit with no boots, I like the grip of soft winter wax with boots, and in the tropics I don't like the rash I get while trunking it.

might get it for my boards stashed in Portugal
 

ghostshaper

Phil Edwards status
Jan 22, 2005
6,244
2,869
113
1134
Grew up in the 80s during the tractop and astrodek era. Front foot traction gave all of us the worst nipple rashes ever.

Hate booties w front traction bc once my foot is on, it can never move. Current board has front traction and I forgot my jacket last month. Bad memories.