deck pads

[Steven Lewis]

Hart, I think beeline can help with your P.C need's he has helped me in the past send him a PM, Also will you have pads for the tail area.
Steve

[Burnwater]

Prof. Hart, Beautiful deck pads. Form follows function and you've combined both in a very elegant way. I'm not suprised. We've come to expect that of you. I do have a question though. Since the knee wells are so defined, is there a way to dial in the sweet spot on a new board before applying the grips? I'm especially interested since I have two newies on the way from you and I'd love to use the new grips.

[hart]

hope this link works..

album_showpage.php?pic_id=4145

CD

I have a prototype for the rear, but it is based on a flipperless surfer (ie it only accepts a foot into its contour)

In considering flippers, I figure the flatter they sit the better..and in fact whether grip with flippers is advantageous at all (but I'm open to opinions from those who wear them)

BW

So now your cover has been blown!!

Knee postion is critical in thrusters..its important to ride in the right spot.

the outlines, foils and thicknesses of my thrusters ALL revolve around the position of the surfer and before I shape for anyone, I have already made the assessment as to whether they are a tail-surfer or ride more from the middle (another reason I only shape custom stuff and not stock)

Thicknesses et all are then in-built according to that assessment.

As with all new boards, adjustment from the surfer's position is not uncommon (as with fin location and type)..and in my experience, if the grip is set by the shaper, there is little chance that it would require anything other than slight correction (if at all) from the surfer, once in the water.

Having said that, you can always examine your existing equipment and measure how far back from the nose you appear to 'hit' the most..and use that info as part of your assessment.

Personally, I have positioned the front of my grip at 32" down and hit it at around 36" for years now..and on a six-footer, this is exactly half-way

hart

footnote (excuse pun)

Farrer has been my model here..he rides with one-inch-thick slabs of black foam. We then grind the location of his knees, (flipperless) feet and the shape of his shinbone into it.

So at any point under his knees (and feet) the foam is at it thinnest..and he is surfing from his lowest possible point (despite the foam)

and now this is important..Simon also has contact with his board through his shins, evenly distributing his weight..AND his power.

If we assume that when we KNEEL on a flat surface (with no grip at all, or grip that was one-dimensional) and that we are only making contact at four distinct points, then that could be likened to riding a standup in stillettos..and similarly on four distinct points..and this thought is ludicrous

So in designing this grip, many more things other than shock apsorbtion has been considered

and hopefully..its all good

thanks to everyone for the interest and I'll pm the other queries

bruce

[red]

whether grip with flippers is advantageous at all

I had to start using tail grip because I was wearing holes in my feet from pushing and twisting them durinf turns. A side effect I have noticed is improved grip. The net result has been more power through turns and the slight loss in sensitivity has not been important. But my flippers are very light and soft - not at all like most commercial footweights.

Regarding pad placement:

measure how far back from the nose you appear to 'hit' the most..and use that info as part of your assessment

You might kneel and measure from the top of your foot to your knee. If you can figure out where your feet go on your boards (usually relative to the fins) you can measure forward for knee placement.
It's unlikely that you will ever change your knee spread, so you can measure that directly off your old boards.

Nice looking pads, Bruce

[albert]

Usuall I do the opposite, I measure where my toes would be on the tail of the board (usually right around the leash plug) then mark where my knees would be and lay the pads on. Always works for me.

[hart]

whether grip with flippers is advantageous at all

I had to start using tail grip because I was wearing holes in my feet from pushing and twisting them durinf turns.

Hey Red..

don't flippers give the same protection to the top of the feet that say, booties would?

(I used to get holes too..which is why I started wearing socks in the water around nineteen-seventy-six )

hart

ps

Your comment on fin/foot location is accurate..(as always)

yet if your fin postion has been constant for as long as mine (boring icon?)



then you're allowed to measure down from the nose



..and as long as we're measuring our toes, feet or noses..it's gotta be good!

[surfhorn]

Stripping the wax off your current board(s) is the best way to accurately analyze your riding position(s). I've done this for years - not to find pad placement- but to find where to add extra fiberglass in the areas where my knees strike the deck.

Now that I've moved to a new shape/style of KBing -6'0" fins forward- for the past 2 years, I will also be going with pads so will take off all the wax and start keeping measurements on knee/foot strikes.

[red]

don't flippers give the same protection to the top of the feet that say, booties would?

Where I surf I wear booties year round - in my flippers. They don't protect the tops of my feet, though - hence the rear pads. Also the flipper edge often lies on the pressure point between foot and deck, so makes matters worse.

I have both knee impressions and feet impressions in the deck. Probably been doing it wrong for 35 years!

[albert]

Different flippers give different levels of protection to the tops of one's feet.

Myself, I have noticed that booties provide less protection to the tops of my feet. Then again, I enjoy being able to feel the board a lot better. Now, if I could only find a pair of booties that dont wear down too quickly. Thats the problem a lot of us face. I know for a fact Troy Simpson wears through a pair of booties in a few months.

Right now I have three sets of booties and they all have holes in them in the same spots. I especially notice this when I surf a lot for a few days straight, I start to get rashes on the tops of my feet, after a while I get callouses. Still like the feel of it, dont think I am going to switch to having pads under my feet for a while.

[WayneK]

HEY ALBERT Why don't you try wearing some tennis/light weight running shoes? Just a thought. When I broke my great toe last year I wore an oversized hiking sandal( Teva) with a flipper leash over my splint so I wouldn't loose it. It worked out. Maybe the canvas/ leather would last longer.

[albert]

HEY ALBERT Why don't you try wearing some tennis/light weight running shoes? Just a thought. When I broke my great toe last year I wore an oversized hiking sandal( Teva) with a flipper leash over my splint so I wouldn't loose it. It worked out. Maybe the canvas/ leather would last longer.

Because they would hold too much water and become too heavy. I think I will stick with my booties for a while.

[DYdamo]

Albert,are you wearing soft soled or hard soled booties,
Ive been wearing hard soled booties since year dot and never had a problem.(usually get a year out of em")most scuba and dive shops stock them

[albert]

hard sole booties, both warm water (i.e. reef booties) and cold water (3mm).

They usually last about 6 months before holes start to appear on them

[surfhorn]

The problem with hard sole booties is, depending on one's foot size, is that they take up too much room in the swim fin pocket, making things too tight and restricting blood flow to the feet = cramping and loss of warmth due to lesser blood flow.

At a sixe 8 1/2 - 9, I usually wore a L Duck Foot bare foot and an XL with a fin sock------hard sole booties just were too tight. Also XL Duck Feet really added a lot more weight. I'm now using Churchills and they seem to work well bare footed and with a fin sock.

I agree; today's fin socks seem to wear out at a much faster rate. Maybe coating the bottom ball area with neoprene cement (and adding patch?) may forestall wearing a hole through.

[Steeno]

I am sure Albert is talking about on top of his foot, not the sole. wearing no flippers.