What do you guys prefer on a SUP longboard on the nose part of the board... Hex or Wax?

Hexatraction, definitely:

Pros:
- not messy
- durable (the real Hexatraction, I did not test the cheap imitations)
- no maintenance
- really transparent
- easy to apply and remove
- ultralight (the lightest of the grips I tested)
- enough grip for actual use standing up
- not too much grip, so it is easy to slide the board in/out the bag

Cons:
- less grippy feel than a proper wax job with a good wax
- not enough grip on the belly for shortboard prone paddling (not an issue for SUP noses)
- no scent: I love the smell of wax in the morning, thus I use wax on my paddle shaft :-)
- more expensive than wax

This is similar to hexa, but works out less than 1/2 the price from Bunnings.

Select to expand quote

surfmore said..
What do you guys prefer on a SUP longboard on the nose part of the board... Hex or Wax?

As Colas said, Hex all the way, would not even think to use wax nowadays..too many cons..

Select to expand quote

riverider said..
This is similar to hexa, but works out less than 1/2 the price from Bunnings.

Do you reckon it's as good though?

Select to expand quote

riverider said..
This is similar to hexa, but works out less than 1/2 the price from Bunnings.

ref: crocgrip.com/products/500mm-x-150mm-clear-soft-textured-vinyl-anti-slip-xl-step

Don't know the product, but be careful of:
- the weight
- the quality of the adhesive (some reviews on amazon seem to say it comes off in days)
- the abrasiveness. Something can be OK with bare feet soles, but can rip the skin off your knuckles when used on the nose of a SUP

Select to expand quote

MickMc said..

riverider said..
This is similar to hexa, but works out less than 1/2 the price from Bunnings.

Do you reckon it's as good though?

No to be blunt

Love wax, but hex is best if you just want to set and forget.
I've had it on boards for 4 years plus now and it lasts the distance.

Select to expand quote

MickMc said..

riverider said..
This is similar to hexa, but works out less than 1/2 the price from Bunnings.

Do you reckon it's as good though?

I've used both and can't notice much difference between them.

I use whatever I can afford.
Most of my boards get wax on the nose

A few favorite boards get the cheap hexatraction knockoffs from Amazon.

My favorite "Hex" type traction is "WaxMat".... thicker, more rubber feel under foot, comfortable and super grippy.
Comes in several colors, but it's expensive!
Great if you have one board that you'll be keeping.

Select to expand quote

supthecreek said..
My favorite "Hex" type traction is "WaxMat".... thicker, more rubber feel under foot, comfortable and super grippy.

It is, but it is quite heavy.

I was impressed BTW by the new front pads for prone surfboards. The ultra-thin ones (2mm) by FCS and Slater designs are impressively light, nearly as light as Hexatraction, hyper grippy and soft, but provide a much more direct contact to the board than traditional 5mm SUP pads.
Alas, not transparent and VERY expensive.

I made some experiments with my 2 Gong customs, with different grips so that I could feel where I am on the board underfoot:
Expensive as heck, but I wanted to test this for a long time, and custom boards deserve the best...

Lightest setup for a "daily driver" board:

From left to right:
- bit of pad on the nose tip to lay down the board on the concrete upside down.
- Hexatraction on the nose (invisible, even at close range)
- Wax Mat, for the front foot on takeoffs, grip and sensitivity
- Slater Designs 2,5mm front pad, a bit of comfort for paddling. The grey ones mark the width of my standing up stance, my front foot being across its front edge while paddling (ball on the Wax Mat, heel on the SD)
- FCS Front pad T3-mid, for comfort when stomping around and max lightness, with strips of wax mat close to the rails
- Slater Designs tail pad, low arch, max grip


For my step up board:
- bit of pad on the nose tip to lay down the board on the concrete upside down.
- Hexatraction on the nose (invisible, even at close range)
- Wax Mat, on the mid-front and between feet
- FCS Front pad T3-mid, spread a bit so that my feet rest on the pads while paddling around
- a strip cut from slater design pads in the middle for knowing where I am
- some Quicksilver pad with a low arch. I cut a wedge in the center of the kick ridge to let the leash go through, like Kelly Slater does by hand on his own pads in a video.



After some use, I found the first setup as the more efficient to know where my feet are at all time.
And the second setup nicer to look at and I like the standing up area.

The Wax Mat is not as pleasant as I thought in winter. I only used it in summer before, but it seems harder underfoot in 11C water.
Wax Mat or hexatraction is great close to the rails, for grip with no water drag.

The FCS Front pad T3-mid is the one I prefer: grippy, ultralight, as comfy as possible for 2mm, easy to apply. The only drawback is the price. The Slater Design is nice, but can be a pain to get out its packaging, and is too grippy with latex boots, my foot moves in the boot while the sole is stuck to the pad, it never happened with other pads nor wax. Other surfboard front pads were too heavy for my taste.

PS: Gong SUP pads post-2020 are very nice, and much cheaper, but I just was eager to test something very thin to get the direct feel of wax..

RSPRO looks quite good?

Both the cork stuff and the hexatraction is made by rsPro
How are you finding the cork stuff versus hexatraction by the way? Layout looks great.

Hexa all the way worth every cent! Check out my Insta @supfeenz