Is placing rail tape on the rail only to protect the rail from marks that you get from your paddle hits the rail?
If so, would t it be easier just to put some tape on the pole of your paddle?
cheers

Yes, people do that also / instead of.

Not on the pole, on the edges on the blade of the paddle

I tape my paddle blades and rail and I still miss all of that and end up with a small chip somewhere especially when surfing. My board would look much worse had a I not rail taped,I like to look after my gear and keep it looking new as much as possible, my spend a heap and treat it like ****?

It's a no brainer IMO if you want to look after your boards rails from the concrete walls and floors and your paddle. Stick on and forget it is even there. Does not effect the performance of any of my boards from 8'0 to 12 ft.

I tape my blade but like the insurance that rail tape offer to the rails and resale value of your board. I'm also not a rail basher from 30 years of outrigger and ski paddling.

Personal opinion as some of my mates reckon they slow their board down.......not sure on that one though however.

I just rail taped my Laird 10'6 about 2 hours ago and know my rails will look the same whatever happens.

I use 2 layers of 3M helicoper tape 8671HS on the blade.
It is sufficient for most boards.

For my lightest boards, more fragile, I add a 3' x 1" strip of it only in the front where I hit in frantic take offs. I do not like the feel of a rail saver when grabbing the rail in the center (e.g. when climbing back on the board). But I do not think they affect performance much.

I have used full rail savers for boards I knew I was likely to resell in the short/medium term, e.g. shapes that I wanted to try but were not fitting in my quiver. Having to fix properly the paddle chips on rails before a sale is a lot of work saved by... the rail saver.

I also tape each side of my paddle shaft up about 500mm from the blade with 1 layer of black electrical tape.
It weighs nothing, you can't see it, and it adds a lot of protection.

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Jackmonaro said..
Is placing rail tape on the rail only to protect the rail from marks that you get from your paddle hits the rail?
If so, would t it be easier just to put some tape on the pole of your paddle?
cheers

Another good reason to use rail tape is because it allows me to place the board on the rail, in the parking lot without fear of scratching the rails.

In a previous discussion on this subject, someone pointed out that rail tape can make it difficult to repair dings.

I did not tape a recent board I bought. It looks pretty scuffed now, and as per STC's comment, I have to be careful with it. In hindsight, I should have taped it.

I use thin rail tape that's also used on bike frames etc. I found the thick PVC stuff doesn't bend around the sharp rails you get on modern SUPs and eventually lifts off and looks tatty. The thin stuff does a really neat job, and is just about unnoticeable. It protects the rail from rubbing marks more than impact.
This tape combined with paddle edge protector, which prevents impact damage, works really well together and helps to keep the board looking bonny, for when you come to sell it, where it holds much more value, vs a board with chips.
Both products are available on Ebay etc.

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Daveb27 said..
I use thin rail tape that's also used on bike frames etc. I found the thick PVC stuff doesn't bend around the sharp rails you get on modern SUPs and eventually lifts off and looks tatty. The thin stuff does a really neat job, and is just about unnoticeable. It protects the rail from rubbing marks more than impact.
This tape combined with paddle edge protector, which prevents impact damage, works really well together and helps to keep the board looking bonny, for when you come to sell it, where it holds much more value, vs a board with chips.
Both products are available on Ebay etc.

Whats it called mate ?

I always use rail tape on my boards but there is a downside. My allwave sup suffered a total rail collapse in a shorebreak. The rail tape had hidden a crack and over time the water ingress had a eroded the foam. If you find your board getting heavier overtime with no obvious damage consider what's happening under the rail tape.

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robertboyd2000 said..
The rail tape had hidden a crack.

Yes, I only use clear rail tape. I guess it is one of the few minus of the RS Pro: although they are now available in clear, they are not 100% clear, both with their logo and the texture.

I am all for a good thickness rail tape to protect the rails. I've used thin stuff like what can be used for protecting parts on cars & motorbikes. But wouldn't bother with that stuff anymore. So get a good quality rail tape.
I also tape my paddle blades with a good quality electrical tape.
My problem is that I do not re tape often enough after seeing the tape is damaged on both board & paddle.
My foilboard cops the most paddle hits both on the rails & deck. The board is showing its age but I love it. Re sale would not be worth it anymore. But I want the board to last. So I painted epoxy resin along the right side rail which I hit numerous times. And also have rail taped over that. Better than finding it gets water logged.

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Seajuice said..
I also tape my paddle blades with a good quality electrical tape.
My problem is that I do not re tape often enough after seeing the tape is damaged on both board & paddle.

You should try thick (360 microns) Helicopter tape on the blade. This stuff is incredibly more resistant to abrasion than electrical tape. I was changing my electric tape every 2-3 months on my paddle, but only once in years with Helicopter.

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LastSupper said..

Daveb27 said..
I use thin rail tape that's also used on bike frames etc. I found the thick PVC stuff doesn't bend around the sharp rails you get on modern SUPs and eventually lifts off and looks tatty. The thin stuff does a really neat job, and is just about unnoticeable. It protects the rail from rubbing marks more than impact.
This tape combined with paddle edge protector, which prevents impact damage, works really well together and helps to keep the board looking bonny, for when you come to sell it, where it holds much more value, vs a board with chips.
Both products are available on Ebay etc.

Whats it called mate ?

Only just seen a reply, it's from paragon tapes on ebay. Search invisible sup rail tape, I think it's the heli tape that's already been mentioned?

Don't waste money on the thick stuff would be my advice, if your board has sharp rails.

Also, with the paddle edge guard, it's worth putting clear gorilla tape over the upper edges of the guard. I noticed the guard splits eventually at the shoulders of the blade where it suffers the most impacts. This stops this and also reduces rubbing friction and marks on the rail of the board.