why has sups gone with deck grip rather than wax but most short boards or mals go wax i don't get the reasoning

I think the reason most prone surfers use wax only, is because laying on and paddling a board with a deck grip pad would not allow you to slide your body and legs up and down the board as you go from sitting to paddling and when you pop-up. Plus the rash you would get from the pad chafing your arms and chest.

Standing... those are not issues, and a pad gives comfortable footing while standing for long periods...... plus no waxy mess and arguably better traction.

two different sets of needs.... two different solutions.

on SUPs your feet stay at the same place for hours, melting the wax and brusing your feet if on a hard surface.

I used (thin) pads on my prone surfboards, no wax, because I was often surfing rivermouths and wax got clogged with mud too fast. It is so great to have perfect traction and no wax messing everywhere, and jump in the water directly out of the car, but:
- forget surfing topless. You would get insane rashes fast.
- wetsuits worns out faster as we lay prone on the pads (not an issue with SUPs)
- it got out of fashion after the nineties
- I actually missed the smell of wax in the morning
- some pads (open celled ones) get soaked with water and are heavy when wet. not noticeable on SUPs, except the very light ones
- most prone surfboards are not durable, people change them often and the price of pads become an issue. Again, SUPs are more durable. (My surfboards were Epoxy pioneer Gerard Dabbadie - Superfrogs -, not a compression dent after 20 years of use)

The last 2 reasons also apply to the featherlight contest SUPs, this is why most of these boards do not have pads. A good compromise is small pads whete you stand and on the tail, wax elsewhere.



Note that I now use wax on my surfboard, since modern waxes do not melt anymore in the van.

I like the grip on my SUP and even more on the shorter one because you feel the right foot position when you stand up . I use marks on it to know regardless where i have to step on.
Also while taking off before hitting the beginning of bottom turn of the wave , i follow the parallel ridges with my foot to find the tail block and then press the paddle to the floor

Yeah I find too that the pads contours help with the significant foot positioning needed
when surfing a standup board.

Great shot Colas! I keep my daughters supplied with strawberry sexwax to keep enjoying
the aroma of my youth.

Select to expand quote

surfinJ said..
Yeah I find too that the pads contours help with the significant foot positioning needed
when surfing a standup board.

Great shot Colas! I keep my daughters supplied with strawberry sexwax to keep enjoying
the aroma of my youth.

Sure that's better to use sexwax so you don't have to explain why miss palmer's one never spoils.

Yup, I actually used wax on the paddle shaft for some time in part for the scent...