is a traction pad at the tail not desirable?

[rpavich]

I was looking around the forum and on YT and noticed that longboarders don't generally have traction pads on their tail.

Is this considered bad style or not necessary or something?

[IB_Surfer]

longboard are beautiful works of art, it's like putting clothes on a Michael Angelo..., but the stomp pad is usually to apply pressure while your foot is the back position. With a longboard you are supposed to travel up and down the board to adjust to wave conditions, so most of the time the pad goes unused. I don't have one on any of my boards over 7ft, even my guns,

[waikikikichan]

I have traction pads on all my boards, except some of the sponge/soft boards. Being that I'm short and light, I need all the help ( and leverage ) to turn my longboards.

Just make sure to ask here and post photos BEFORE you place the traction pad down. Most beginners put it way too far forward.

[dtc]

It also depends in part on what kind of surfing you are doing - if you are doing ‘performance’ longboarding with hard turns and off the lip snaps etc, then getting way back on the fins is needed and a pad helps a lot. But if you are more ‘soul surfing’ with longer trimming turns, then you may not need to be weighting right the way back and so might never use the pad.