tailpad or no tailpad

[nsidla]

how many of you guys use tailpads? I just bought a creatures of leisure tailpad for my board to use in the spring because i always had trouble getting grip with just wax (of course i never realized there was such a thing as a wax comb until the end of the season). I live in RI so usually when we get surf we get waist high and in the hurricane season it can get to 2ft overhead. I use a shortboard as well.

[Laguna]

tailpads are a must for a shortboard i say.

[essex sucks]

i use it on my short baord but not fish and fun board

[bluesnowcone]

on some of the films i got there are some longboarders with tail pads, but thats cas there doing 360's and chop hops

[Dec]

For your type of waves (smaller waves, less powerful ) you could get away with it, but if you surf anything overhead, and it's not a huge barrel for the whole wave, then you probably need one to get grip when you hit carves and pulls.

[Brian]

id say really, you don't 'NEED' a tailpad...many pros dont have them and they surf overhead conditions....

however, i use one

[surferdude_scarborough]

i have a tailpad on my shortboard. but that was on there when i got it. i have to say i do like it though even though i wouldnt have chosen to put one one myself

[trails surfing]

i've got one on my 6'2 thruster, but i didn't put one on my 6'2 single fin or my 6'0 egg. haven't had a problem riding my single fin or my egg in overhead conditions. the only thing is that a first i was getting a bruise on the inside of my foot because i was used to rolling it on the tail pad on my pop ups.

[Johnny B]

Seems as I asked something similar a while back, my opinion may be of use. When I posted I was advised be these nice folks to try with wax alone and see what it was like. I have a 5'8" fish and wax alone was adequate but since then I have added a pad. The pad has made it slightly easier for me to get my back foot in the appropriate place and it does help grip slightly. Looks a tiny bit weird on my dead wide board though (but I always choose functionality over aesthetics).