(I put this in Kiteforum.com, but would be nice to hear down unders' suggestions as well - thx!)
Hi,
I have a Tyrant 6'1 which I really like, BUT I need a solution to grab the board better from its rail during strapless jumps. The board is a bit slippery and although I put wax on near rails (top and bottom side of the board), I still keep missing the board in the launch or drop it during the jump.
I have seen that for example Choptop and Kipuna have a molded fatter rail on the top side of the board running parallel to the rail which would help a lot when grabbing the board.
So, any ideas what I glue/put near the rails to get a secure grab instead of dropping the board during grabs? Thin pad like front pad doesn't work, been there done it.
Maybe use something like boat deck grip tape? You can buy stuff that is a bit like skateboard deck tape or textured hard rubber tape (not as thick as normal rubber deck grip)
Mask it up and sandpaper it, then rub back with metho. You want it to stick. Roll on epoxy as thin as you can with a foam roller Sprinkle on acrylic dust (second choice - caster sugar)
Sounds like a technique issue to me. Grabbing the rail is a small part of getting the board to stick. The rest is in positioning of the board into the wind and your body position. I'm no expert by the way, just watched a lot of instructional videos. Have a look online - there are a lot of instructional videos. I liked the recent Ben Wilson one on a hooked in strapless back roll.
You could use clear surfboard grip. It would be perfect for that. Comes in large sheets you cut to size. Be careful how much you pay... I've seen people on ebay Australia charging the same price for 1 sheet as I can buy a dozen for in the U.S.A.
