Don’t be this guy! Use this simple trick to avoid slipping ever again. Photo: localsurfer.com.aus
Hack: Wax the top of your feet. Then as you’re paddling out, rub the bottoms of your feet on the ridges for some added traction.
Pros: Super sticky Spiderman grip.
Cons: Hobbit feet. (see below)
Unfortunately for surfers, “slippery when wet” is a very true maxim. We slip and slide around the decks of our boards despite our best efforts to stay in one place. Wax, deck pads, prayer – we do whatever we can to stay stuck to our boards, especially in conditions of consequence. And more often than not, slipping off your stick can be embarrassing, painful, a wave-of-the-day opportunity ruined, or all three. But there’s one simple trick that, when executed properly and before every session, will almost entirely eliminate the chances of slipping off your board.
It’s going to sound counter-intuitive but here’s what you gotta do: wax the top of your feet. I know…crazy! But here’s why. The common approach to traction is to slather the deck of your board with sticky wax. But imagine if the bottom of your feet were grippy, too – sorta like thick tread running shoes or cold water booties. Before leaving the car park, put a few strips of wax on the ridge of your feet and then, as you’re paddling out, rub the bottoms of your feet on the opposite tops. By the time you stand up on your first wave, you’ll be stuck like an insect on a chameleon’s tongue.
Warning: There is one significant side effect to this technique. If you have hair on your feet, the wax will turn it into an afro and you’ll look like a Hobbit. But at least you won’t slip!
The one side effect to this trick? Hobbit feet. Photo: New Line Cinema
