Why Use Rail Tape on SUP boards?

New products in the SUP world tend to get shared and trialled and banded about. So we asked our ASI Master SUP Trainer Paul Byrne what Rail Tape is used for and most importantly if it’s useful.

WHAT IS IT?
Rail tape is a tape that is stuck to the sides of the SUP board (the rails).

WHAT IS IT USED FOR ?
It’s used to protect your paddle from taking chips out of the rails of your board. When you paddle sometimes (if you have incorrect paddle technique that is) the paddle catches the rail and can chip the rail.   If you have coloured rails this can cause unsightly damage.

White chips off the paintwork don’t look great. So, by applying rail tape down 2/3rds of the rails of a SUP it protects them from the paddle.

TYPES?
Rail tape comes in various widths, lengths and sizes depending on the type of SUP you are going to use it on. E.g. Race board, beginner board, SUP surf boards etc.

DO YOU USE IT?
I use it on my SUP School boards – including demo boards or beginner boards.
It’s because beginner paddlers generally do not have correct paddle technique and they are scrapping the sides of the boards.

If you have correct paddle technique, you don’t scrape the sides of the board and you don’t need rail tape.

HOW MUCH IS IT?
It’s not cheap. But it is cost effective for SUP School owners for lessons and board rentals to help protect their boards.

It has also transformed the resale SUP board market. Boards that wouldn’t normally sell due to chips now sell very well thanks to the rail saving tape.

There are many SUP rail tapes on the market.  The one I use, and seems very good, is Rail Saver Pro.

 

 

 

Paul Byrne is an ASI Master SUP Trainer and SUP School owner of Irish SUP in Dublin Ireland.  He also regularly travels the world delivering SUP instructor training, is a SUP event organiser of two of Irelands largest events and a SUP surfing competitor.

Photos reference www.rspro.org

 

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