Your Cart is Empty
Find extra control with FCS Traction. With a focus on comfort, support and increased grip, an FCS surfboard tailpad keeps your foot connected to the board so you can push hard against your fins for maximum speed and drive. You’ll find traction pads for all board types with FCS including shortboards, fish, pin-tail boards and longboards. And you can be in the water sooner with free express shipping on all traction orders over $80.
Because FCS collaborates with leading surfers and shapers, you can choose the same pro surf traction pad designs used by the best. Consider Filipe Toledo’s signature 3 piece pad with nano-dot traction and the new Treadlite technology. Or jump onto Kolohe Andino’s 3 piece surf traction pad, with its high tail kick and ultra-thin responsiveness. See also: our FCS Traction collabs with Julian Wilson and Sally Fitzgibbons.
Traction might seem a simple thing, but we’ve poured countless hours into design and refinement to help you enjoy greater connection with your board. Look out for innovations including perforations and sanded surfaces for extra resistance, reimagined grooving and our classic FCS T-3 Traction formed in Eco mode with sugarcane bio-foam.
A traction surf pad can be an ideal low-maintenance surf wax alternative. Both have their advantages, and FCS’s quality surf wax is a cheap and cheerful ritual for many – but if you’re looking for something you can set and forget then a traction pad could be the perfect option for you. Traction’s cushioned texture can provide extra grip through turns, a tail-kick for extra control, and intuitive guidance for your feet in the thrill of the action.
Once it’s positioned traction grip doesn’t need to be reapplied, making it quick and convenient – plus, fresh designs can add a lot to the look of a board. It ultimately comes down to personal preference, but these are some of the key reasons quality traction pads are so popular with modern surfers.
There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing a grip pad for a surfboard. Selecting the best surf traction pad for you and your board can be a highly individual thing. It helps to consider the following characteristics.
While most traction pads have compatibility with most modern boards, you’ll want something that suits the shape and size of your board for the best result. The FCS Traction range has everything from one piece for narrow boards, right up to six pieces to suit longboards.
Generally speaking the more texture and depth, the greater the grip will be. We’ve done the testing to develop greater traction through details like double square grooves and double diamond grooves.
The kick on surf traction gives your foot something to push against as you turn, and this can range from flat through to vertical depending on whether you like to cruise or level up to high performance.
An arch is designed to fit the bottom of your foot to make it easy to keep in place on the board, and is available in a range of shapes. A flatter arch or no arch at all can give your foot more freedom to move around. Some traction pads have arch, while others don’t.
Once again this comes down to personal preference, but consider where your back foot connects in relation to the board and fins. Generally speaking this will be close to the back of the board and just ahead of the leash plug. Depending on the width of your board and your foot positioning, you can either place the separate pads together or space them out.
FCS surfboard traction pads are easy to install. First up, be sure to clean the board of any wax, sand or dust prior to applying the traction. A final wipe with methylated spirits can help to prepare the surface. Traction is, of course, extremely sticky, so it can help to position pads first with the backing paper in place and trace the corners with a pencil first. Then remove the backing sheets, get the pads in place and smooth them out as you go. Push the traction down firmly, and leave it for 24 hours to let the adhesive set before hitting the water.
Shop now for FCS surfboard tail pads with free express shipping on all fin orders over $80, or find a local stockist in your area.
