The Nice Rack Review

by Adrian Nichols

I learned about the nice rack directly from the inventor Daryl Matsui and quickly was impressed with the rack he had created.  It was affordable, scalable, good looking, and easy to use.  Surfing is a small universe…turns out I surf with Daryl’s brother every weekend at the Manhattan Pier. 

The Nice Rack quickly became a favorite online and with our local customers.  It is durable, cost effective, and the ability to add racks as your quiver grows is attractive to surfers new and seasoned.  Another huge bonus is the nice rack has completely gone green…check out the ad below.  Bottom line the Nice Rack is by far the best wall rack on the market today.  And it is cheap!  Check it out on sale for $22 here: http://www.phaseonesurf.com/product_info.php?cPath=60_58&products_id=1077

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by Aaron Nascimiento (Phase One Surf Team Rider)

Here is Aaron…Staying on Track with his Sticky Bumps Aerial Pad
The modern traction pad was created by Herbie Fletcher in the early 80s and produced by his company Astrodeck. By the time I was a grom there were a few other choices but Astrodeck was by far the most widely used. A lot has changed since then with serious competition in the traction industry. Go to any surf shop or online retailer and you will see what an array of choices we have as consumers. There are different patterns, different shapes, and different contours. How is someone supposed to choose? Well I am here to help.
I have had the opprotunity to use all kinds of different traction pads and sell them too (Astrodeck, OAM, Palmer’s, Creatures of Leisure, Sticky Bumps, and K-Grip). In the end most traction pads are the same, except for the early days of Gorilla Grip, and OAM’s air-pad debacle. They are all made out of EVA foam with very strong adhesive on the back. The real differences come in the pattern and size. Someone might notice I am not describing the different densities of EVA used. That is because most companies use the same combination. You have probably also heard friends tell stories about one brand’s adhesive working better than another. I don’t put much weight into those claims because if you follow the instructions and actually apply the pad to a CLEAN surface and WAIT 24 hours there shouldn’t be any problem. In all of my experience with track pads the only time I ever had a pad’s adhesive come off was when I did not wait 24 hours!
Let’s discuss the traction pattern first. All of the different traction companies highlight their particular patterns. Some companies claim that their “diamond” cut EVA is the most effective; others claim the “square”. In my experience the more cluttered the pad is with these patterns the less traction you will have. You want to have a pattern but you also want some flat space between them. This creates small contours that the skin on your feet can sink into creating more skin surface area touching pad. I don’t want to get too technical but the more surface area you have in contact with the pad, the more traction you will have (Remember they are all made of the same material). Some pads are so cluttered with square patterns for example that your feet will never actually come in contact with those small spaces between the elevated squares.

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This is the Guide to help you Choose the right Surfboard Bag for your needs.Check out all the options listed below here: http://www.phaseonesurf.com/index.php?cPath=62_28There are a bunch of bags available to you the challenge is finding the bag that is best for your needs. Whether you are looking for a bag to take on a boat trip to Indonesia or down the street to your local break this guide will help you out!The two key factors to look at when choosing a bag is:
1) The bag that matches your board shortboard, longboard, malibu, fish, and single fin. (They all have different bags)
2) The bag that works best for your needs (light travel or air travel)

http://www.phaseonesurf.com/index.php?cPath=62_115Quick Description: The Bare minimum protection for your board. Use for light travel only.A board sock is the bare minimum in board protection. This are made to fit a single board. This is the most inexpensive form of board protection that is available. It does help keep your board free from scratches but if you drop your board a board sock will not prevent a ding. The downside of a sock is that it does not reflect the sun and a board with wax inside a sock can lead to a very difficult to remove board sock. A sock can serve a few purposes It can be used as an extra layer of protection when traveling. For example, on my most recent trip to Hawaii I put my board in a board sock then in a day bag and finally it went into my Balin Triple Pirate Slimline Bag with 2 other boards.

http://www.phaseonesurf.com/index.php?cPath=62_116Quick Description: Fits one board. Use for Local Travel. Do not use for Air.Most companies make a standard day bag. They are designed to fit one board. Destination has the RTS or Road Travel Series, and both FCS and Sticky Bumps make a comparative model as well. These bags are not made for air travel. They are made for short travel and to keep your board protected. If you are throwing your board on your roof rack you should be using a day bag. In addition they are great to use in combination with your larger travel bag such as the Balin or FCS triple. Most dings occur taking the board to and from your house and in an out of your car. I keep a quiver of four boards in my truck at all times and use a day bag with all of them to prevent dings, scratches, and melting wax.
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