Deck Pads: Why They Are Sold Separately and How to Choose

You buy a board and its pads are a separate 20 € item. Here is why it works that way and what to choose.

Three types of pad

Front pad — 25 €. Under the front foot, the largest area.

Tail pad — 20 €. Under the back foot, often with a kick at the tail.

Centre part — from 8 €. The strip between front and tail.

Boomerang — 10 €. A narrow curved pad for surf foiling.

Why they are not fitted at the factory

Three reasons, all practical.

One: stance is individual. Where exactly you place your feet depends on height, foot length and style. A factory layout is a compromise suited to an average rider.

Two: pads wear out faster than boards. EVA foam wears through in a season or two of active riding while a board lasts five years. Permanently bonding something replaced three times as often makes no sense.

Three: one board, several disciplines. Surf foil and wing foil layouts differ, and modular pads let you rearrange.

What the numbers in the name mean

Listings carry labels like "42.7 x 38.7" or "55.5 x 39.5".

Those are pad dimensions in centimetres. The first number is length along the board, the second width.

The key point: pads are matched to a specific board shape. GONG names them accordingly — Tail Pad Shape Lemon, Shape Lethal, Shape Matata, Shape NOTW. One per shape.

The practical conclusion: do not buy a pad by size at random. Either buy for your board model or send us the model — we will match it before payment.

What the right pad gives

Grip. A wet board without a pad is an ice rink, and staying on it while foiling is impossible.

Feedback. A thin pad gives more feel, a thick one more comfort. In foiling, where you steer by foot pressure, that is fundamental: too thick a pad mutes sensation and you react late.

Thickness guide: foiling uses thinner pads than surfing. You want precision rather than cushioning.

The tail kick. A tail pad with a kick gives your heel a stop — you feel where the edge is without looking down. In foiling, where the back foot controls pitch, that helps noticeably.

How to position them

A starting point to adjust from.

Back foot — over the foil mast or slightly behind. That is the point from which you control lift.

Front foot — shoulder width and a little wider from the back foot.

How to tell the layout is wrong:

• The board will not lift — you are too far forward.
• It lifts sharply and stalls — too far back.
• Your calves tire — your feet are too close together.

The rule: for the first session position pads approximately and find the exact spot after three or four outings. That is precisely why they are not bonded at the factory.

How to stick them

A dull but important part — repositioning a pad after a mistake is hard.

Degrease the surface. Alcohol, then dry. Wax and salt are the adhesive's main enemies.

Dry-fit and mark. Lay them out, stand on them, walk around, mark with pencil.

Stick them warm. Adhesive does not bond in the cold. Room temperature, not a shaded beach.

Press and keep dry for a day. The bond reaches strength over 24 hours.

Start from the pad's centre and smooth outward so no bubbles remain.

When to replace

The texture has worn smooth — grip drops before the pad looks destroyed.

An edge is lifting. Water and sand collect underneath and delamination accelerates.

Heel dents have appeared. The foam has lost its resilience.

Simple economics: a 20 € pad every two seasons costs less than one session ruined by a foot slipping off.

Common questions

Why are pads sold separately?

Stance is individual, pads wear three times faster than boards, and layouts differ between disciplines.

What do numbers like 42.7 x 38.7 mean?

Pad dimensions in centimetres: length along the board and width. Pads are matched to a specific shape.

What pad thickness for foiling?

Thinner than for surfing: a thick pad mutes feedback and you react late.

Where does the back foot go?

Over the foil mast or slightly behind. If the board will not lift, you are too far forward.

When should pads be replaced?

When the texture wears smooth, an edge lifts, or heel dents appear — every one to two active seasons.

Where to look

The bindings and pads section. To read: modular foils and board constructions.