Ocean & Earth Dakoda Walters Pro Series Binding

Dakoda Walters' pad is a shape that nods to eighties and nineties surfing. His surfing is fast and sharp, and the geometry follows: 330 mm long by 300 mm wide, 7 mm arch, 25 mm power kick, multi-directional tread.

At 330 mm against the usual 305, there's an extra inch on which the back foot can sit differently depending on the manoeuvre rather than in one fixed spot. A multi-directional pattern holds the foot under sideways load too — the load that actually happens in a hard turn.

The series' distinguishing feature: paired with the centre deck grip it gives over a metre of continuous traction. That's a different way of riding — the foot isn't tied to the tail and can move down the board, which is the point of fast old-school surfing.

Who it isn't for. Riders with a fixed stance who never move their back foot: the extra length buys nothing and costs more than the basic pad. Too narrow for a wide fish tail at 300 mm. And if you want the lightest option, the Lite Trac version shares the geometry.