Ocean & Earth Kanoa Igarashi Pro Series Binding

A pad exists for one reason: your back foot has to know where it is without looking. The arch gives the foot a centre, the kick gives it something to brace against in a turn, and the tread holds a wet foot. Everything else is taste.

The signature model of WSL championship tour surfer Kanoa Igarashi.

Piece count isn't about price, it's about geometry: the more rocker in the tail, the more pieces you need for the pad to sit without bubbles and stay stuck at the edges a month later.

Who it isn't for. Match the width to your tail — a narrow pad on a wide fish leaves bare strips, a wide one on a shortboard overhangs the rails. And strip an old pad off an epoxy deck in warm weather: in the cold the glue takes laminate with it.