What is the difference between the FREEDOM+ Surf, FREEDOM+ Surf - SHORTBOARD, Tail Pad / Antenna and Tail Pad / Antenna - SHORTBOARD?Updated a year ago
Ocean Guardian now have two Tail Pad / Antennas available for you to choose from depending on the size of your surfboard.
When used on shorter boards (boards <6'6") and boards with less volume, the electrical field produced by the FREEDOM+ Surf can "travel" around the board making it uncomfortable for some surfers - i.e., you might feel the electrical field on your fingers whilst duck-diving.
To overcome this, we've designed the FREEDOM+ Surf SHORTBOARD (and Tail Pad / Antenna - SHORTBOARD) that features a shorter Antenna and smaller Electrodes to produce a smaller electrical field that you're less likely to feel when using the product on a board under 6'6".
Both products produce exactly the same power output, but a smaller electrical field does mean that a shark can come closer (compared to the FREEDOM+ Surf & Tail Pad / Antenna) before sensing the electrical field and being deterred.
If your board is 6'6" or over, we recommend using the FREEDOM+ Surf (and Tail Pad / Antenna) as it offers the most protection with the largest electrical field.
If you're board is under 6'6" we recommend using the FREEDOM+ Surf - SHORTBOARD (and Tail Pad / Antenna - SHORTBOARD). The physical dimensions of the short board Tail Pad Antenna and the normal version are in the attached images.
Click here to compare the size of the electrical field generated by both products.
See below image to see the physical difference between the two products.
Electrode sizes and antenna length:
- Tail Pad / Antenna: The oblong shaped electrodes measure 5.3cm (2.08") wide x 24cm (9.44") long and are spaced approximately 70cm (27.56") apart.
- Tail Pad / Antenna - SHORTBOARD: The small oblong shaped electrodes measure 2cm (0.78") wide x 10cm (3.93") long and are spaced approximately 36cm (14.17") apart.
NOTE: It is only the Antenna end Electrode components that are different on each product. The Tail Pad is exactly the same for each product and both use the same FREEDOM+ Surf Transferable Power Module which is housed in the kicker of the Tail Pad.
Please note that the FREEDOM+ Surf - SHORTBOARD is currently not included in the West Australian Government $200 Shark Deterrent Rebate Program. The rebate is only available on the FREEDOM+ Surf as well as the FREEDOM7 dive product.