What sized board can I fit the FREEDOM+ Surf to, will it fit my longboard or SUP?Updated a year ago
The FREEDOM+ Surf system has been designed to fit nearly all surf board sizes, both short and long boards, and is suitable for all levels of surfing performance, with the sticker-thin antenna having zero impact on your board's performance.
There are 2 x Tail Pad / Antennas available and the one you use will depend on your surfboard size and desired level of protection. Please note that it is only the Antenna and Electrode part of the product that is different. 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.
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 - e.g. you might feel the electrical field on your fingers whilst duck-diving.
To overcome this, we've designed the FREEDOM+ Surf - 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).
Click here to compare the size of the electrical field generated by both products.
Click here to see the Tail Pad / Antenna - SHORTBOARD on Tom Carroll's 5'7" to give you an idea of the size of it.
Please note that the FREEDOM+ Surf - Short Board is currently not included in the Western Australian Government's $200 Shark Deterrent Rebate Program. The rebate is only available on the FREEDOM+ Surf as well as the FREEDOM7 dive product.
Finer details:
The adhesive antennas in both the Tail Pad / Antenna and Tail Pad / Antenna - SHORTBOARD, will fit any board where the tail width of a board, measured about 25 mm (1 inch) forward of the most forward fin, is between 420 mm (16.5") and 480 mm (18.89") with a board thickness of no more than 25 mm (1 inch). This covers 95% of boards.
Long boards with a fin box do not cause concern because the position of the tail pad does not end up right at the back of the board like a short board, although this is not much of an issue on a long board. Attached are two photos showing the decal laid out before installing on a 9'1" McTavish long board and you can see it positions quite well. The electrodes not being in the centre does not matter given you are usually located towards the back of the board when paddling and sitting, in the protective area of the electrical field.
The Tail Pad / Antenna has not generally been designed for SUP. However, it may be possible to install it on some SUP boards, noting that because of the restrictions above, the Decal Antenna may not end up in the center of the board's underside because of SUP board's width and thickness, compared to a standard surfboard. The bigger issue is that most SUP's already have a tail pad in place but take a look at the attached solutions our customers have come up with.
For the installation on a SUP you may need to consider the reverse of the install on a surfboard - so install / position the tail pad first, then roll around the rail, then apply the antenna, which as stated will not end up centred. We suggest trying this method before removing the adhesive to ensure it will fit.
