We have seen our fair share of surf-related products out in the market … while most are horrible “don’t ever be seen with this crap” products, some of them actually are quite helpful and do actually work. Born as true skeptics with the heart of cynics, our product testers at iJS found this latest and greatest of surf products aimed at improving your paddle and pop-up (or helping newbies gain one) called the DPop™ by Denno Pop™.

Why do you need DPop as a surfer? The primary aim of this surf-aid is to help the surfer paddle easier, and as a result catch more waves. Unlike the webbed gloves used by some surfers for a deeper and harder stroke by offering more water surface for the hands to push through, DPop focuses on lifting the surfer’s chest from the board, and supporting the natural arch used by body to paddle through waves. It lets the surfer’s chest become part of the board and at the same time raises the chest to paddle position.  Energy that was used to arch the back can now be used to paddle. Additionally, the supported arch position allows the surfer to pop-up from the prone position much faster into a standing surf stance.

So does it work?

Surprisingly, the answer is yes. And its all about the science behind paddling (see our articles here, here, and here). By allowing the surfer’s body to lift at the chest, and thereby placing the shoulders and arms already at paddling position, there is immediate support for the lower back and neck reducing the usual pressure generated by the body to achieve the proper paddle position.

Beginners saw an instant improvement in paddling speed and overall body balance . First of all, the natural arched position promoted by the DPop allowed newbies to focus more energy on paddling rather than arching their backs and straining to paddle into a wave. Secondly, by immediately placing the surfer’s body in an arch, the newbie testers noticed that they focused less on their hip positioning while trying to stay balanced on the board.

The more experienced surfers that tested the DPop immediately retracted their concerns that the DPop would get in their way while surfing after one session. Although the DPop is located dead center on some of their boards (it’s attached via velcro strips so adjustments are fairly simple), our experienced surfers rarely noticed the pad while walking to the nose or trimming in mid glide. The one unexpected result was one of our testers experiencing a leash getting snagged on the DPop during a nose ride. Overall, the effect that experienced surfers got from the DPop was a smoother paddling experience, especially during the second and third hours of their sessions … when fatigue usually sets in from paddling, as well as sore neck and back muscles.

We do offer some words of wisdom to those surfers looking to use this product at their local breaks, especially since this product gives you an edge on paddling and catching waves: Gauge your surroundings and the people around you, so that you don’t end up being ostracized by every surfer in the water. You WILL BE CATCHING more waves and will be less tired from paddling, but don’t be a wave hog! Share the waves, and let other surfers have their due turn.

As for the pop-up being faster, the results were mostly noticed by the newbie or learning surfer. Although the more experienced surfers reported no noticeable difference in their pop-up speed, the beginners raved about the instant help they noticed from the DPop in moving from the prone to standing positions.

The Verdict: Small in profile and quickly adjustable, this ’stomp-pad’ like product is easily fitted to your longboard or shortboard for easy use. Although the long-time surfers at dawn patrol scoff at this as another product that newbies use to cheat others from catching waves, it’s all about the mind set of the surfer using the product! Share the waves, get some waves, and follow surf etiquette and you will be fine! We give this product a big thumbs up for overall usability and ease of use PLUS quick results.

What can we say? When a product pleases across the board -beginners love the instant results and the ease that it gives to paddling, while more experienced surfers saw increased stability and smoother paddling – we have to recommend this to surfers!