WIN YOUR VERY OWN DPOP Surf Pad courtesy of Denno.

Our tests of the Dpop yielded positive results for surfers, especially the new surfers and the beginning surfers. If you would like a chance to WIN one of these great surf pads NOW, simply complete the form below (as per the official instructions) and you will be entered for the next item draw! We have 3 2 1 more of these pads left @ the iJS office and would love to see you guys out there in the water with them!

See the DPop reviews posted recently here and here.

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Enter the Give Away by sending your completed information via the iJS secure form below, just be sure to type “DPop Give Away” in the subject box!

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BONUS: Enter for your chance to win a FREE DPop, courtesy of our testers and DennoPop. (See the end of the review for details)

Our mission, since we eagerly chose to volunteer for it, is to get a first-hand assessment of the DPop from the perspective of a new-to-surfing surfer, as well as a veteran waterman who has surfed everything from a shortboard to a wooden door complete with doorknobs. Using the DPop on two 9’6″ epoxy longboards, our testers AJ and Mack paddled out into the chest high waters of Waikiki and reported back on what they discovered.

The Product: The Dpop is constructed from compressible foam shaped like a wedge, designed to curve the surfer’s body into the ‘paddling position’ while lying prone on a surfboard. Measuring 6.5 inches by 9.5 inches and sporting a 1.75 inch high wedge, the simplicity in design matches the ease of use of the DPop. Attached to the deck of the surfboard via Velcro strips, the Dpop can be easily removed or adjusted in or out of the water without the worry of it coming off during a gnarly wipe out.

About the Surfers

AJ: As a beginning surfer who gets to surf once or maybe twice a week, the soreness in my rib cage and lower back are a constant reminder of the amount of work it takes to paddle out into the ocean to surf. Plus the fact that I haven’t surfed in over 5 months, my paddle strength is non-existent!

Mack: Having surfed for almost all my life, muscle aches are just part of my daily surf session. I don’t know if my back is sore anymore, just part of what I pay for being in the ocean I guess.

Paddling

AJ: I was in love with how it took the pressure off of my lower ribs and let me rest my body on the foam. I could relax my back and still somewhat be in the arched position ready to paddle or pop-up. My shoulders felt better being higher off the surfboard. It really allowed me to paddle down into the water rather than splashing away from the rail.

Mack: I had to move the pad around a bit once I was in the water, so the Velcro was really useful in finding the sweet spot for my back. Although I can easily arch my back and paddle in that position without much effort, having the pad support my weight was a definite plus. I didn’t feel much difference in my paddle, which I think is a result of years of muscle memory.

Pop-Up

AJ: It was all about the assistance that I felt I got by being “up” from the board. Usually, after about 30 minutes of paddling around, I have no strength left and pop-up like a wet rag. The added support allowed me to focus the energy I saved from arching into other things like standing up and even turning.

Mack: It definitely can help a surfer pop up faster since the pad places you in a semi arched position already, but again, since I am an old salt with many years of habits and personal preference, I found the pad to be a bit bulky at times, and quite helpful at others. Hard to say why that is, but I think I just developed a rigid style that doesn’t adapt well to new devices. That being said, AJ was definitely paddling faster, popping-up quicker, and eve surfed a longer session than usual!

The Verdict

AJ: Thumbs up, I know people looking to improve their paddling and pop-up will see a difference right away – you just have to find your sweet spot on the board and the pad.

Mack: I’m all for anything that helps people surf stronger and better, adn watching AJ definitely showed me that the product works. For me though, I found DPop’s pad support great in alleviating back pressure and rib soreness, but I noticed no considerable difference in my pop-up or paddling.

The DPop is a unique and simple product that allows surfers of all levels to find increased paddling speed, pop-up quickness, longevity in surf sessions, and an overall great support tool for the lower back and ribs. We recommended this product as a great gift for surfers, and have found that beginner surfers looking to improve their surfing and sessions benefit the most!

Available in a variety of colors and designs, the DPop is currently sold at the DennoPop website store, and coming soon to a surf store near you.

In the meantime, we are GIVING AWAY a FREE DPop to two lucky readers, courtesy of the folks at DennoPop.

To qualify for the drawing, simply submit your complete entry via our contact form on the site, with a valid e-mail address and you will be automatically entered in the DPop drawing.

(Winners will be contacted solely through the e-mail address registered with the iJS website. Winners will be randomly selected from all collected registrations.)

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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!