Product of the week: Railsaver - the best edge protection?

Clack, clack, clack - SUP beginners usually don't even notice the rhythmic clapping, you only see the damage when it's too late.

Although the small imperfections on the edge of the board do not impair its function, "beautiful" looks different.

Option one as protection:You cover the edge of the paddle blade with a circumferential rubber bead. It looks a bit clunky and is unlikely to inspire the dedicated paddler in the long term. Except: river paddlers. Here, the rubber bead is the perfect solution because it also protects the paddle from contact with stones.

Option two as protection:Railsaver. The stick-on, robust protective films are available from various brands in different colours, designs and even transparent. The ION protector we tested was very easy to stick on and could also be corrected if it didn't fit straight away. Even after a few hours, we were able to pull the Railsaver off cleanly and theoretically stick it on another board. The adhesive and film are really good quality and the textured surface is extremely hard-wearing.

Before gluingyou should check in which area you mainly "hit" your board. In most cases, the quirks are at the front, where you dive in, a little higher up on the edge, sometimes even above the widest point. At the back, where the paddle comes out of the water, the hits are usually a little deeper, sometimes below the widest point.

How satisfied were we with the product overall? After we adjusted the position of the board a little, the protective effect was great. After an hour of paddling in shaky conditions, the brand-new race board - with its rather delicate high-gloss finish - didn't show a single flaw. That's not bad for the resale value either. Nevertheless, I took it off again. Why? Two reasons, neither of which can be found in the good protector. It's the rider and the board. I don't want to stick anything to my super-duper carbon raceboard that weighs extra - not even 50 grams. And nothing that theoretically roughens up the surface on the side, even if the water only touches it from time to time - who knows what difference that makes? It's probably 99.9 per cent psychology, but that (unfortunately) also plays a part in the race. In addition, experience has shown that the board we had at our disposal tends to fade quite quickly from the bright neon colour. You can clearly see the sticker imprint after just three days in the sun if you take the Railsaver off again.

ForAll-round boards,River boards orLarger waveboards are the "Railsaver" certainly good protection and most board colours are also less sensitive to sunlight.

Price: 49 Euro

Tip:There are many colours and designs. Find one that you want to keep forever.

P.S. Lucky themwho have an inflatable board, an iSUP, where the whole board is a single protector.