RIKT stands for Ramped Interchangeable Kick Tails and that’s what they are - kick tails that are interchangeable. Just like you can change fins on a surfboard, now you can change kick tails.

Typical traction pads don’t have true kick tails but rather a raised area at the back that functions as a heel stop so you can easily tell where the back of your board is. Trying to stand on these things is awkward because they aren’t as wide as your foot so you kind of dangle half on and half off and it really compromises how hard you can push against your tail without slipping off the back of your board. RIKTs patented kick tails are designed to stand on with a ramp angled perfectly for surfing that gives solid support to your back foot so you can push with tremendous force against your tail and not slip off the back of you board. Typical traction pads provide grip and help you feel where the back of your board is. RIKTs give you unequalled power and control during extreme maneuvers.

RIKTs were designed to support your entire back foot when surfing. The ramp is angled perfectly for surfing and with your back foot planted on the ramp, you can tell you’re not going to slip off the back of your board, so you surf more aggressively, with more confidence and can pull off more difficult maneuvers with better control.

A RIKT interchangeable kick tail is screwed into a mounting plate. The mounting plate sticks to your board with the same 3M adhesive used for traction pads. You can also glue the plates onto your board with epoxy.

Mounting plate installation shouldn’t take more than two minutes to set up once you decide how far back to place it. Once in place it requires, clamping and 72 hours for the adhesive to bond at maximum strength to your board.

Yes. If you don't follow the instructions in the video we provide explaining how to install a mounting plate. Your mounting plate can be stuck to your board either with the supplied 3m adhesive on the bottom of the plate just like you would install a traction pad or for a more permanent bond it can be glued with marine grade epoxy such as J-B Weld 50172 MarineWeld available at amazon.com.

A mounting plate and any one of the  interchangeable kick tails. A Grip 1 front deck pad is also a good accessory to install to give you the familiar feel of EVA foam traction under your feet.

RIKT traction pads, like the interchangeable kick tails have a patented ramp designed to support your foot when you stand on it so you can push against your tail with tremendous force and not slip off your board which translates to an immediate increase in power and control. They come in two sizes. The 50mm pad is a clone of our Chris Ward flat top interchangeable kick tail and the 40mm pad is for surfers that prefer a lower profile for their kick. Some of you like high kicks, some of you like low kicks. We’ve got you covered both ways with a soft foam option to our plastic interchangeable kick tails. 

Just until you can tell the kick tail has a snug fit. Do not over-tighten! The mounting plate is flexible and conforms to the shape of your surfboard deck. Over-tightening the screws can cause the kick tail to force the mounting plate to come up and off the deck of your board.

Since a RIKT supports your entire back foot, you can literally stand on the kick and push the tail down deep into the water. The board naturally goes to twelve noon and then you whip it around to complete the maneuver.