If you're hanging out the boat trying to keep it flat then hiking pads are going to be an essential tool for you to improve your sailing, make your boat sail faster, and for you to enjoy the experience a lot more.
We all know that trying to sail a boat and keep it flat can be painful, especially if you have a boat like a Laser or Topper which has hard edges, your legs will dig in and the harder you hike out, the more it will hurt.
We've seen all sorts of weird and wonderful hiking solutions over the years and everyone has their favourite.
We've seen padding on the side of the boat, hiking wetsuits, hiking harnesses which you step into and strap around your waist and shoulders, then individual pads that fit in many other ways.
Hiking has evolved and we're focussing on less bulk and less to get in the way while sailing.
Here at Sailing Chandlery there is one set of hiking pads that we struggle to keep in stock because they are so popular.
These are the Zhik PowerPads, now in their third evolution.
Zhik have evolved their hiking pads to improve them every time, all based on feedback from sailors of all events, Olympic Champions through to club sailors. When Zhik said they were releasing a third version of their hiking pads we were not sure how they could be better. The improvement came in a better fit, with a velcro tightening option over the top to help keep them in place on your leg.
The Zhik Powerpads simply slide up your leg and fit just underneath your rear, then your wetsuit goes over the top.
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Vivian Fox
September 17, 2020
Will the Zhik power pads work under any wet suit (e.g. Gil)?