Considering Clear Grip tape for your Skateboard | Jessup Manufacturing Co
No matter what you're doing on a skateboard, grip tape is going to be required to stay on it. Skateboard grip tape offers a gritty layer (think sandpaper) that is applied to the top of the board. Its purpose is to help your shoes grip the board, creating traction necessary to keep your feet on the board, especially when completing tricks. Grip tape is offered in a variety of colors and patterns, most recently clear grip has become increasingly popular and for good reason.
Why Clear Grip Tape?
Clear grip tape provides the same benefits as your colored grip tape, but one big added benefit. With more board brands coming out with decks that have increasingly elaborate graphics and designs, who wants to hide them? The transparency a clear grip tape offers allows everyone to see the deck while still providing the traction necessary.
Clear grip tape comes in a standard size of 9’’ x 33’’. This makes it a great fit for most all decks on the market today. Wider decks or longboards could require a larger sheet with varying levels of granularity.
Wear, Tear, and Cleaning
Skateboarders have grown to love clear grip tape because it provides the same traction as the other stuff but can show off their board’s cool designs and graphics too. Clear grip has a similar lifespan to other grip tapes out there, and cleaning is simple too.
In order to keep your clear grip tape as long as possible, make sure your shoes are free of dirt before stepping foot on your board. Like any grip tape, it has a gritty texture and the dirt has the potential to leave unsightly marks. More importantly, it will also reduce the resistance and friction making it harder to skate.
If you do need to clean your clear grip tape it is really simple. Find a shoe brush or basic cleaning brush to carefully clean the dirt off. Keep up with this and your grip tape will thank you.
Once you start noticing that your feet aren’t sticking the way they used too, that’s when you know it's time to replace your grip tape. We recommended removing old grip tape with a hair dryer which allows it to easily peel off. Then you're all set to apply your new clear grip tape!
How to Apply Clear Grip Tape to Your Skateboard
Clear grip trip application is very similar to any other grip tape. If it is your first-time applying grip tape, go slow! It can be challenging, but with these few simple steps and tricks you’ll be going in to time:
- Peel the backing off the grip tape and bend it in a U-shape to apply onto your board. Apply the grip tape in small increments to avoid air bubbles. Use a light touch when you initially place it on the board.
PRO TIP: Push any air bubbles out using a skateboard wheel. If needed you can also poke a small hole in the bubble with your grip tape cutter to allow the air to escape.
- File the grip tape around the top edge of the deck.
- From the underside of the grip tape use a razor blade to fit it to the board.
- Use the leftover grip pieces to sand the edges of the board. This will keep the grip from peeling off.
Clear grip tape provides an excellent option for boards looking to show off their decks. Providing excellent traction and offering an easy application, it is comparable to your other colored grip tape options. If your grip tape has worn out or you just purchased an awesome new board that you don’t want to cover up, considering Jessup Manufacturing’s clear grip tape options.
