Grip on side rails

What does everyone put on the side rails for grip? My 86 H16 boat came with some sort of soft neoprene which is falling off fast so that I have to try and stand on the aluminium. This doesn't give me much grip. I sail at the moment with bare feet because it is summer here so I can't rely on any shoes for grip? Hobie/Murrays catalog list all sorts of different grip materials - does anyone use this or do you go to the local hardware store?

Black or grey boat carpet from Lowe's, applied with contact cement...

_________________
Trey Brown
www.velocitysailing.com
2006 N20 1017
1998 H16 102698
www.sunjammers.com ftw!

I was going to try the neoprene kit that Hobie has that is pre-cut. My carpet is unraveling and looks like crap. Does anyone know if the neoprene kit is the same as on the new boats? I think it looks alot better than carpet. Of course looks is part of it, I never know when I'm going to let here go and upgrade. Has anyone bought the kit? Comfort vs. Carpet?

You guys must be buying crap carpet, b/c I've used it for several years at a time, no trouble. Neoprene will degrade in UV, and eventually get that dry/nasty feeling. I still say carpet is the best bang for the buck.
If you keep your boat covered all the time when not in use, neoprene will be fine.

_________________
Trey Brown
www.velocitysailing.com
2006 N20 1017
1998 H16 102698
www.sunjammers.com ftw!

An advantage (in my opinion) of neoprene is that it doesn't hold water and sand as bad as carpet. But then, as you said, you can't leave it uncovered in the sun. Thankfully (I guess) we don't have too much of that in the NW. We just put the neoprene grip-kit from Murrays on our boat. We had some nasty green astro-turf on there before, lasted about 2 races and then fell off.

_________________
Tim
Unofficial Fleet 72 Communications Officer and Div 4 Webmaster
http://www.hobiefleet72.org
http://www.div4.hobieclass.com/