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Pad FAQ

"Why do you use a pack cloth top?"
So when you land on the pad and the pad is on a slope, your foot will slide down the fabric rather than getting grabbed and snapped off as it would by a carpet-type top sheet.

"What is the bottom fabric?"
It is 18oz. VCN, a really tough and lightweight version of our haul bag fabric. We use it so the pad will stick to slabs better than a nylon fabric, is truly waterproof, and if punctured it will not tear any larger than the initial puncture.

"What's the deal with the carry system?"
Use it 4 ways. As a backpack, as a Taco carry over the shoulder, the standard shoulder carry, or use the luggage handle. A waist belt can be easily rigged through the loops provided.

"Isn't a pad this big heavy?"
Nope. It is lighter than some of the smaller pads on the market.

"What is the padding?"
The padding is 5 layers of closed cell foam. This is where the cost comes in. Foam can be really cheap or really expensive. We use the best combination of long lasting closed cell foam, and this is the major reason our pads will not only last a long time, but keep bottoming out to the absolute minimum. Density is king in the pad world.

"Why is your pad so thin compared to the other pads?"
Ours is thinner because we do not use any open cell foam. Open cell foam is very thick and soft. You need more open cell foam to the same, and usually worse, job than closed cell. Another fatal flaw with the thick pads is you can get "stuck" down in the foam and not be able to move your feet during impact. This being "stuck" for even a milisecond is increasing your chance of twisting an ankle as you make rapid adjustments in your landing.

"Can the foam be replaced?"
Yep, and you can adjust the foam to suit your local area. Simply add a softer open cell foam if all you do is roof falls from 3 feet.

"Is there any guarantee?
As with all FISH Products, lifetime on the workmanship.

"Why should I buy a FISH bouldering pad instead of one of the other brands?"
Quality: Ours is made better and will last longer.
Size: The FISH MaxiPad is one of the largest bouldering pads currently offered.
Performance: The MaxiPad is the pad of choice for high-ball bouldering. Bigger, safer, and easier to see from 40 feet up. In side by side tests with the other brands, the MaxiPad was chosen more often than any other pad. In the "bottom out" tests, the Maxi Pad proved to be the best choice for keeping your heels and feet from getting bruised from small rocks under the pad.

"I'm a big guy. Can I get an extra sheet of foam in the pad?"
You can, but I bet you won't need it. I made the Fish Maxi and Mini Pad to work for me and my style of bouldering. That style is a lot of meat coming down fast from a high place.

"Why doesn't your pad have a "hinge" in the middle?"
We decided that a hinge just makes a thin area that can twist your ankle or allow you to bottom out in the fold where there is no padding. Having no hinge just makes the pad safer.

"Will my pack fit in the middle of your pad for carrying?"
Yes. The middle area of the pad can carry lots of stuff.

"Should I get the Mini or the Maxi?"
It depends on what kind of bouldering you do, how far you hike to the boulders and what kind of car you have. Our "Mini Pad" is really a misnomer. It is as big as some manufacturers "large" pad. So, our Maxi is truly huge. For a wired circuit, I use a Mini. When I go out and do new stuff or highball problems, the Maxi is the pad of choice. If you have a really small car, the Maxi might keep you a batchelor.

"You don't use plastic buckles, do you?"
We only use plastic (actually Delrin) buckles in non critical areas and they are low profile heavy duty ladder locks, so they lay flat and protected. All the real business buckles are metal on the entire pad.

"How durable are the FISH pads?"
Very. The materials we use are exceedingly strong for starters. The way we sew and designed our pads is for longevity. I've seen some very scetchy sewing on a lot of different pads, and decided from the get-go, ours would be bomber... and it is. Remember we came form a bigwall background, where everything is built to overkill specs. Our pads are no different than the rest of our bomber stuff.