Surf rods of today are usually made from high quality carbon graphite material which are light at its own. In order not to take
away this advantageous characteristic, proper rod fittings should not be complimised. To name some, well-known brands
such as Fuji, Seymo and Gudebrod are makers of rod building components and fittings . As well established brands, surf
rods are made well worth with components made by any of these.

Surf rods are made up of 3 main items namely:
1. Guides including tip
2. Reel mounting
3. Grip and butt cap.

1. Rod guides and tip.
The most popular manufacturer of rod guides. With various guide designs in its catelogue designed specially for each fishing styles from baitcasting to boat fishing. 3 main ring material made its way into the surfcasting scene , namely ,
1.) Hardloy
2.) Aluminium oxide and
3.) Silicon Carbide

Common surf rod guide types.
From left to right:
BNHG - Low frame double feet ,Aluminium Oxide ring with luminous shock ring.
BNLG - Low frame double feet , grey/black Hardloy ring. (also available in high-frame BSVLG)
Sic - Gunsmoke low frame , Silicon Carbide(Sic) ring.
SVSG - Gunsmoke high frame , Silicon Carbide(Sic) ring.


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For rods that comes with ultra-fast action at the tip, the top first 2 or 3 guides are usually single footer. This would retain its action by not increasing its tip weight. For the tip, surfcasters can choose hardloy tip if they want one that is durable and does not mind the slightly heavier weight. A Sic tip will be the lighter one,however, it is easer to break if it is accidentally knocked against a hard surface.

2. Reel mounting
Choice and type of reel mounting for a surf rod are (from top to bottom):


Pipe seat - Position of the reel will be permanent because glue are applied between the pipe seat and the rod blank itself. However reel mounted on a surf rod using a pipe seat is stable and strong. A better way of mounting reels on a rod that will be used at places like Bedok Jetty. Not suitable for small reels such as Abu 6500s but for the bigger ones like 7000 and above,a pipe seat will be a better choice. Always ensure that the pipe seat is properly washed after each trip . It is a tedious task to replace a damaged pipe seat because it is difficult to remove . Shown here is a Fuji DPSD size 28 pipe seat with nylon cushioned hoods.
Zip seat - Position of the reel is also permanent . Whippings are done on the footings at the middle and both ends to permanently hold it to the rod butt. The sliding clip on the zip seat allows a reel to be mounted and removed easily. More suitable to smaller reel and a better choice for a beach rod. However, I find such mount not very secure. It is not a very popular item. Shown here is a Fuji LS-7B zip seat.
Coasters - The only way to mount a reel if you reel position change is frequent. It offers total freedom to reel position. The most popular way of reel mounting found on surf rods nowadays. See here for more information on coaster.

3. Grip and butt cap.
i. Choice surf rod grip for a surf rod are (from top left to bottom):

Rubber stripe grip- Very grippy because it is made from rubber. But it is relatively expensive. It is basically a shrinking tube whereby heat is applied to shrink and grip it onto the butt section.
PVC shrinking tube grip- Used for electrical insulation but it managed to make its way onto a surf rod. It comes in common colours like blue, red , balck and yellow. The grip is not as good as the rubber stripe grip but it is more durable.
Hypalon grip- Usually used together with a pipe seat. Grip remains good in wet condition.
ii. Butt cap- Shown here is the Fuji BRC size22. It is made of soft rubber which does not hurt your stomach when using a low-reel mounting.

The rest of the component that made up a surf rod of today would be the thread whippings which binds the guides to the rod blank. The final product will be applied with a layer of epoxy resins that permanently protects and hold the guide in place on the blank.

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