I have recently seen surf rod grips/tape that were synthetic in materials. These were grey or black in color and had a somewhat abbrasive / coarse feel and look. These were definitely not cork tape or heat shrink. Can anyone tell me what this material was, provide good and bad reviews and provide a source for purchase? Thank you very much!

It's made by 3M and called "Safety Walk" tape.

On a further note, I think G.Loomis uses this on some of their surf rods. I have found it at West Marine by the roll or by the foot.

I've been using 3M safety walk on my surf rods for a few years now and would not now use anything else.

I posted a picture a few months ago.

[www.fishingphotos.net]

I started using it last year. I I have found that for me in works best when I wrap over cork tape. The cork tape builds up tha blank and also cushions your grip abit.

I put down some braided nylon twine in diamond fashion and then put regular shrink tubing over the top of that and shrink it down. Great grip and wears like iron. Just something else you can consider if you want.

The Loomis 1266S surf spinning rod I use has this grip. It provides superb non slip performance and has held up very well to three years of use thus far. I like to wear thin waterproof gloves in the colder weather during the Fall Run and this grip works great with the gloves. There are other grip materials which are softer on the hands, but none that I have found give a more certain grip.