Easy Ways to Transport Your Surfboards by Car
Find yourself wondering how the hell people get their surfboards to the beach in one piece? Don't worry, you're not alone. Here are the 3 easiest ways to transport your surfboards by car.
Rarely are the waves perfect all day.
Most of the time you only get a small window when they’re just right for your skill level.
This means that time is always of the essence if you want to take full advantage of the conditions. And nobody wants to waste it by fumbling around with straps or trying to cram as many boards as possible into a car.
For this reason, we've devised a special article for all you legendary surfers out there who want to know the best ways to transport your surfboards.
From using roof racks and soft racks on your car roof to fitting multiple boards in your car, Go Surf has the answer to the age-old question: "How do we get these bloody boards to the beach"?
Dos and don'ts of transporting surfboards
We've been surfing since we were kids and, in this time, we've seen lots of creative methods for getting surfboards to a surf spot.
So, to give you somewhat of a guidebook for transporting surfboards via a roof rack system or inside vehicles, here are the dos and don'ts of taking your surfboard from one place to another.
Do
Always handle your surfboard with care. You're surfers, not cavemen and women
Keep your surfboard in either a board bag or a fabric surf sock
Lend your soft rack system to friends if you have one (because good karma is always welcome)
Don't
Leave it in your car without a board bag or surf sock on a hot Perth day. Melted wax = your car's interior looking like the aftermath of an apocalyptic event
Rest the uncovered nose or tail of a board against a windshield. Bad, bad idea
Slide your surfboard horizontally through the rear windows. Do we really even need to go over this?
Use occy straps or a cheap alternative to secure your surfboards (unless you think that eye patches look cool)
Transport your surfboards inside the car
This is definitely the fastest way to take your surfboards to the beach because you don't need to bother with roof racks or a soft rack.
It's also the most common way to store your board if it's only a 10, 15 or 20-minute drive to the beach.
You can even store several surfboards provided they're not too big (no longboards, mid-lengths, mini-Malibus, etc.).
All you need to do is lay the passenger seat down as far as possible. Ideally, so that the back of the headrest is touching the front of the back seat.
After that, slide the surfboards in from the boot or through the passenger's door. Keep in mind that the tail of the surfboard should rest on the floor of the passenger side.
Then, position the board or boards so that they lay flat on the passenger's seat. If sliding multiple boards in, stack them one on top of the other.
The last step is to strap them in with the seat belt. After all, they're your babies and you need to look after them.
Of course, surfers with station wagons or vans won't need to do any of this. If that's you, it's simply a matter of putting the back seats down or just sliding your boards in through the boot.
Another thing to note is that by putting surfboards in your car, you're going to be dealing with sand, salt and wetness.
If you'd rather put the boards on the roof of your car, perhaps the next couple of options are better.
Transport your surfboards using a roof rack
The second way to store your surfboards is the most common way for longer trips... provided that you secure them correctly.
For this way to work best, you'll need roof racks and high-quality straps plus board bags for your surfboards. You'll also need foam protectors or even towels to create a protective buffer between the hard roof rack and your beautiful surfboard regardless of whether you have board bags or not.
To begin, lay the protective buffer along the length of the roof racks and place the boards face down on said protective buffer with the noses pointing forward.
Then, affix the front part of the surfboards first by passing the strap over the boards, bringing it back under the roof rack and through the clip.
Fasten firmly, but not so firmly that you risk damaging the surfboards, and either thread the excess strap through a window or tie it in a knot.
Repeat for the back strap in order to secure the rear part of the surfboards to the roof rack.
Note that this doesn't work for other types of sporting equipment. Also, if duct tape ever makes an appearance during this stage, chances are you're doing it wrong.
Transport your surfboard using soft racks
The third method for taking your surfboard to and from the beach doesn't require hard racks, but it does mean you'll need something called a soft rack.
Soft racks are great if you want to save money on installing a roof rack since they'll only set you back $50 - $90 and last you quite a while.
They're also easy to store since they can be taken down and folded away. However, there's a minor risk that they'll scratch up your car if the metal buckles come in contact with the roof.
Regardless, soft racks are still very practical.
In order to use them, simply place the soft racks flat on the roof of your car and pass the straps through your windows and fasten them tightly.
Once that's done you can place the boards on top of the soft racks, throw the top strap over the boards and fasten well (but gently to prevent damage).
Soft racks might seem flimsy, but they're pretty legit. They can be used if you intend on driving long distances for extended periods at high speeds.
In saying that, there's a really good test you can do to ensure your roof rack or soft racks are working correctly.
Just affix your boards to the roof, take off towards the beach and if your boards are nowhere to be seen when you arrive, you've done something wrong!
For more expert tips on Surfing Equipment and maintenance, the crew at Porch has compiled some expert tips from surf guru’s over the globe.