Those of us who share a passion for surfing know what an exhilarating feeling it is to catch that ideal wave. We spend a lot of time picking out the perfect board and a lot of time waiting for perfect wave. Since a lot of us do not live right on the water, finding a way to transport our surfboards can be a daunting task. We put a lot of time and maintenance into our boards and the last thing we need is to get to the water and find our surfboard is gone or that it takes so long to get it off the rack that we missed the opportunity to surf.

There are several different styles and kinds of surfboard racks, some being better than others. The two most prominent types are hard and soft racks. Hard racks have a more sturdy construction and the price tag to go with it. If you are willing to spend the cash it is possibly a better option for those who surf often, as it provides a greater ease of use. Some hard racks also require your vehicle to come pre-installed with a luggage rack or something of that sort.

However, if you are looking for versatility, ease of use as well as stability, a soft rack is the best option. It is also the only option if your vehicle does not have a pre-installed luggage rack as you would otherwise risk damage to both the vehicle and the board. Soft racks usually consist of a high quality strap that runs through the vehicle and allows the board to slip into place. It also provides the ability for uses on multiple vehicles which is a huge bonus. Soft surfboard roof racks are an excellent value for the price. It is also important to note that with the use of a soft rack, snug is the key. Too tight and you risk damage to your board

One surfboard roof rack that I trust and I think every serious surfer should own is The Block Surf Single. It provides a light weight design, with ease of use, and reliable stability. This roof rack works with virtually all automobile makes and models. It is affordable and will provide you the comfort or knowing  that your surfboard is secure while in transport and is easily accessible when ready to catch some waves. It also allows up to 3 boards to be carried at once while its big brother, the The Block Surf Double allows up to 6.

I think this is an absolute must have for anyone on the market for a quality surfboard roof rack and who is serious about catching the perfect wave rather than spending time figuring out how to get to one.

Also, for those of you completely new to surfboard racks, here is a good video tutorial I found on YouTube.

Check back soon for reviews on other surfboard racks, as well as trends and forecasts in the industry in search of the best hard and soft surfboard racks out there!

Click on the link for surfboard racks for you truck/van, scooter, bike, and for you wall.

If you found this article informative or helpful please take the time to bookmark it below. Thanks!

Technorati Tags: surf racks, surfboard carrier, surfboard holder, surfboard racks, surfboard roof racks

Countdown of the Top Surfboard Racks

After reviewing hunderes of surfboard racks on this site and having awesome feedback from all the readers, as well as tips to some of the best surfboard racks on the market, we decided to do a little countdown of the top surfboard racks for the year. Believe it or not, every single rack you see on this site we have personally used in one way or another. After reviewing all the products, it’s clear that the best rack is one that keeps your board safe. After all, a rack is a small investment in keeping your surfboard it top shape for years to come. Below we list the best rack for each type of catagory: soft, hard, wall, and ceiling. After each of our top picks, we will also include the cheapest model for you budget shoppers out there and explain a little about each one. So lets get started on this exclusive list:

Top Soft Surf Racks: 

A soft rack typically includes some type of foam padding with an attached strap. And since most of the brands all use the same material and basic strap system, our favorite comes down to the way in which it works. That being said our favorite soft surfboard rack at the moment is the Creatures of Leisure Wrap Rax. The Creatures of Leisure rack allows you to really tighten down the strap system, keeping the board safe and secure. It also uses covered buckles, which will keep the metal off your surfboard and is a huge plus.

Creatures of Leisure Wrap Rax

Of course, if you are in need of a good, solid, and cheap soft rack you still can’t go wrong with the Block Surf Single Rack. We have discussed this rack before, its basically your cheapest soft rack and features one large simple strap with two buckles. You first throw the pad on your vehicle and then run the strap through the inside of your car and then through the first strap. This keeps the pad tight to your car. Next you place your surfboard on the pad and then run your the remaining strap over your surfboard and then through the final buckle. This is what keeps your surfboard attached to your car. Cheap, simple, and easy to use, you still can’t go wrong with the Block Surf Single or Double. The double actually utilizes three straps, one around your roof of your vehicle, and one for each stack of surfboards.

Block Surf Single Rack

Top Hard Surf Racks:

Hard surf racks can be either be complete systems, or a simple rack system that you attach to already mounted racks. For instance, one of our favorite hard racks that mounts to your typically SUV rack is the Thule 809 Double Decker Surfboard Carrier.  The Thule rack, like most hard racks, attaches to the crossbars of your SUV rack system. Once attached with the Thule, you can now lock your surfboards in place. These types of racks are great for cross country as they require no further fidgeting once in place. The ability to lock you surfboards, especially while traveling, is what makes the Thule a top pick.

Have no SUV but still want a cheap hard rack system? Block Surf makes a decent hard rack, called the Block Surf Surfer Rack that be easily attached to the roof of almost any car or even truck. This rack has a two unique strap system. The first set of strap attach to the inside gutters of your doors with the other hold the surfboards in place. We have seen that some vehicles do not allow the straps to fit all the way in the gutters meaning you will have to get the “thru the vehicle” system straps that also work with this rack. Therefore you really have two different ways to mount this rack to your car or truck. This rack is definitely great for a long haul.

Block Surf Sufer Rack

Top Wall Surf Racks:

Very hard to pick out some favorite wall racks as they all have their own unique purpose and aesthetics. If you looking for a good, solid, metal, and black rack, you serious can’t go wrong with Gatekeeper Racks. Or if you like the wood type style, the Hawaiian Gun Racks are great as well. If you don’t like either metal or wood, you can also go with a more modern approach and get a Nice Rack, which is made from high impact plastic. It really just depends on your own unique style. Some things to keep in mind before purchasing a wall rack is how you want it to be displayed and how often you will be taking it on and off the rack. This will help you choose if you want display it on rail, traditional, or even at a down angle. For instance, we like down angle and vertical racks for surfboards we use all the time. On rail racks are great for keeping boards stored up out of the way, and traditional is a good way to stack multiple boards.

Nice Rack Triple Horizontal

Top Surf Ceiling Racks:

Ceiling racks are by far the best way to keep you boards safe and out the of way. We prefer to use them for off season storage of for the old logs we don’t sue anymore. One of the coolest setups we have seen is the Gatekeeper Ceiling Rack. This rack obviously attaches to any ceiling, but also utilizes are really neat bolt on system in which you can add more racks and thus store more boards. For instance, check the picture below and you can see how you can store say two shortboards and a SUP board all hanging from the same rack. This setup can really save you some space if you have quite a collection. From what we can tell 3 boards are the max, 4 and it seems like there is just too much weight on the rack that attaches to the ceiling.

Gatekeeper Ceiling Rack

For the cheaper version of the a good ceiling rack, we like the Calfin EZ Ceiling Rack. A simple galvanized tube wrapped in foam to protect your board. Does’t get any simpler, cheap, and works just as well as any higher priced rack. You can get them for either your shortboards, longboards, or even your stand up paddle board.

Calfin EZ Ceiling Rack

Well there is our list of our top surf racks for the year. If you have any other favorite racks please let us know! Remember, if you ever construct your own rack system, let us know and we will put pictures up and share them with everyone. If you more of the Do it yourself kind of person, check out our do it yourself category and build your own. Cheers and happy new year.

Steelcore Locking Security Straps

Imagine stopping at the local supermarket to pick up a few things on the way home from a day of surfing, only to your surprise, your pized board, and not too mention prized investment, has been ripped off.

Thankfully all of us here at the surfboard racks blog have never been a victim of surf board theft, although we have all heard the horror stories. Which is why we have decided to hunt down and talk about the best traveling locking surfboard racks we could find.

If you do a quick search on the web, you really wont find too many locking surfboard racks. Most are made for you beach house or home, but many wont lock your surfboard when you are traveling. If you are serious about locking your surfboard when your on the move, we highly recommended you grab yourself some Steelcore Security Straps, shown above.

The Steelcore Security Straps work the same ways as most surfboard straps in the sense that they use the cam buckle. You simply thread the strap through the buckle and close the latch. The only difference is that after you shut the latch, you can now lock it keep anything wrapped in their grip safe and secure. Think someone could just cut them to get to your surfboard? Think again. The straps are made out of steel, making them nearly cut proof, even with bolt cutters, making them the ultimate locking straps. They also come in 9, 12, and 15 feet for locking just about everything you have.

To learn more check out the Steelcore Security Straps pics and pricing.

Steelcore Tailgate Rack

Steelcore also makes a locking tailgate rack as well that works in the same manner. Simply wrap the strap around your tailgate, slide your surfboard into the top strap and lock away. In order for someone to now steal your surfboard they have to take your tailgate as well. To learn more about the Steelcore Tailgate Rack check out the pics and pricing page.

Steelcore aslo makes locking soft surfboard racks for you car, as well as locking surfboard carries for your SUV. Both work in the exact same manner as existing soft surfboard racks and pads, but with the locking cam buckles.

Steelcore Soft Racks

Steelcore Rack Pad

No matter how you carry your surfboard, if you to keep it safe, be sure to check out the Steelcore Locking Surfboard racks. Keep that board safe and as always, happy surfing.

Wheele Surf Bike Rack

For those of you interested in a surfboard bike rack you two great options: The Mule Transport System and The Wheele Surf Bike Rack. However, after reviewing and using both models,your best option may be the Wheel Surf Rack. Not only can you tow your surfboard behind your bike, allowing for hands free travel like the Mule, but you can also bring along anything else you may need for a day out on the beach.

The Wheele Surf Rack is a simple lightweight two-behind trailer that easily attaches to your  to your bicycle seat post using a specialized designed hitch that allows for maximum maneuverability. This systems allows you to easily carry surfboards up to 7’8″ in it’s normal position and will even extend to accommodate surfboards up to 9′ 6″, all they while still being able to easily ride your bike.

More Pics and Pricing:

The Wheele Surf Bike Rack

Wheele Surf Compartment

The Wheele also incorporates and huge storage bag under the main trailer allowing you to carry your wet suits, towels, wax, and any other items you may need.The trailer is also nicely padded to keep your surfboard free from dings during questionable and rugged terrain. The single wheel on the back of the trailer also allows for excellent cornering, which is usually the biggest concern with most tow-behind models like the Mule Model.

So if your looking for the best tow-behind bike surfboard rack, be sure to check out the Wheele Surf Bike Rack.

Manufactures Page:

http://www.wheelerack.com/products/surf/wheele_surf.html

Technorati Tags: bicycle surfboard racks, surfboard carrier

We have already discuss at great lengths on this blog for our love for vertical surf racks as they the quickest and most effective way to store your quiver, especially if your a daily surfer and will be taken them on and off your racks a lot.

Popular post include the best vertical surf racks, do it yourself vertical surf racks, and the clear vertical surf stands. If you still looking for even more options for going vertical with your surfboards you may want to check out the vertical surf stands by Block Surf.

These stands are a quick and simple way to store one board. Block surf has three models which include the Block Surf Stick Stand Longboy, Block Surf Stick Stand Shortboy, and the Block Surf Stand Wall Model.

Both the Stick Stand Longboy and Shorty and free stand racks and are made from heavy duty quart inch steel. They will easily outlast any of your surfboards. Block Surf also has a wall model that bolts into the wall basically hiding the rack itself altogether and showing off your board. All Stick stands are fast and easy to use by simply sliding your board into the fin slot. The weight of the board is held but a bottom pad so as not to fret about your fin. Below are are pics and simply specs for each model. Enjoy

Block Surf Shorty Model

The Shorty model can hold surfboards up to 7′ 6″.    More Block Surf Shorty Specs

Block Surf Stock Stand Longboy

The Longboy model can hold longboards up to 9′ 6″.    More Block Surf Longboy Specs

Block Surf Vertical Wall Rack

The Wall Model can hold surfboard up to 8′ 6″.    More Block Surf Vertical Wall Rack Specs

Each rack is a very simple, yet effective way to not only store your surfboard, but show it off.

Happy Surfing.

Anchor Surfboard Rack

If you looking for quick and easy way to carry your surfboard with your scooter or moped check out the Anchor Surfboard Rack.

The Anchor Rack attaches to your motorbike, scooter, moped, and even bicycle using a pre-existing luggage rack, or simliar rack, and safely carries your surfboard to and from the beach. Rack is secured by two bungees that hold your board to the two metal support arms.

The Anchor rack attaches to your scooter or bike by sandwiching two nylon plates to your existing rack and bolts together as shown below.

Once bolted down tight, your all set to head to the waves. The Anchor racks works with just about any scooter or moped as long as you have luggage rack, even if it’s on an angle. Even if your not sure if the Anchor Rack will work for you, simply send the manufacture a pic of your scooter or bike and they will let you know. Customization is also and option. Current Anchor Racks are made in Austrial but the manufactuory happily ships global.

For more information on the Anchor Rack be sure to check out the home site @ http://anchorrack.com/Index.html

Technorati Tags: bicycle surfboard racks, scooter surfboard racks

Thule has some excellent surf racks for those who have SUV’s. Best of all you don’t even need a Thule hard rack to use them and they have tons of different styles and types to accommodate any surfer.

The most basic of the SUV type rack is the hard rack pads with strap combo. Thule has a wide variety of surf pads, coming in both the Aero and regular rack types which you can use to help transport your boards to and from the beach. Each pad comes in either an 18 inch or 24 inch to accommodate bigger boards. One of our favorite types of Thule racks is the Thule 531 Express Surf Strap. This is by far the cheapest, fastest, and one of the most convenient ways to load up your surfboards on your hard racks. To use the 531 Express Strap you simply purchase some racks pads, Thule or not, lay on your boards and bungee down the straps. The Surf Strap simply wraps around your loads straps and keeps your boards locked in place. Best of all it works for surfboards and SUP’s alike.

Pricing and info for the Thule 531 Express Surf Strap

Don’t have a SUV but a truck? Have no fear Thule still has you covered as Thule also has one of the better tailgate truck racks using the typical pad and strap system. The Thule 808 Surf Tailgate Pad is also one of our favorites which wraps around your tailgate with two straps and then straps down your to your surfboard. 18 inches in size allows for a variety of boards to be hauled around. The best thing about the Thule Tailgate Pad is the fact that the top strap is sewn into the pad making it very sturdy and less likely to allow moment of your surfboard.

Pricing and Info for the Thule 808 Surf Tailgate Pad

*Remember when using a tailgate pad you need to protect the front of your surfboard. It is wise to get a nose pad or wrap it in a towel to protect your board.

Future post will include the Thule 809 Double Decker Surfboard Carrier and the Thule 810 SUP Taxi Paddleboard Carrier as these are some of Thule’s more permanent and expensive options. So stayed tuned and happy surfing.

The Mule Transport System is one of the quickest and easiest ways to carry your surfboard or SUP around. You can even attach it to your bike, making it one of the most popular surfboard carriers you can purchase. It is also one of our favorites if you have to trek long distances to and from the beach.  Here is a quick review on how it works for all who are curious.

The Mule Transport System is a two piece design that attaches to your surfboard at both the tail and nose of your surfboard. The nose section, shown below, simply slides over your nose of your board and is then tighten by pulling the lace that is threaded throughout  the materiel. This section also has a handle, which  allows you wrap it around your hand, wrist, or even bicycle seat for easy carrying.

The next piece includes the axle and wheels that attaches to the tail of your surfboard. This attaches by a tail strap and then a longer strap that connects to the nose section. This main strap is what keeps both sections from falling off and is completely adjustable to fit any size board. Once you attach the two pieces together, simply flip your board over and your set to go.The picture below shows the tail piece.

The Mule Transport System can be used on array of surfboards, SUP’s, and even Kayaks. It also comes with a carrying case to store the two sections when you need to be mobile. The simplicity of the Mule allows you to trek about for hours as it requires little energy, if any, to get about.

If you a small board, a sling may be ideal, but if you have a longboard, SUP, or even Kayak, the Mule Transport System is a must. The further you have to walk to and from the waters edge, the more you can benefit from this awesome carrier.

The Mule Transport Pics and Pricing.

Technorati Tags: mule, surfboard carrier

Curve Fatboy Backpack

1. Curve Surf Backpack.

This is by far the best surf backpack on the market. Not only does it carry all of your gear in one place, but it can be used with the curve surf sling for hands free carrying, making it the ultimate must for the surfer who likes to explore.

The Curve Fatboy Backpack also comes with a free changemat allowing you to store you wetsuit or swimsuit in its own bag, keeping your other gear dry. We also really like how it attaches to the body. Rather than two, over the shoulder straps, you get a whole breast plate that really helps spread out the weight and stay snug. Fit over your wetsuit or wrap around some skin.

Price and Pics

Quicksilver Sealocker

2. Quicksilver Sea Locker.

Nothing is worse that wet gear. Hence the Quicksilver Sea Locker. The backpack is large enough for all your gear boasting about 2000 cu feet of room. It is also made out of a water tight tarp like materiel that keeps water out.

It also has many other compartments for anything else you feel you may need to bring along on surfing excursions.

Price and Pics

These are two main favorite surf backpacks. Most backpacks are just typical backpacks, but the Curve Fatboy and the Quicksilver Sea Locker are true surfing packs. But you also can’t go wrong with Billabong, Dakine, and FCS if you like the regular style packs.

As always,

Happy Surfing.

Technorati Tags: accessories

On of our favorites slings is the Curve SUP Sling shown above. This sling  has multiple hand grips making it the ideal sling for any SUP. Not only does it allow you to easily carry your SUP around with ease, but once wrapped, this sling helps protect it as well with added foam padding. The Curve sling also has a large pocket for your wetsuit, towel, or any other gear you may be carrying. Regardless of the features, the real reason this sling is one of out top picks is it’s ease of use. You simply wrap your board around the one piece design and your off.

Another popular sling for your SUP is the Surftech sling. This sling is somewhat simliar to the curve sling, but doesn’t have the full body enclosure. It also has a much smaller pouch. Nevertheless, this sling still offers multiple ways to carry your SUP to and from the water, making it one of the top slings you can buy. It also has velcro, rip and go straps to store your paddle.

Our last and final sling is the Big Board Schlepper. This sling is the simplest of the slings, which uses two connecting straps to carry you board. There is no pouch to store your board, but it still gets the job done. Because of the simplicity of the sling, it is also one of the cheapest. It also comes with a pack that you can wear about your waist when you hit the water shown in the picture above.

These are the top 3 SUP Slings we like, if you use any others slings for your SUP let us know and we will put them up.

To learn more about Surf Sling for you longboard or shortboard, check out our previous post on popular Surfboard Slings.

Technorati Tags: sufboard sling, sup