The Surfboard Racks Blog

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.

Stand up paddle boards can be heavy. Save your energy for the water and invest in a SUP Sling. Some parking lots are just too far from the water and the right sling can help you carry your board long distances with minimal energy excretion. They can also be worn around your body when you hit the water so you always have it when you need it. Below is our top pics for some of the best SUP slings on the market.

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

The ceiling is a great place to store you SUP board, considering the their size compared to most other boards. Ceiling SUP racks allow for direct storage overhead, allowing you to free up some space, all the while protecting your SUP board from scrapes and dings. Below is our list of our favorite and Best SUP Ceiling Racks on the market.

1 . Gatekeeper Ceiling Rack

This SUP ceiling rack is our top pic and stores you SUP in a traditional (horizontal) position. It is also expandable allowing you to purchase extra racks and simple bolt them on to each other. The only down side with this rack is that you first have to purchase a rack base, shown in the picture above, and then the SUP expandable rack, which is then bolted on. The SUP expandable rack is much wider than the rack base. However, other surfboards can be stored in the first rack. It is even a great place for your paddles.

Pic and Pricing Info:

http://www.esurfboardracks.com/products/gatekeeper-ceiling-rack

2. The T-Bone Ceiling Rack

This rack comes in as our second chose and is quite convenient despite it’s rather large size. The T-Bone Rack is also fully adjustable both vertically and horizontally allowing you to hone in on all your storage needs. Installation is also a snap, with a simple 2 bolt per rack system, like the gatekeeper, which makes it very quick and easy. Once bolted just adjust the for your ceiling height and your good to go.

Pic and Pricing Info:

http://www.tboneracks.com/index.php?pr=Racks

3. Cor Surf Ceiling Rack

The Cor Surf Ceiling Rack comes in at number 3. This SUP rack is one of the most popular for a single storage unit. This rack will hold any size SUP and has a very simple design. We only rank it low because it’s not expandable. However, this rack is much cheaper than the Gatekeeper and T-Bone at around $40 bucks.

Pic and Pricing Info:

http://www.esurfboardracks.com/products/cor-surf-ceiling-rack

4. Rocky Rack Ceiling Rack

Our last and final SUP ceiling rack is the Rocky Rack. This rack is near identical to the COR surf rack. Same looks and same price, purchasing between the COR and the Rocky will come down to your own personal choice of brand.

Pic and Pricing Info:

http://www.rockyracks.com/surf.htm

Well there you have it, our top 4 picks for the best SUP ceiling racks on the market. If you have made your own, or know any SUP racks that we need to add just let us know.

Technorati Tags: sup