Best Surfboard Roof Racks - Find Out the Secret to Storing Your Surfboard Like a Pro! (2023)

FAQs

What kind of roof rack do I need for a surfboard? ›

You should go for Surfboard Car Rack that allows you to attach your boards to the roof of your car. You can affix two boards at a time with the help of Surfboard Soft Rack. Two sets of straps and two pads allow for secure attachment of the pads to the car roof.

Destruction Guaranteed – Avoid it. The quickest and most effective way to destroy your board is to forget to tie it onto the roof racks of your vehicle and start driving. Not only does the board need to be secured but it also needs to be secured in the right place.

Storable, useful and convenient

Ho Stevie! soft racks go into your trunk when you're not transporting boards, and install quickly and easily when you do need them. The model they carry is unique, as its strong buckles are wrapped in silicone covers, to protect your car or surfboard(s) from scratches or dings.

Fairings are recommended to be added to any Thule or Yakima rack when any or all accessories are attached to the bars with the exception of cargo boxes. Fairings also help the car keep that sporty look when using your roof rack.

Boxy Rails - a boxy rail is a full volume rail that provides extra floatation and does not penetrate deeply into the wave face. It is somewhat square in shape and therefore forces water to release quickly over the transitions.

w/ proper racks, & the boards strapped down properly (fins up & forward, don't be a kook) you can go as fast as you want. i've done 85 w/ a longboard on the roof in the past. IMO however, going faster than 80 is stupid unless conditions are perfect & you're a good driver. you become a danger to yourself & others.

DocksLocks is an easy way to protect your all-around surfboard from being stolen in the beach's car park. There are two ways of attaching it to your board. The simplest way is to attach it to your leash plug. You just have to clamp the stainless steel jaws around the leash plug bar.

Car Roof Rack system allows you to carry up to three surfboards in any vehicle. Its silicone buckle covers will protect your car against scratches and dings.

Long Surfboards

Length helps you paddle faster and catch more waves. Your surfboard will hold a longer waterline, which helps with stability. Longer boards are great for when the waves are bigger, as the extra surface area will help the board feel less shaky at high speed.

Roof racks increase the wind resistance of a vehicle when its driving with a full load attached to the bars, impacting your fuel economy. This will also result in a noisier journey, especially on high-speed roads.

Are roof racks a good idea? ›

Roof rails and roof racks are the ideal and safe way to transport luggage, bicycles, kayaks, or a range of other items that just won't fit inside your car.

Soft racks are typically rated for speeds of anywhere from 55 to 80 mph. So if you plan on driving faster than this, a soft rack might not be the choice for you.

There is no practical speed limit for either the Pack Racks or the Traveller Soft Racks – however, for driving at any speed it is essential to have a bow line from the front of the watercraft to the towing loop or front bumper of the vehicle, and for faster driving, it is essential to have a stern line from the rear of ...

A single soft rack will fit 1 to 3 shortboards, whilst a double will fit 2 to 6 shortboards, and they're also suitable for longboards and SUPs.

Basically, the key difference between these two is the direction that they're mounted on the roof of your vehicle. Roof rails run along the length of your car's roof, whilst roof racks are mounted from door to door across your roof.

When it comes to your roof racks, there is actually no real reason to take them off… except when it comes to maintenance and cleaning. You want to make sure your roof racks stay in good working condition, so this means regular maintenance to ensure it stays sturdy and keeps your equipment in place.

One of the main reasons roof racks are so expensive is because they must be able to hold up to the weight of heavy items like luggage, cargo box, camping gear, bikes, kayaks, etc. Many roof racks in the market are designed to carry up to 75 kg (165 lbs).

Basically, there are two different types of rails: the 60/40 and the 50/50. The numbers represent a rail/chine ratio. The 60/40 means that 40 percent is chine - the top part around the deck - and 60 percent is the lower proportion in direct contact with the wave.

50/50 Rails

A perfectly even ratio, meaning that the volume distribution along the rails will be entirely equal and round. The top half of the rail will look exactly like the bottom half, and the apex of a 50/50 rail will be exactly in the middle, halfway between the curvature of the rail.

Round Tail

The extra volume compared to the pin tail will create more lift, translating into a surfboard that is faster and easier to turn. With its round, continuous curves, the water still wraps around this tail without getting released out the back too quickly, giving you plenty of hold.

Is a garage too hot for surfboard? ›

A garage is fine, and while the outside temperature won't destroy your board direct sunlight will eventually yellow it. Too much heat will cause the foam inside your board to expand, which will make the surface bubble and the foam separate from the fiberglass—it's an all-around mess.

A good rule of thumb for beginner surfboards is to start with a longboard that is about 3 feet longer than your height. So if you're 5'6” to 6'0” tall, an 8'6” to 9'0” longboard would be pretty ideal. Is a 7ft surfboard good for beginners? Generally speaking, an 8 to 9-foot surfboard is good for beginners.

As for board placement, place your board waxed side (deck) down with your fins facing up. The tail (fin end) should be pointing forward toward the front of the car.

Storing your surfboard indoors is the best option if you have enough room. Surfboard racks are a good choice, as they enable the board to rest safely on a soft surface, so none of it touches the wall or the floor. A stand-up rack is a great option for storing shortboards.

Possibly the best option of protecting your car key while surfing. The majority of neoprene wetsuits have either interior or exterior cords to attach your keys. Another option is to tie it to a string around your neck and put it in your wetsuit. The only risk is that it could come off and end up lost in the water.

Heat is the killer of all boards. When resin and fiberglass are exposed to enough heat, they can separate from the foam and leave ghastly bubbles on your board. These delaminated bubbles can be fixed with some “surfboard surgery”, but the scars will almost always remain.

If no special fitting positions are given in the assembly instructions, the bars should be placed between 24 and 36 inches apart, measured from the same position of each crossbar. This distance provides the most support for roof-mounted Thule products.

But how many surfboards does an average surfer need? Well, the answer to that is FOUR. Yes, an average surfer needs four surfboards but for first time surfers and beginners having one will be enough for now, you can even hire a surfboard from local shops.

Overloading a roof rack can cause serious problems. For this reason, the universal cap for a roof rack is roughly 165 pounds.

Longboard Surfboards– The longboard is probably one of the easiest surfboards to ride. Its extra length and width give it tons of stability and paddling power. When the surf is really small, you should always grab a longboard. They allow you to surf small waves and ride them for a long time.

Are heavier surfboards better? ›

If you're riding a lot of bigger waves, a heavier board can really help punching through those choppy conditions. Which are almost always there, because when the wind is strong the waves are big. But there's also some texture on the face of the wave. A heavier board can really help push through that.

To answer your question in short order, Yes, surfboards do loose their “pop”, sort of like skate boards, and yes, the older a surfboard gets, if ridden, with or without a “buckle” or ding, will become “less stiff”, (less responsive) because of the natural breakdown of the materials it's constructed from i.e. natural ...

This top-heavy effect creates more body roll and raises the risk of a vehicle tipping over. It also increases weight transfer from front to rear when accelerating and rear to front when braking, making it more unstable all round. An overloaded roof can make your vehicle dangerously unsteady on the road.

How tight should a roof rack be? Your roof rack doesn't need to be inordinately tight. You just want to get it to the point where there is no movement with the equipment. Once you've reached that level of firmness in the installation process, you should be good to go.

Driving with a heavy load on your roof rack reduces your vehicle's stability. It shifts your vehicle's centre of gravity away from where the manufacturer designed it to be, so keep this in mind when driving around bends and changing speed.

Aluminum. Usually the best overall option for roof racks, aluminum rack systems are significantly lighter than steel, and aluminum offers a higher load-carrying capacity. As a result, aluminum rack systems will be more expensive than steel or plastic models, but they'll deliver better overall performance.

Our experts recommend that consumers remove the roof rack and rooftop carrier when they won't be using it. Sedan owners in particular suffer a big impact on fuel economy with just the roof rack installed. But even for SUV owners, there's no need to drive around with an empty pod and rack hurting your fuel economy.

Aftermarket roof racks are typically less expensive and provide you with many more options in terms of weight capacity, accessories, and other features. The biggest downside to a factory rack is that it is made for one specific make and model of vehicle—you won't be able to transfer it to another vehicle if you want.

Driving with loaded roof racks at lower speeds shows a 7,5% to 15% in loss of fuel efficiency. Traveling at highway speeds above 60 mph (100km/h) the average loss in fuel economy is between 20% and 30%.

If you're planning on taking a road trip anytime soon, you might wonder if you can drive with an empty cargo box on your rooftop. The answer is yes, as long as the box is secured correctly and you don't exceed the speed limit.

Does it matter what kind of roof rack you get? ›

Strong is good, heavy is not. Many racks are clunky and use heavy materials like steel, but you don't have to sacrifice strength to lose weight. A well-engineered, all-aluminum rack will be 30 percent lighter than steel, with more strength and load carrying capacity.

The static weight limit refers to the amount of weight a vehicle's roof can support while it's stationary. The dynamic weight limit is the load weight a vehicle's roof can safely support while it's moving, and often it's lower than the static limit.

Surfboard on your car rack

Fixed racks, soft racks, or even universal racks. To put the boards on top of your vehicle you´ll need a fixed rack, rack protectors and tie down straps.

Whilst a surfboard bag might provide a small amount of protection against this, what you really need is a surfboard rack pad to provide proper insulated protection. It also prevents the wax on your surfboard from getting on your roof or roof rack.

And when the surfboard is too big to fit in your car, all you've got is this simple, quick, and easy method. All you need is two large and wide pieces of thick, closed-cell EVA foam pads and a couple of straps. You can easily find the equipment you need in a DIY retail store.

As for board placement, place your board waxed side (deck) down with your fins facing up. The tail (fin end) should be pointing forward toward the front of the car.

Applying a base coat of surfboard wax ensures you'll get a primary anti-slippery layer that will last longer than the top basic coat. Some surfers also apply wax on the surfboard rails for extreme duck-diving and late take-offs. Wax should be applied in the working foot zones of the surfboard.

A stand-up rack is a great option for storing shortboards. They usually don't need drilling into the wall and have slots to slide your board into, so the tail rests on the soft base. They look pretty good too and are also easy to move around.

You should use a traction pad if you're using a shorter board and looking to perform sharp turns and maneuvers. Traction pads are not necessary on longboards or even funboards. But, surfers with smaller boards who ride more intense waves will benefit from a traction pad.

Self-tightening straps are the easiest to use, such as ratchet style straps. You also want to place the straps so you can tighten them on the sides of the vehicle. It's difficult trying to tighten them if you have to reach to the centre of the roof. You also need to strap down the board's nose and tail.

How do I keep my surfboard cool in my car? ›

Put your wax in a cold box or bag

If you surf in a hotter climate consider leaving your blocks in a cold box or bag. Much like a board bag this'll keep your wax cooler for longer, just be aware that even a coldbox will heat up eventually.

4. Don't leave your Surfboard in the hot Car! Heat + Surfboard = Bad News… whether it be giant bubbles or melted foam spots, we've seen the weirdest of the weird aftermath of the hot car gone wrong.

Make sure that your rack is strong enough and solidly attached to the car. Your two crossbars should be at least 2.5-3 feet (70-100 cm) apart, and the further apart the better. The Surf Club has everything else you will need.