How to transport a surfboard by car?

The weather is getting worse and the water sports season is open. You don't want to waste good weather sitting at home. Are you wondering how to transport your surfboard for your holiday in a casual, active way? Read our article and make sure it doesn't have to be difficult!

Shortly speaking

Do you want to transport your surfboard by car? It is best to choose a safe and easy-to-use surf mount. The equipment installed in them should be directed nose down to reduce air resistance and minimize noise accompanying its transportation. Place the board against the edge of the roof and see if the trunk can be opened at all. And if you are concerned about theft, use a set of hooks with a lock and fastening straps, reinforced with steel cable.

3… 2… 1… START water madness!

Planning to transport your surfboard by car? The easiest and at the same time the safest way is to transport it on the roof of the car.... The Thule brand offers several solutions from which you can easily choose the one that suits you best.

Affordable - Thule Wave Surf 832 Surf Carry Bag

The Thule Wave 832 surfboard is an easy to use and comfortable solution that stabilizes your board in a matter of seconds. How to embed it? Attach two horizontal support bars to the rack and specially profiled rubber hooks to them, which, together with an adjustable fastening strap, will hold the board. Or two boards - because that's how much this transport system can hold when you stack them on top of each other. 180 cm long straps provide an efficient and comfortable assembly. While buckle covers made of soft plastic they gently hug the board, protecting it from scratches.

Practicality at your fingertips - Thule Board Shuttle 811

Thule Board Shuttle 811 is another model that will give you a comfortable ride. one or two surfboards. Thanks sliding structure can be adjusted to boards of different widths - 70-86 cm. To properly fix the board, you only need to turn it upside down and wrap it tightly with a fastening strap. For this model the belts are 400 cm long and are twisted twice over the board... Once properly installed, you don't have to worry about slipping or scratching because the materials used protect the boards from shifting during transport.

Handle on the go – Thule SUP Taxi Carrier

The undisputed leader in comfort and peace of mind is Thule SUP Taxi Carrier. Thule One-Key with four locks will act as a watchman.when you want to stop along the route and grab a bite to eat at a roadside tavern. Why is he so special? Because it blocks important points on the anchorage straps and the Speed-Link system that attaches the clip to the trunk, that even with the use of force it is impossible to free the board from its protection. The straps are reinforced with steel cord, so it won't be easy to break them - but it's certainly risky, because such a fight with safety devices probably won't happen without suspicion in a crowded parking lot. The Thule SUP Taxi Carrier model easily adapts to your expectations - and boards with a width of 70-86 cm.

Comfort

Of course, if you carry any kind of luggage on the roof of your car, you will have to reckon with a louder ride. However, the noise level can be slightly reduced by beak-down placement of equipment. Thanks to this, the board will not bounce up when the wind gusts. However, before attaching the bar to the latches, make sure you can lift the trunk lid without breaking the glass. Assembly is also an important issue. To provide easy access when putting on and taking off the board, place it close to one of the edges.

Security

If you are transporting a board on the roof, do not leave the car unattended in the parking lot so that it will not be "useful" to anyone - unless you have lockable handlesthat will protect her from theft. In addition, you can protect the equipment during transport with a special cover that will protect it from external factors - weather, possible gravel impact - or at least mitigate their impact. Each time you carefully slide the board into place, check that it is installed correctly, because if it slips, it can not only damage the body or windshield of your car, but also endanger other road users. Same fast driving is not recommended here, as there is a risk that the board will "fly away". The maximum speed you can afford is 90 km / h. And most importantly: when choosing bindings, do not be guided by the price - with a poor-quality mounting system, you risk slipping out of the bindings on the track.

Traffic Laws

What does the law say about the transportation of boards? An important issue is the provision that any equipment carried on the roof of a car. it should not protrude too much beyond the contour. These values ​​are strictly defined - we already wrote about them in the section "Transportation of water equipment - how to do it conveniently, safely and in accordance with the rules?"

Do you really need a roof mount for your board?

The answer is, of course, YES. If you don't want to waste space inside the car and risk sudden braking or collision a poorly fixed board will move in the cabin or even fall through the glass and injure someoneworth buying pens. Think about how much you will have to bend to make the board fit inside, especially if you are not traveling alone and there is not enough space in the car.

You can hunt for surf equipment holders and other solutions for transporting additional luggage by car in our Nocar online store. We wish you a crazy vacation the way you like it - in an extreme, but at the same time safe style!

Are you preparing for your trip? You may be interested in our other records:

10 things to check before a long trip

Thule roof box review - which one to choose?

With a child in a child seat in Europe - what are the rules in other countries?