Surfboard Travel Bags buying guide

With several elements ready to ruin your surfboard, you need a case that protects your precious board. Don't worry. Surfboard travel bags are here at your service.

These bags are travel friendly and protect your boards from several harmful elements. However, while selecting a suitable bag, you have to deem certain things. You should have access to all the details to pin down the best product.

There is no shortage in the supply of these bags, and every day new designs and materials are showing up. Tracking the latest one is challenging, and so is picking out the best of all.

This comprehensive guide for surfboard bags is worthwhile to cut short this tedious process and invest in surfboards' perfect travel bags.

This guide holds the answers to all your queries and unfolds the mystery surrounding these bags step by step. Hence, devote some time and refer to all the sections. Scrutinize the bags that you prefer and then make an eligible purchase.

What are Surfboard Travel Bags, and why should you opt for them?

Surfing is a fascinating water sport which is loved by all and the most preferred during summer months. The way you move up and down the huge waves, the thrill, and excitement are all parts of this unique water adventure.

Since surfing is an excellent outdoor activity, surfboards are the essential equipment that is necessary for this sport. Without these boards, you cannot surf and hence won't experience the thrill and excitement.

These boards are exposed continuously to sand, sun, and salt, which cause damage to them and disable you from enjoying surfing.

To keep them damage-free and enhance their durability, surfboard travel bags are necessary. These sturdy bags enable you to effortlessly transport your crucial surfing equipment and use them when needed.

Besides, these bags also serve many purposes, and their benefits are listed below. Before proceeding further, check their benefits out.

1. Economically feasible

Having these bags help protect your vital equipment and protect them from possible damages. This safety cuts down your unnecessary investments on repairs, etc.

2. Flexibility

These bags provide you the flexibility to transport these boards anywhere around the world. Whether you are going on a cruise or traveling through air to compete in competitions or travel the world, these bags protect your boards everywhere.

Even when you are at home, these bags make storing surfboards easier. You need not worry about it when your pets are around, or your house is infested with pests. These bags provide all-round protection to your surfboards and keep them intact.

3. Extra storage space

If you think that you need to carry a suitcase besides this bag, you are entirely wrong. This bag has adequate space to accommodate your essential clothing pieces and other crucial belongings, thus negating the need for any extra luggage.

Things to deem about while selecting appropriate Surfboard Travel Bags

Size and Shape

The size of the bag you choose plays a significant role because it should match the size of your surfboard, which needs to be kept inside it. If the bag is smaller in size, your board won't fit and get exposed to damages.

Also, the bigger the bag, the heavier it becomes. Hence, to negate these issues of weight and size, surfboard travel bags are excellent options.

These bags feature different sizes according to their customer's requirements. Whether you want a big size or a medium one, you will find a bag of the appropriate size to store and transport your beloved surfboard.

These bags have enough space for stacking more than one board if you want to have a backup board if the primary one gets damaged somehow.

Besides, these bags also are very convenient to use. They are made using high-quality material, and the straps are padded so that you don't get hurt or tired while carrying your boards inside them.

Material and Construction

A bag that is meant to be used for storing water sports' related gears stays around the harmful elements all day long. The sand, water, and harmful UV rays have more significant impacts on these bags' material and make them weak and susceptible to damages.

Only a few materials can stand against these elements and stay damage resistant. Surfboard travel bags are made from such materials, which consist of synthetic materials like nylon and polyester.

These two materials are incredibly durable and long-lasting. These materials can endure the destructive effects of these harmful elements and safeguard your vital equipment for surfing. Nylon and polyester are waterproof and heat-resistant materials.

These construction materials also make your travel bags for surfboards extraordinarily lightweight and durable.

Quality Zippers

The closure system of these bags should be made of high-quality materials. These bags have zips as the closure system, and ensuring that they are in good condition is exceptionally vital.

Considering a durable material is necessary because even they can get damaged due to prolonged exposure to salt, water, and intense heat.

These travel bags for your surfboards consist of zippers, which are made of non-metallic materials. This type of construction helps keep the zippers rust-resistant and damage-proof.

It is also less likely that these zippers would get stuck while operating them or break into two pieces. Having non-metallic zippers enhances the closure system's durability and lifespan. You can enjoy a long-lasting service from these bags without repairing them frequently.

Fit and design

What good is a travel bag for surfboards if it cannot accommodate the one that you have? The primary purpose of using these bags is to protect your surfboard from the damages and keep it in a working condition.

Before investing in any bag, you should always check its fit and design. It should be broad and long enough to accommodate your board effortless irrespective of its design. Whether it has attached fins or is without them, your board should be well-fitted inside the bag you choose for it.

Surfboard travel bags are suitable for surfboards of every design and size. These bags have broad bottoms and are long enough to house your boards and transport them easily. They also feature additional pockets and storage areas for your convenience.

You can store other essentials in those storage pockets and move with ease. These bags have enough capacity to carry your surfing outfit and lessen your burden of excess luggage.

Padding

Surfboard travel bags are padded on the nose area, the sides, and at the bottom to provide optimum protection to your essential surfing equipment.

You must be aware of how roughly the luggage is treated at the airports and on the surfing site, and this rough treatment can drastically damage your board. Though these bags are highly durable, they cannot protect the items stored inside if dropped harshly or thrown.

The presence of thick foam padding works as a shock absorber and withstands the high impact waves generated from throwing. These waves are absorbed by the thick layer of foam and thus cannot reach the board.

These bags have a minimum of 10 millimeters thick foam padding and even more. The choice of the amount of padding entirely depends on the number of boards you are carrying and their durability. This feature is a unique one found in these bags and makes them stand out from others.

Portability

These bags are used to transport the surfing essentials and provide you with effortless and joyful surfing experience. However, their size and shape make them difficult to carry and move about.

If they become heavyweight and difficult to carry, their significance will reduce, and they will be of no use. Hence, to eliminate transportation issues and make them more comfortable to hold, these bags feature different variants with various carrying options.

The significant advantage of investing in these bags is their weight. They are lightweight yet extremely sturdy and robust. Due to their less weight, these feature three carrying options that enhance their portability.

1. Carrying Handles

These handles help you drag them easily and take your essentials to the destination. The robust handles are incredibly durable and convenient to use.

2. Padded shoulder straps

The shoulders straps give you a mini heart-attack when you see the size of these straps and the travel bag. But wait! You need not panic so fast.

These straps are padded with thick layers of foam or any other soft material. This padding helps reduce the weight on your shoulders so that you can stay comfortable while wearing them.

3. Wheels

The most comfortable of all, travel bags with wheels are effortless to carry. The rolling wheels make it easier for you to move the bag and take it to the destination with ease. However, you need to check for variants with durable wheels so that they don't break midway.

Capacity

The capacity of a bag depends on your need. Surfboard travel bags have variants with different capacities. Some bags can accommodate only one board while the others can accommodate several of them.

You need to search for the variants and opt for the one that fits your needs. If you plan to surf alone, a bag with the capacity to carry one or two boards is sufficient.

On the other hand, if you are traveling in groups, opting for a bag that can hold several boards at a time is a wiser choice.

Whenever searching for these bags, you should invest in a bag with the room to carry one extra board. This additional storage room enables you to fit an extra board if you want to bring one for a backup, or at times when suddenly one of your friends decides to join you at the last moment.

Durability

The durability of these bags depends on the material they are constructed of, the padding used, and many other factors.

The materials that they are made of include nylon and polyester, which are incredibly durable and waterproof. These materials don't get damaged even when exposed to the elements for long.

Their excellent heat-resistant properties protect them from the harmful UV rays and also protect the gears stored inside. On the other hand, the zippers are made of non-metallic materials and enhance the bag's durability and keep it in good condition.

These bags are excellent choices in which you should invest because you will never get disappointed. By purchasing these, you will buy yourself a long-lasting surfboard bag service and won't have to spend pennies on unnecessary mending required on an ordinary bag.

Price

The price of these bags depends on the quality you opt for. However, some good quality bags come at affordable prices, but you need to search for those.

If you have a fixed budget, you should opt for a bag with the basic essential features you need. Apart from that, if you have a customizable budget, you can search for high-quality variants with additional features.

The decision depends entirely on you, your preference, and the budget. So, keep these three factors in mind while searching for the one that suits yours well.

Fin Setup

Surfboards come with fins, and you should search for a bag that can accommodate your board along with its fins without breaking them.

Wide surfboard travel bags are the best to accommodate your surfboard with the fins attached to it. You will also find variants with openings for the fins so that they poke out from the bag. These openings prevent the fins from breaking if the bag isn't sufficient to fit them inside.

Some variants also have fin pockets in them, which help in the same. These bags with the fin pockets are generally meant for the boards that have removable fins. You remove them while traveling and keep those fins in the pockets.

After reaching the surfing site, you can effortlessly attach them back on the board. It helps to safeguard the board's fins so that you experience a fantastic surf in the ocean.

Other Features

Like other bags, surfboard travel bags also have bells and whistles in them. These additional features come handy when you are traveling or using it, and they do not harm you in any manner. Hence, having them will add on to your expenses, but they are worthwhile to invest in.

Listed below are some additional features that you find in these bags, which will provide you an enjoyable experience. These other features ensure that you don't miss anything and carry every essential item with you on the trip.

1. Pockets

There are plenty of pockets in these bags present everywhere. These pockets enable you to carry your essential gear, shoes, swimsuits, board fins, etc. You can also keep your clothes in them to reduce your baggage and roam around freely.

Despite carrying so many things inside, these bags don't weigh much and stay sturdy for long years. These bags with their innumerable pockets will pay off your investments and prove to be an excellent decision.

2. Nose protection

Since there are chances that your bag may fall or knock against some hard object, you always need to be cautious and well-prepared. To keep your board's nose safe, these bags feature extra nose protection that shields your board's nose from any damage.

Since any surfboard's nose is too delicate, protecting it is vital because it helps cut through the enormous waves and help you enjoy the surf.

3. Zip Flip-top, padded dividers, and holders

The bag has a flip top that is secured by a zipper. This flippable top enables you to fit your board accurately inside the bag so that it has a snug fit.

The padded dividers are placed between the surfboards when a single bag is carrying several of them. This divider prevents the boards from brushing against each other while transportation and getting damaged.

Besides, the board holders aid in keeping the boards in place so that even if the bag topples down or rolls, they don't get displaced and stay at their original position. Staying at the initial position eliminates their chances of getting damaged or breaking due to the high-intensity impacts.

4. Wheels and shoulder straps

As you saw earlier, how the wheels and shoulder straps contribute to enhancing your bag's portability, these two are crucial in your bag while traveling. You should look for sturdy wheels and padded shoulder straps while purchasing a travel bag for a surfboard.

The wheels enable you to roll your bag with ease in crowded places and pass through them quickly. On the other hand, the padded straps will allow you to carry the bag on your shoulder where rolling becomes difficult, like in places where there are stones or hurdles.

How to Pack Surfboards in a Travel Bag?

There are some specific tips and tricks that go into packing your surfboards in the travel bags. These tips ensure that your surfboards get transported safely and reach the destination intact and without any damage.

These tips are listed below for your convenience. Go through all the steps carefully and then start packing your surfboards to avoid any damage.

1. Unzip the bag

Some bags get unzipped entirely while others unzip only at one side. After opening the bag, place the board inside the bag in the correct orientation.

Check the direction where the nose is supposed to be, orient the board in that direction, and then place it inside the bag with ease.

2. Storing the fins

If your board has non-removable fins, ensure that you wrap it with a thick, soft cloth like a towel. Covering it completely will ensure that it stays safe.

If the fins can be removed, take out the fins and store them in your bag's fin storing area. Not every bag needs to have a fin pocket. If your bag doesn't have any, you can separately buy a fin storing box to store them.

3. Packing the rails

Storing the rails in a protected manner is essential; otherwise, they can hurt others or get damaged. The highly recommended way is to wrap them with foam or bubble sheets so that they stay damage-proof and don't injure you.

4. Protect the nose and tail

Though the bags are equipped with an extra layer of padding at the nose and tail region, you can line those areas with bubble or foam sheets after placing the board to ensure complete safety.

You can also wrap your entire board with as many layers as you want so that it doesn't get even a single scratch.

5. Balance the weight

If you don't balance your bag's weight, it will become lop-sided, which will make it more difficult to carry. To keep the bag stable, distributing the weight evenly is a better solution.

Stack up the boards one on the other and also fill the pockets all around. It will evenly distribute the entire weight of your bag and keep it stable so that you can carry it with ease.

6. Ensure safety while loading your bag

If you are taking the air route, you should be cautious about how the luggage attendants deal with your bag. You can tie the tag around your bag, which says 'fragile' so that the person handling it will know that the luggage contains items that are vulnerable to breakage.

FAQs

1. Should I wax my board before storing it in the bag?

If you are going to store the board for a short interval of time, then don't put on any wax. For a long interval, you can put the wax on to maintain it properly.

2. What is the benefit of a zipper?

The zipper allows you to keep the board in the bag. It also protects your board from falling unnecessarily and makes your bag travel-friendly.

3. Are tarpaulin bags worth their value?

Yes, the fabric doesn't rip easily and has a substantial threshold against the weather elements. It keeps your board protected and has excellent heat deflection properties.

Summing Up

Surfboard travel bags present a portable and simple way to carry your board and keep it safe. All you need is to pick the best option.

Here, in this guide, you will get all the critical pointers that define the product's performance and usability. Have a look at them and purchase an elite bag for your board.