*Thanks for stopping by: here is a real time inventory of our custom made board bags. Either click a graphics or one of the links in the list. You rock!
How To Pick A Board Bag
Surfboards—how we love them, let me count the ways . . 1-2-3 . . . oh sorry, I could go on forever.
Unfortunately, surfboards are fragile and they do get damaged. It's a dangerous world out there; dings, nicks, scratches and ex-girlfriends (or boyfriends: Wave Tribe is for you too ladies).
Lucky for you there is a quick and easy solution—protect your surfboard with a well padded board bag. A good boardbag will protect your board from the elements (mainly the sun and heat) and also insulate it against those occasional dings.
First of all, it's just plain logical to buy a boardbag.
You just spent $300-$1000 bones on a new stick and you need to protect that board while shlepping it to the beach and back. You don't leave the house naked and your board shouldn't either.
Good boardbags will also protect your board from the sun while chilling in the back of your ride. The sun's ray's can cause your board to 'delam'. Dude, delamination is a bubbly, blistering bumpiness on your beloved board that could lead to your baby's demise. The most common cause of delamination is leaving your board in a car in the hot sun.
So, let's get back to the boardbag buying basics.
There are three primary types of board bags (if you consider a sock a bag—which it is, kinda).
Each kind of boardbag has its own benefits and use and you need to pick the right one for 1) your kind of surfboard and 2) for your kind of surfboard travel.
Lets take a look at which board bag is right for you and let's look at what you need to look out for when you buy a board bag for your surfboard.
The Surfboard Sock (not for your foot)
The surfboard sock is the most light weight of the board protection options and also the wimpiest. The sock mainly serves to protect your board from scratches, sun damage, and minor dings.
If your stick never rides on top of the car and doesn't get much sun exposure then this is a good option—easy on, easy off (most of the time).
Try and find a board-sock with a padded nose, usually the nose is the most vulnerable part of the board during travel—as you maneuver through the house or garage on your way to the beach the sock offers a little cushion for your surfboard.
A sock also does a good job at keeping wax, sand, and water away from your goodies after your surf. The boardsock also keeps your car clean and that keeps your chick happy bro, which is a win-win.
The Wave Tribe Board Sock comes in unique rad designs and has a super thick padded nose (made from hemp). They are eco too—that is the way we roll.
You want to pick the right nose and size options, most socks will stretch a few inches in all directions—so if you buy a 6'0 soc you'll be able to stuff up to a 6'4 in that baby.
Don't forget to check the NOSE style!
You can't put a 7'6 round nose into a straight nose boardsock.
Retro boards usually require a retro boardsock. The retro socks usually have a special nose and are a bit wider throughout that fit the special shape of your board.
The one issue I have experienced with boardsocks is when they get too hot and the wax melts and then creates a bond between the sock and the board. This sucks and can be a real pain. So, if your going to leave your board in the sun it's better to use a boardbag.
Day Board Bag
The day board bag provides all of the benefits of the sock but offers much more protection. The most noticeable feature added is the strap which allows you to carry your board over your shoulder for those long walks to Trestles or other far off locations (you do surf Trestles, right?)
There are some more basic boardbags that don't have a shoulder strap. We got one of those too and it's called the Zen.
Most day boardbags have a pocket (ours have two) to hide goodies like fins, wax or your chiwawa.
Look for a boardbag with a good handle too. It's always good to have something to grab.
Day board bags usually include about 5mm of padding to protect the board during beach transport. Five mm isn't a ton of padding (your wetsuit has 2-4mm) but its enough to protect it if you bump into your little brother while loading the car.
However, 5mm isn't enough to travel with. If you are going to fly somewhere please get a travel boardbag (more on that below).
Day board bags also do a good job of keeping your board from overheating while in your ride making out with your girl or lying on the beach soaking in the sun. Most day board bags are covered with reflective material and have insulation that keeps the board cool when the sun is shining through your window or if your board rides on top of your car.
Believe it or not heat can damage a board, so you want to be careful where you leave it. The reflective material ensures you won't find a mess of wax inside when you open it up or cook your board while grabbing a beer with your bros after your session.
A surfboard day bag would be the best option for you if you carry your board a good bit. For those people that have a long walk to the beach like Trestles (get a skateboard) a day bag with a shoulder strap can be a lifesaver.
The zipper is the most important element of your bag (more on that below).
If you buy a cheap bag you'll get a shitty zipper and it might fall apart in a few months while you are walking to the beach with your chick.
Dude, don't let the chicks see your bag fall apart—so embarrassing!
There are lots of CHEAP boardbags on the market with shitty zippers, you'll not be happy when your zipper breaks.
Sometimes you don't need a shoulder strap, in fact, most of the time you don't.
That's why we created the Zen boardbag.
We call these bags Zen Board Bag because they have the smallest footprint and are super light and have no shoulder strap of reflective material. In fact as long as you don't put them in the sun they actually stay cooler that the hemp + reflective option because they are made with breathable hemp fabric that allows your board to stay cool.
The Zen bags are made with beautiful hemp construction so they look rad kicking it in your living-room along side all your surf DVDs and other awesomeness.
They have an extra wide tail to accommodate either a short-board or fish style surfboard.
Check it out here, it really is Zen . . .
You thought the ZEN surfboard bag was cool didn't you?
Yes, you did . . . but check this out.
Wave Tribe is now making surf bags right here in California and we are making them to order.
We'll do whatever size you want and we'll also customize them to your liking.
Got a Mini Simmons?
Yea, we do too and we also got Mini Simmons Boardbags made in the USA.
Check this one out.
The Surfboard Travel Board Bag
If you get on a plane without a surfboard travel bag it'd be like flying without your underwear, actually it'd be more like flying naked. Travel boardbags can also double as a second suitcase while traveling and save you on baggage fees.
Just stuff your wetsuit and towels in there to add extra protection to your board.
Most surfboard travel bags have many of the same features as the day board bag but they are made with thicker padding and more resilient straps and handles. Unusually when you travel you take more than one board (different conditions bro) so you'll want one that fits two or more boards and also has a padded divider.
You don't want those boards sitting directly on top of each other, too much pressure can smash the rockers together and snap you board—I've done it and it sucks.
Most travel boardbags contain about 10mm of padding to protect your board from damage during transport. We felt that 10mm wasn't enough so Wave Tribe Travel Bags are made with 13mm of padding. That still wasn't enoguth in our opinion so we added an additional 13 mm in the nose and tail where the board bags are most vulnerable.
Let me say that again, an extra 13 mm (dude, we are crazy).
So that's 26 mm of padding where you need it.
But don't take our word for it, check out this video here that shows you the hard evidence.
These two boards flew to France and back without a single scratch.
You might want to consider traveling with a board that has removable fins but a good travel bag should allow you to transport glass-ons and this is the way we build all our bags at Wave Tribe.
We love retro boards so we make a few boardbags especially build for Mini Simmons and Fish surfboard. These boardbags are constructed with wider mid sections and tails to fit your retro shape perfectly (see the video below).
Some travel bags have wheels, these are usually called coffins and can carry up to 4 boards.
Wave Tribe makes some rad wheeled boardbags but with the airline fees these days most surfers are opting for the smaller double boardbags because the airline will charge you per board. That means you could pay up to $500 to transport your boards. See our airline boardbag fee report list before you book your ticket.
If you are planning a surf trip by car, train, boat or plane, a travel bag is a good investment.
Of course we think that the Wave Tribe Travel Bag is a great choice but whichever boardbag you buy please remember the main principles of this article.
If you do decide on the Wave Tribe board bag know that you can carry two boards and travel in style with our unique hemp construction and be confident that we have used the best stitching, zippers and construction available.
What to Look For When Buying A Bag
#1) Does your surfboard fit into the boardbag?
Make sure the bag fits your board. Length should be obvious (and size does matter by the way). The boardbag will be marked (length) but remember to check the width also.
It's cool to get a board bag a few inches bigger than your board, but not too much bigger, you don't want it moving around too much inside the bag. But from 4-6 inches bigger is ok, that way you can use it if you ever get a slightly bigger board ot if you want to stuff it with wetsuit, fins and other travel goodies.
The best way to buy a bag is when you buy your board. Try and fit your board into the bag and pick the one that feels right. If you can't 'be there' then get the measurements and match them to the bag. '
If you buy a Fish, Mini Simmons, or Retro Surfboard you should look for a board bag with the same qualities and dimensions. Finally, check the nose shape of the board bag. Surfboard bags come in three main nose shapes:
pointed (mainly for short board bags)
semi-round (or hybrid)
full round (for Malibu and long board bags)
*Just make sure it fits the board you have.
Wave Tribe makes a special board bag for the Mini Simmons, Retro and Fish surfboard shapes. These bags come in 6.2 and 6.4 (see video below). We usually fit one shortboard and one Mini Simmons surfboard in these bags and traveling with both shapes allows you to be prepared for all kinds of waves on your trip.
#2) Do your fins fit into the boardbag?
You will want to make sure your bag works with your fins in and out.
Quads have wide fin setups and will require more room in the back and sides.
Glass-on fins are making a comeback and if you are going to be traveling with your fins glassed-in make sure those fins are well protected (see the video below for some tips on protecting your fins).
So bags come with a fin slot, make sure you check this feature if you like to keep your fins in place.
#3) Does the boardbag zipper suck?
Make sure your bag has a good zipper that will last. The zipper should be waterproof and rugged.
Metal zippers will rust—so stay away from metal: the salt water will eat them for lunch.
Most board bags that are trashed are because of a dead zipper.
Your bag is of no use if it won't open or close.
The zipper is SUPER important and you should look for the trademark YKK.
Your boardbag zipper should be a #8 or #10 (#10s are the best and YKK are the Mercedes of zippers).
Before you buy a bag check the zipper function and give it a few back-and-forths.
#4) Is the boardbag padded like a push-up bra?
A cheap bag will skimp on padding and you are better off wrapping the board in a towel and a dipper.
Check out what we've done to our global bags here with 13mm + 13mm in the nose and tail to give you 26mm of protection.
Dude, that's more padding than a Amsterdam hooker.
Don't be a cheap bastard, when that zipper breaks and your board gets dinged from the thin padding you'll be cursing at yourself and wish you would have listened to uncle D.
There is nothing like opening your boardbag in Costa Rica when it's firing outside and you got three dings to fix before you can paddle out.
Check out your new board bag and give it a good squeeze—like grabbing your partners arse—before you buy any board bag. If you can feel your fingertips through the bag don't buy it.
#5) Can your new boardbag pull a wheelie?
If you're traveling with 3+ boards you'll want to get a coffin with wheels. Wheels are rad, especially when you are lugging those boards through customs and they tell you to go get in that 5 mile line to X-ray your bag.
Boardbag coffins are the luxury boardbag invented by the pros to carry their quivers with them to the contests. I was watching the Quicksilver Pro in France this year and they said Kelly travels with like 20 boards to each contest. Dude, I wonder how many bags he travels with. Oh yea, here is a link to the finals with Kelly and Dan, the waves are sick and the barrels unbelievable.
Coffin boardbags are a great option if you want to travel with your mini quiver. However, before you get on that plane shake that bag loose before you leave for your trip and make sure you didn't drop any, ahem, roaches in there! <<< that's the most important advice of this entire article.
#6) Can you hide your condoms inside the boardbag?
Most bags come with a number of cool features like pockets, board padding, extra stitching, and other bag goodness.
It is great to have a few pockets built into the interior of the board bag to keep an extra set of fins, some wax and a tube of ding repair.
Check out the inside of a few board bags and make sure you're getting one that works for your needs.
#7) How do I pack a board bag?
So you got your ticket and just bought a killer Wave Tribe boardbag but you need some advice on packing your boards because you really want to arrive at your surf spot without any new dings.
Awesome, because we put together this quick and dirty video for you that gives a few extra tips to make sure you got what you need to pack your boards well. We also reveal a few traveling secrets that will guarantee the best opportunity to have a no incident trip.
We filmed this in France on our 2012 research and development trip.
Boardbag Conclusion
Surfboard bags help protect your boards from dings, nicks, scratches, sun damage, and your Mother-in-Law (it hides it from her when she comes over to feed the cat).
Starting at $25 socks are a good investment to protect your surfboard for light duty travel.
Clumsier surfers like me should definitely grab a day bag and if you are getting on a plane do it travel style.
If you are looking for a good solid surf bag we highly recommend that you check out Wave Tribe's selection of high quality surf gear but whatever you do buy a well constructed boardbag for your stick.
#4) Is the boardbag padded like a push-up bra?
Boardbag coffins are the luxury boardbag invented by the pros to carry their quivers with them to the contests. I was watching the Quicksilver Pro in France this year and they said Kelly travels with like 20 boards to each contest. Dude, I wonder how many bags he travels with. Oh yea, here is a 
