The Best Surfboard Bags

Buying Guide for Surfboard Bags

Why buy a surfboard bag?

If you have a surfboard, you know that it can be awkwardly shaped and prone to cracks, holes, fissures, and sun damage. Even if you live near the beach, you need to transport your board, and even the best of boards will suffer if it’s never covered for travel or storage. Also, many bags have handy pockets.

What should you look for in a surfboard bag?

• Length: It’s necessary to get a bag that fits your board. Surfboards come in various types, from shortboards, longboards, fish, hybrid, and mid-length style boards. Each has a different shape, and these surfboard types come in different sizes. For example, you can find a shortboard between five and seven feet long.  If you’re new to the surfing world, you’ll have an easier time choosing the right bag if you know your board well.
• Protection: Any decent surfboard bag should have internal and external protection. But just as the variety of board types is large, so are types and combinations of protective material and designs. Look for bags with quality polyester or nylon fabric, reflective shells, at least 0.2 inches of padding, and ideally extra reinforcement at the head and tail. Many have vent pockets to encourage air circulation and, therefore, prevent heat damage.
• Extra Storage: Cleverly designed extra storage compartments, it seems, are enviable in most any carrying product. A good surfboard bag will have at least one pocket to secure extra fins or a leash. Multi-board bags designed for airplane travel should have ample storage for personal items or important gear.

Are carrying straps important to consider when looking at a surfboard bag?

This is an excellent question since surfboard bags are meant to be carried, not just in vehicles or plans, but by you. Look for bags that offer thickly-padded, adjustable shoulder straps. Again, surfboards can be challenging to carry, not necessarily because of their weight but their odd shape. So make it easier on yourself and get a bag with a sturdy hand strap.

Our Picks for the Best Surfboard Bags

Pros: Designed for shortboards, this board fits most boards +/- 20 inches wide, depending on the board’s thickness. The bag also allows extra room for fins with its expanded fin gusset. Of course, a good fit means nothing if the material is poor quality. Thankfully, this Pro-Lite day bag has a 420D nylon top, a fabric known for its strength, ­­tensile strength, and water resistance, and a 266PE bottom which is semi-reflective heat-resistant. The padded shoulder strap and an external, ventilated pocket to keep your board cool and hand stash for wax or keys.

Cons: This is a shortboard bag and cannot accommodate longboards or hybrid boards.

Bottom Line: What a great shortboard bag for a day at the beach. It’s made to keep your board dry and cool when not in use and has a nice green-and-black design for visual interest.

 

Pros: You longboard surfers might want to give this protective bag a good look because it’s made to handle longboards with real love. How is it more protective than other bags, you ask? From the outside in, that’s how. The bag has heavy-duty reflective shells to ward off sun and rain; inside, there’s 5-millimeter (0.2 inches) padding on each side in between and an extra 8 millimeters (0.31 inches) at the tail sections on each side and reinforced head. The quality fabric features both reinforced and box stitching for extra durability. Similarly, the handle and strap are stitched strategically so you can grab it and sling it over a shoulder for years without tearing.  Also important is the Velcro pocket (11 x 10 inches) and the exterior zipped pocket (27 x 20 inches), while the bag measures 6’0″ x 22″ for longboard sizes up to 6’1″ x 23″ with a pointed head and square tail.

Cons: This bag will fall short if it’s the wrong size for your board. We recommend you measure your board for purchasing.

Bottom Line: Comfortable to wear and easy to transport, this bag will protect your beloved longboard from fractures, dings, and weathering. Plus, it allows for more storage space than similar bags.

 

Pros: Have more than one surfboard and a travel destination that requires airline travel?  This Pro-Lite travel bag is made for such situations. It’s cut 25 inches wide with a five-inch gusset for up to three standard shortboards, fish, hybrid, or mid-length style surfboards. Your boards will stay from external forces by 10mm of foam and from each other with the help of an internal divider and seat belt straps. They’re secured externally with four compression straps and 600 Denier (a measure unit indicating the fiber weight and thickness) poly on top and bottom.

Cons: This bag is heavier since it is made to hold more than one board.

Bottom Line: This is the kind of bag you need if you have more than one longboard and need ample storage for traveling.

 

Pros: This surfboard travel bag comes in a universal size to fit boards up to 6’1” x 23′, a nice feature if you own a long and shortboard, for example, and want one bag for both. Materials include premium quality 190g/m2 water-resistant PE shell with 600D reinforcement, 130g/m2 PE lining, and 600D nylon for nose and tail protection. It’s built to protect your board from potential scratches and dings, and with two 4-inch air vents, it protects against heat. Also, there’s a built-in organization to keep you from going crazy with a 28 x 18-inch external zipper pocket for gear storage, an inner Velcro fin pocket, and a flexible tail section. It should be comfy to carry, too, as with a nicely padded adjustable shoulder strap.

Cons: This may be too large for some boards.

Bottom Line: Made with quality materials on the inside and outside and more than plenty of storage, surfers cannot go wrong with this pick.

 

Pros: Made to be easy on the environment and made from natural materials, this travel surfboard bag is a solid choice you can feel good about. The bag is a California Eco Surfers’ hemp and alloy sun reflective mesh combination, protecting your board from heat and looking great. This bag is sized for two boards and features a board divider for internal protection. There are no less than 13 millimeters of padding through the body plus 13 millimeters extra in the nose and tail sections. The designers also thought to add a handy interior fin and leash pocket.

Cons: This is a pricer option.

Bottom Line: For as long as you ride the waves, this bag will roll with you; literally, there are roller derby wheels for easy traveling.

Final Thoughts

Keep your surfboard looking fresh and clean with a solid surfboard bag that can come with features such as extra storage, wheels, and breathability. A good quality surfboard bag can provide ultimate protection to make your board last when it’s not in use and maintain its shape for riding the waves.