Many times, we simply cannot stop thinking about surfing. The feeling of adrenaline and enjoyment when we catch waves is virtually indescribable to many of us. However, at times, the sea can be a bit far away from us, so a trip by car or similar is necessary. For this reason, we will proceed to show you which aspects you must take into consideration in order to fully enjoy your favourite passion: we will teach you how to carry surfboards on a car!
The Roof Rack, your Best Option
Currently, there is a wide variety of car roof racks on the market. The following are the key factors in knowing how to carry surfboards on a car without any problem. We can choose among soft, rigid and even universal roof racks. Please note that carrying surfboards on the roof of your car is the safest and most recommended option for travelling with them. That said, our first step doesn’t end with placing the surfboard on the roof rack, as we need to make sure it is securely attached to the car and that it will not get damaged during our journey.
Elements to Protect Your Surfboard: Types and a Few Tricks
Once we know how to carry surfboards on a car, and we have already placed our surfboard on the roof rack of our vehicle, we need to make sure that it is properly secured and that it has all kinds of protections, like lashing straps. These elements will make your surfboard not to suffer any kind of damage during the trip, since you never know if we will find potholes along the way or if we will have to make any sudden movements with the wheel. For even a better safety, you can also store your surfboard inside a travel bag. And don’t forget that the board must be positioned with the fins upwards and with the tail facing forward!
Now that you know how to correctly position and carry surfboards on a car, take note of these small but very useful tips before starting your journey: on the one hand, if you carry more than one surfboard, put one on top of the other, facing down, and with the tail looking forward! This way, you will be able to transport multiple boards at the same time without reducing your safety level. Obviously, do not overdo the number of boards: an excessive load will affect the consumption of your vehicle to a greater or lesser extent! Also, when transporting many surfboards on the roof rack, it can prove to be very useful to remove the fins. By doing this, they will take up even less space and create less resistance against the air.
How to Carry Surfboards on a Car: Rules of the Road and Legal Aspects
As you were reading this post, you would probably have come up with other different ways of carrying your surfboard on your car. Be careful! All the previous tips and ways we told you about follow the current laws in Spain, but we would also like to explain here what you are not supposed to do when it comes to knowing well how to carry surfboards on a car. On the one hand, please don’t even think about carrying the boards inside your vehicle: if you do this, you are exposing yourself to a fine of at least €200, as the boards can reduce your mobility while driving. Furthermore, it is more than likely that they will not be properly secured inside the car.
On the other hand, it is also important to avoid carrying more than three boards (one on top of the other) on the roof of your vehicle. Not only you will avoid the aforementioned excess of load, but you will also have a better chance of preventing any of them from exceeding the legal maximum of 15% of the car’s length from the rear. Of course, this 15% rule only applies to indivisible pieces, such as our surfboards. The standard percentage is 10%. It is more than clear that knowing how to carry surfboards on a car can save you a lot of trouble!
These are all our tips and tricks for carrying a surfboard on a car safely and legally. If you want to share some advice or comment on some other method that we haven’t written here, let us know in the comment box! And remember that you can register at any time at our surf school in Corralejo in Fuerteventura, at Surfintrip.com. We assure you that you will learn a lot and that you will have lots of fun!
