First of all, it's just a good idea to buy a surfboard cover. Just like you do, your surfboard needs a home. You just spent $500-$1000 bones on a new stick and you need to protect that board while schlepping it to the beach and back. Lots of stuff can happen in transit. \ You don't leave the house naked and your board shouldn't either—no offense to surfing nudists out there.

Being naked is cool, but you don't want your board bumping into any strange objects that could hurt it, right? A good surfboard bag will also protect your surfboard from the sun while it's chilling in the back of your ride, not to mention that it will keep sand and wax off your car's interior.

The sun's ultraviolet ray's, both UVA and UVB, can cause your board to delam. UV radiation is part of the electromagnetic (light) spectrum that reaches the earth from the sun. These are the same rays that cause damage to your skin and your surfboard.

Dude, delamination is a bubbly, blistering bumpiness on your beloved board that could lead to your beauty's demise. Delam is no joke and the only thing that can fix it is a trip to the surfboard doctor. The most common cause of delamination is leaving your board in a car in the hot sun and not putting a cover on it to cool it down and keep the sun's rays off your deck and rails.

A surfboard cover acts as a cocoon that insulates your board and creates a small micro-climate that helps reduce the temperature inside the bag. Meaning your board stays cool while being protected from UV rays. Two birds with one stone.

The surfboard sock is the most lightweight of all the board protection options available but it also happens to be the least effective and the weakest option you could go for. 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 surfboard sock with a padded nose—and like we said earlier, make sure you get one that fits the shape and style of your surfboard nose.

If you get the wrong shaped nose, you won't be able to fit the surfboard in the sock. Usually the nose is the most vulnerable part of the board during travel—and this includes the trip from your house to your car, and from your garage to the beach. The sock offers a little cushion for your surfboard, that’s it.

A surfboard sock also does a good job at keeping wax, sand, and water away from your goodies after your surf which then helps in keeping your car clean, which keeps the ladies (or guys too) stoked. There are some awesome board covers out there these days, some that look like art or are being make by hand in a surfer dudes' garage. However, these can be very expensive.

Here is a selection from etsy: https://www.etsy.com/search?q=surfboard+sock

Pick the right nose and size options for your surf sack—both width and length matter along with the board style. Most socks will stretch a few inches in all directions. If you buy a 6-foot surfboard sock, you'll be able to stuff up to a 6'4 in that baby. Some surfboard socks stretch more than others. The canvas style socks seem to be making a comeback and these socks tend to be more baggy and do not stretch, but they are easier to get on and off.

Don't forget to check the nose style. You can't put a 7'6 round nose into a straight nose boardsock. Technically you can, but it won't be the kind of fit that you desire.

Retro surfboards usually require a retro boardsock. Mini Simmons require a rounded nose sock like you find on longboard bags.

The retro surfboard covers have a special nose and are a bit wider throughout that fit the special shape of your board. Anyway, you get it!

The day use surfboard bag provides all of the benefits of the sock but offers a lot more protection. It is a little heavier, bulkier, and more expensive than the sock though. This is the bag you want for day-to-day use, that's why they call it a day bag.

Here are some common uses:

• Going to the beach;
• Heading south for the weekend;
• Putting boards away in the garage;
• Transporting surfboards anywhere local;
• Skating or hiking to surf break;

It’s also great for when you need to store your surfboard.

Dust and oil from the garage can make your surfboard slippery and cause kook-ness. Day bags come in 2 versions mainly—a stripped down cheaper version and a more expensive features version.

The cheap one has:

• no inner pockets
• no outer pockets
• short zipper
• plastic zipper
• no shoulder strap
• thin padding

These are your sub $100 bags that look like tin foil and are definitely not worth your dime.

The bags that are worth the money:

• inner pockets
• outer pockets
• padded shoulder pad
• zippers to the nose
• metal zips
• thick padding

I'll take a moment to make a shaeless plug for the Wave Tribe Hemp bag that is super well padded and has the best zippers on the market. The following is an example of a cheap plastic surfboard bag vs the Wave Tribe hemp pioneer made to outlast your surfboard.

Padding is just as important on a day bag as in a travel bag. Getting a 3-5mm of padding is the bare minimum. If you need to hike to your surf break, then the shoulder strap is essential. Carry your board over your shoulder for those long walks to Trestles or other far off locations. Make sure you get a padded shoulder strap, that way you can do long hikes into awesome locations with more comfort.

Ever surf Trestles? If you haven't surfed trestles—you should. Before you plan your trip to the famous break, make sure to take a well-made surf bag because the long walk sucks with a cheap bag that has no padded shoulder pads.

If you are going to fly somewhere, please, please get a surfboard travel bag (more on that below). Day surfboard 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 use surf 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.

The zipper is the most important element of your bag (more on that below too). If you buy a cheap bag, you'll get a shitty zipper and it will break—and you don’t want that. Here at Wave Tribe, we make bags with top quality zippers. And if a zipper breaks, we will replace it for you in the first 5 years. A bag with a broken zipper is worthless, so make sure to look for YKK zippers (made in Japan) and nickel-plated zipper pulls (those are the things you, well, pull).

Another option on a boardbag is a custom made boardbag. A custom bag is made to your specifications and lets you customize it with your own style.

Our favorite custom bags are made in San Francisco by Air Waves. These guys have been making bags since 1984 and they offer a wide range of colors and sizes. If you need something special, hit them up and tell them Wave Tribe sent you and I might get a beer on my next run to SF this winter.

There are a few companies making boardbags from reclaimed billboard. We tried it for a while at Wave Tribe, but we couldn't make them competitively in the market. We also noticed that the surfboard got extra hot in the boardbags because the billboard didn't allow for air flow like the hemp or other fabric. I think it's fun to design your own surfboard bag and if you are into the billboard, this is an awesome option.

Thinking about going on a surf trip?

If you get on a plane without a surfboard travel bag, it would be like flying without your underwear. People say you can just rent a surfboard. Not. Would you wear someone else's underwear? We didn’t think so. (he he),

You may get the best waves of your life on that trip and you will want to have equipment that you know, like, and trust with you. Being stuck somewhere awesome without your best sleds can be a real nightmare.

Travel surfboard bags can also double as a second suitcase while on the road and save you on baggage fees. Airlines are going to charge you good money to check-in your surf travel cases so you might as well take advantage of the situation and stuff your surf travel bags with everything you need for your trip.

Speaking of surfboard fees, checkout our 2020 surfboard bag fee guide. It’s a must-read for anything related to planning a surf trip and we covered over 200 airline surfboard travel bags fees in it. We also included the contact details of airlines so that you can do your own research. People are always sending us updates, accessibility is off the charts

Needs some ideas or inspiration? Check out some of our go-to surf travel places like Easter Island, Cabo, Peru, and another 100 locations around the world on our surf blog.

Most surfboard travel bags have many of the same features as the day boardbag 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 has a padded divider as a feature.

You don't want those boards sitting directly on top of each other—too much pressure can smash the rockers together and snap your board. I've done it, and it sucks.

Most travel surfboard bags 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 13-15mm of padding. But honestly, that still wasn't enough for us.

We noticed that sometimes the nose and tail sections of our boards where getting damaged from when the airline employees would jam the surfboard bags onto the planes. Thus our surfboard bag travel development was kicked into high gear and we decided to design an even greater functionality into our surf travel bags.

We redesigned our surfboard bags and added an additional 13mm in the nose and tail where the board bags are most vulnerable. These inserts are made of closed cell foam which is like a protection helmet for your tail and nose. This is the same foam in football helmets, if that helps you visualize just how effective it can be in protecting the nose and tail of your board.

That's 26 mm of padding where you need it, and trust me, after 30 years of international surf travel I know you'll need it.

🔥We've never had a board damaged with this new innovative bag design. (You can check out this video that shows the extra padding.) Even though we have all this extra padding, we still recommend that you wrap the rails. See the video of step-by-step instructions on how to pack your boardbag so it doesn't get damaged. You can find it at the bottom of page in the section titled #7) How do I pack a boardbag?

You might want to consider traveling with a board that has removable fins, but a good travel bag should allow you to transport glass-on fins. When I pack my Mini of Fish I usually use a fish day use bag inside my travel bag. When packed properly, you can take that glass on with no problem. These days, retro boards have really taken off and so the old traditional travel surfboard bag might not allow you to travel with an alternative quiver. At Wave Tribe we make travel bags for retro boards.

If you want to travel with a retro-style surfboard, you'll need a travel surf bag constructed with a wider midsection and tail. Also, remember that if you are traveling with a regular board and a retro surfboard, you'll have to make sure that the rockers of each board fit well together in the shortboard travel bag. I travel with a big short Mini Simmons that I can noserider on occasion. The longboarders call me the wave smuggler.

One of the hardest things to do is lug your surfboard travel bag through the airport and customs. Unless you’re not going far or have a butler to carry your board, then a non-wheeled travel boardbag might be right for you.

However, if you have multiple flights or expect to have to carry your surfboard bag long distances, then I always recommend a surfboard travel case with wheels.

It's sometimes called a tomb or coffin surfboard travel bag—we'll just call this a surfboard bag with wheels.

The king, or queen, of the surfboard travel bag wheels category! Because of the way they are constructed, these tomb or coffin surfboard bags look like you could put a body inside.

In fact, you can and I have even slept in these things on a trip to Mexico (it's a long story).

Coffins have big side walls and tons of room on the inside for up to 5 surfboards.

All tombs have wheels are they allow you to transport your international quiver to your chosen destination with ease. Stoked.

This is a quick video of what the Wave Tribe Wheeled Tomb looks like . . .

If you are planning a surf trip by car, train, boat, or plane, a surfboard travel bag with wheels is definitely a good investment. The tombs are the creme-de-la-creme of the surfboard travel bag niche and have most of the elements of the double surf travel bags but with wheels and more room for more surfboards.

You should always look for good quality wheels, excellent YKK zippers, interior pockets, and padded board dividers.

In 2019, Wave Tribe added an internal and external strap system to all its travel bags. The internal straps allow you to tighten up your sleds to make them more compact.

Some guys tell me they are sick of paying surfboard travel bag fees so they decided that they will rent a board once they get to their surf destination.

As I stated at the top of the article, I am too attached to my own particular boards and I think renting a surfboard should be your last option. It's not that difficult to travel with surfboards—getting them to and from the airport can be the greatest challenge.

You can't always find the board you want either and in some locations, you won't find any boards to rent at all. There is nothing like standing on the beach as the waves are going off and you find that the surf shop (the only one in 200 miles) just burned down because they started selling SUPs to the locals.

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.

I would recommend always spending a little more to get the boardbag with the better quality zippers and handles. If you do decide on the Wave Tribe boardbag, know that you can carry two boards and travel in style with our unique hemp construction. You can rest in the knowledge that we have used the best stitching, zippers, and construction available and that we stand behind them with 100% Stoke Guaranteed.

Other surfboard bags that I would recommend are the custom surfboard bags at Air Waves. I prefer to support the smaller companies that have deeply rooted ethos and you should too. Wave Tribe is one of those companies and we are incredibly stoked you found us.

Ok, here is our last section. A step-by-step guide to buying a surfboard bag.

Now that we're clear on all the types of surf bags and the different options out there, we are now going to talk about the next step in your journey—how to buy a surfboard bag.

Please read each of the tips and if you have any additional questions, drop us a line at support@wavetribe.com and one of our boardbag experts will get back to you within 24 hours.

Ok, let's get into the nitty gritty surfboard bag buyers tips . . .

Make sure the surfboard bag fits your stick.

Length should be obvious, and size really matters too.

If the surf bag is too small, your surfboard will be crammed into the bag and the zippers might harm the rails.

Boardbags are be marked by length. Something like 6'0, 7'6, 9'6, etc. (Remember to check the width also.)

Most bags have an additional 2 inches beyond their marking. Therefore, a 6'0 surf bag can usually fit a 6'2, but I wouldn't do it unless it's a sock.

I would lean towards more room than less, especially with surfboard bags for travel. It's cool to get a boardbag a few inches bigger than your board, but not too much bigger as you don't want it moving around too much inside the bag. But if the bag has internal straps, then all good.

Use Your Surfboard Travel Bag As Luggage

6-12 inches bigger is fine—and encouraged.

You want to stuff it with wetsuits, fins, and other travel goodies inside—treat your surfboard travel bag like luggage. The best time to buy a bag is when you buy your stick, but I know that this won't always be possible.

🔥These bags are not cheap to ship, so plan accordingly and give yourself plenty of time before a trip. Overnight shipping of a surfboard travel bag coffin can cost as much as the bag itself.

Plan and save that money for more beer on your trip. If you are at a surf shop, try on your boardbag. Stuff your board into the bag and pick the one that feels right.

If in doubt, call the company you are researching and ask them. They will usually know which surfboards work in which bags. If you buy a Fish, Mini Simmons, or Retro Surfboard, you should look for a surfboard air travel bag with the same qualities and dimensions.

That goes for a day bag or surfboard sock too. Finally, check the nose shape of the boardbag. Surfboard bags come in three main nose shapes:

• Pointed, mainly for short board bags;
• Semi-round, for hybrid, mini simmons, fish, retro bags;
• Full round, for Malibu and longboard bags.

Are you stoked yet?

You will want to make sure your bag works with your fins in and out. The thing that you want to look for is called a gusset.

This is an area at the rear of the bag that expands when your fins are in and flattens when there are no fins inside.

Think of an accordion, they work like that.

The cheaper bags won't have them.

Quads have wide fin setups and will require more room in the back and sides. So if you want to roll with your fin on, you should make sure your bag has gussets.

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).

Some bags come with a fin slot, so make sure you check this feature if you like to keep your fins in place. Usually this is only a feature of larger bags made for longboards and mini mals. With a fin slot, you can fit your board in the bag with the fins on and also zip the surfboard bag closed.

Make sure your bag has a good zipper that will last.

I can't emphasize enough how important this is.

The zipper is the lifeblood of any surf bag and if your zipper sucks, then you might end up duct taping your boards together to get them home.

The zipper should be waterproof and rugged.

Metal zippers will rust—so stay away from metal because the salt water will eat them for lunch.

The only time you want a metal zipper is if the zipper is coated with nickel, gold, or silver. These types of zippers are ideal and offer the best functionality and longevity.

Which is why we opted for the nickel plated YKK zippers and why we’re confident in offering a lifetime guarantee on all our zipper pulls.

🔥Most boardbags that are trashed are because of a dead zipper. Think about it—your bag is of no use if it won't open or close. The salt water will eat those cheap zippers alive and if you live near the coast, this is even more vital.

I am kinda a zipper dork. 🔥Your boardbag zipper should be a #8 or #10. The larger the number, the bigger the zipper. The #10s are the best and considered the Mercedes of zippers.

If the company has a good zipper, they will talk about it. If a surfboard bag company doesn't talk about the zipper in their presentation, don't buy the bag from them.

A cheap bag will skimp on padding and you are better off wrapping the board in a towel and a dipper.

Really. I hate to call out my cheap bros out there but why would you look for a cheap bag to carry over $1000 worth of surfboards?

I just don't get it.

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.

Don't be cheap. 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 (see John Johns post above).

🔥If you can feel your fingertips through the bag, don't buy it.

If you're traveling with 3+ boards, you'll want to get a coffin with wheels. If you're traveling with 3+ boards, you'll want to get a coffin with wheels. If you travel with less than three surfboards I would just get a double surfboard bag.

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 surfboard travel bag, 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. Hey #kellyslater!

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.

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 boardbag to keep an extra set of fins, some wax, and a tube of ding repair.

Throw in your fins, a few boardshorts, and anything else you can think of.

Check out the inside of a few boardbags and make sure you're getting one that works for your needs.

So you got your plane ticket and just bought a killer Wave Tribe Global Surfboard Travel Bag but you need some advice on packing your boards.

You really want to arrive at your surf spot without any new dings. You might want to spend an extra $30 and get a few items to help protect your surfboard. We recommend that you grab the following before your trip:

• bubble wrap
• pipe foam
• packing tape
• fin block
• egg cartons for the rails

Once you get those, watch the video below for a step-by-step packing instructions . . .

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 is 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, please invest in a boardbag that will get your surfboards from point A to point B in style with the needed protection and comfort available. Grab the wheeled boardbag for the best travel experience.

If you are looking for a good solid surf bag, we highly recommend that you check out our high quality surf gear but whatever you do, buy a well constructed surfboard cover for your stick.