Surfboard Racks - What is right for you and what to look for..

When it comes to garage surf racks, indoor surf racks, or even car roof racks, they’re often an afterthought. Surfers focus so much on the function of their board that they never realize that it can be an epic piece of in-home surfboard decor . Here are a few reasons why board racks are not just a nice accessory, but a vital piece of surf gear that will keep your surfboard in better condition for longer and will provide many smiles along the way.

Organization - Board clutter is real. With all of the stuff that we accumulate in our journey called life, organization is not only satisfying, but is necessary when it comes to being able to find and have access to our surfboards. Without a proper organization system, surfboard storage can quickly become a headache and while you will start with a single board, start adding boards to your quiver and the headache quickly becomes a migraine. Board racks are an essential means of giving each board its own safe and secure spot, ready to offer a selection depending on the swell and ready to accept your selection upon your return.
Display - If you think that your board can only make you happy on the water, you are in for a treat in the form of gorgeous bamboo board displays. We love our gear and we spend tons of time and money picking out the perfect setup from shape and size to fins and color. Our boards are an extension of ourselves. By human nature we attach memories of our greatest adventures to the gear that allows us to do what we love. Seeing your gorgeous boards displayed in a beautiful way on a beautiful bamboo surfboard rack will not only fire up your life’s surfing highlight reel at every glance, it’ll amp your surf stoke off the meter and help you prioritize so you can spend more time on the water.
Protection - A surf rack system will organize and display your gear but, perhaps most importantly, will protect your priceless surf gear. Whether you have an old Hawaiian Gun or a soft top, it’s important to protect your board. Our bamboo surfboard racks do this in a few ways with design, spacing, and special high-density padding that prevent dings and pressure spots. Whether you choose a surfboard wall rack, or a freestanding surf rack, the right surfboard storage system will keep your boards safe so they can last longer for you as you load up the waves and memories.

Surfboard storage is not a one-size-fits-all venture. Choosing the right surfboard storage rack depends on many things.

The shape and size of the board. If you ride 10 footers and have 8 ft. ceilings, vertical surfboard storage is not for you. Similarly if you ride longboards but have narrow walls, storing your surfboard horizontally may not be your friend.
Where there is space for a rack. Finding space can be tough, and thus is the importance of organization. Garage surfboard storage is great but can expose your boards (and racks) to harsh salty air, humidity, and climate. Indoor surf racks are often your best bet at keeping your gear in the best shape. It all depends on where you have space, keeping in mind how plausible it is to get something as unwieldy as a surfboard to that spot.
Amount of space in and around the storage area. An important factor often overlooked is the trip to the surf rack. You may have a perfect wall or space for your board rack, but it’s important to consider what it takes to get to that spot, since walls, stairs, turns, and doors can all pose major obstacles to getting your board safely to safety.
Type of home and walls. Not all customers can commit to a permanent location for their surf rack or are in an apartment and don’t want to spend the time plugging holes from a wall rack when they move out. Totally understandable (although the hole plugging takes 2 seconds). This is another factor that may make a Vertical Freestanding Rack better for you than its wall rack cousins.

Types of Surfboard Racks - There are different advantages of each.

Horizontal Surfboard Racks vs. Vertical Surfboard Racks

Horizontal vs. Vertical Surfboard Storage is the age old question that more often than not comes down to available space than personal preference.

Vertical Surfboard Storage: Unlike a paddle board, many surfboards are short enough to fit in a room vertically, especially in rooms with 10 ft. ceilings (8 ft. gets a bit more constraining but often ok if you need a rack for shortboards). In many cases, storing your surfboard vertically can be more space efficient in that it allows surfers to use the entire height of the wall, whereas a horizontal surfboard rack might leave unused space above and below. This can also be advantageous if you have a heavy old wooden surfboard (or bamboo surfboard) that you would feel more comfortable resting on a mat on the ground and leaning against a wall rack or on a surfboard stand. (But we’ll tell you right now, it would take some serious weight to become an issue with our racks.)
Horizontal Surfboard Storage: We like horizontal board racks for a few reasons. It’s a cool look that often fits within the larger aesthetic dimensions of a home’s walls. While they store your board, they’ll also get your boards off the ground and open up a lot of space under the rack. This extra floor space can be used to hang bags, jackets, wetsuits, etc via the utility hooks on the bottom of our cradles, or can be a great spot for shelving, benches, you name it! Wall racks can also be safer, offering 2 cradles that support the weight of your boards rather than a vertical rack that relies on a base point and lean.

Vertical Freestanding Racks vs. Surfboard Wall Racks

Once you’ve decided whether your surf quiver will enjoy a vertical or horizontal surf rack life, the next step is determining whether your bamboo surfboard rack will be wall-mounted or freestanding, both can be great.

Freestanding Surf Racks - Standing free and proud, freestanding surf racks are a favorite of many customers for a few reasons.

Freestanding surfboard racks do not require you to put holes in your walls.
No holes in your walls means these racks are mobile so, if you need a change of scene or want to move your rack, it’s as easy as unloading, moving, and re-racking your boards.

Surfboard Wall Racks - Wall racks are a great option for people with the perfect wall in mind. This can create a home base for your gear where everything has its own spot. Our bamboo wall racks also come with utility hooks for surf gear extras and our Mounting Bar System makes cradles adjustable, to accommodate different width needs (which is a feature not found elsewhere on the market).

Now that you’ve made it through Surfboard Rack 101, here’s a quick rundown of what we have and the advantages of each.

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Kaua`i Series - Horizontal Surfboard Wall Rack

The Kaua’i Series is the world’s most premium horizontal surfboard hanger. Handcrafted out of beautiful, strong, bamboo, each arm is spaced and angled for the best combination of surfboard storage efficiency and board visibility. The series is designed to let surfboards display fins in or fins out. It fits perfectly in the garage or any indoor living space. On the bottom you’ll find convenient utility hooks and our Mounting Bar System is easy to install, super strong, and keeps cradles adjustable.

Vertical Wall-Mounted Surf/SUP Rack

The Vert Wall SUP Rack is the world’s most premium vertical surfboard wall rack. Handcrafted from ulta strong ¾” bamboo (or birch), our Vert Wall Rack is wall mounted with just 1 cradle and 2 supporting brackets. It is robust and spaced to accommodate paddle boards and is perfect for longboards, shortboards, wakeboards, wakesurf boards, and everything in between.

Vertical Freestanding Multi Board Rack

Our Vert Free Multi Rack is a personal and customer favorite. No wall mounting here, you’ll have all the freedom you could ever desire with an outrageously strong ¾” thick bamboo frame and base. The base offers a slight back lean to encourage your gear back into the upper cradle slots. Upper cradles are spaced to accommodate 3.4” thick surfboard with thick arms to keep gear separated so there are no interfering fins, bindings, etc. This is also our most versatile rack, easily holding gear of all shapes in sizes from surfboards, wakeboards, snowboards, skimboards, and even guitars.

Vertical Freestanding Single Board Rack

Last, but certainly not least, is a real show-off of a rack. Our Vert Free SUP Rack was designed for customers (and surf shops) to really show-off special boards. This is a freestanding single board rack and holds surfboards and paddle boards vertically. The base gently leans boards back onto the top cradle, which are then held in place by a low-profile tie down strap which are connected through the legs and around the back.