Bags for surf luggage: Six double board bags put to the test

Three decades of surf testing - we've seen countless boardbags come and go. But we've never had to part with one just because we dragged it 200 metres across a slippery airport floor without wheels. Other things were much more decisive for the lifespan of a bag: slashed fabric, corroded zips, torn straps. Sure, wheels make many things easier, especially on slippery terrain. But they also make the bag considerably heavier. And anyone who often transports their bag in the car knows the problem - with a bit of bad luck, you can ruin the interior panelling of the car with permanently mounted wheels. That's why it's worth thinking carefully before buying whether you really need wheels - or whether you're willing to put up with a bit of lugging. As experience has shown that rolling distances are very short, we have not included castors in this selection.

Quiverbag instead of double bag?

The next fundamental question: double bag or quiver bag? A double bag is practical if you want to transport two boards - but that usually means the bag is already pretty full. Two boards, fins, foot straps, possibly a few accessories - and you're already at the limit of 30 or 32 kilos that most airlines allow. Also because the bags weigh between four and six kilos even without wheels.

Quiverbags offer a clever alternative for surfing equipment. They have two separate compartments - one at the bottom for the board and one at the top for accessories. The good thing is that you can pull out the board at the bottom without taking all the other stuff with you, as the compartments are completely separate. The Quiverbags can be opened at the back, they are closed at the front - which means that there are no weak points due to zips or unpadded areas. However, you can no longer reach the front. If you want additional protection here, you have to attach it directly to the board. Speaking of padding: If you still have the original nose and tail protectors from your board packaging, you should keep them. Otherwise, creativity is the order of the day.

Protect board additionally with cardboard

For example, we made a kind of crumple zone out of two pieces of cardboard - just like in a car. Works great. Please don't use cheap parcel tape! The residue is a disaster. Sturdy masking tape works just as well and can be easily removed without an acetone orgy. Some boards are packaged ex works in honeycomb cardboard - a great material. If you want to buy additional packaging of this kind, you can now even get more stable versions that are thicker, more robust and unfortunately also heavier (example: "Flexi-Hex" packaging from Kanoa, kanoa-surfboards.com) A lighter alternative are sturdy cardboard strips that you attach around the rails and to the top and bottom of the board. They provide good protection without adding much weight. Masts can also serve as protection - several next to each other in padded bags form a solid base for the board on top. Surf tester Frank swears by a light, large board bag, and the board itself is placed in a simple single board bag beforehand - which is then often very useful for storage and transport at the holiday destination.

Pack boardbags correctly

How you pack the bag is also important. What never belongs loose in the bag: fins, foot straps (especially with screws), extensions or other hard parts. They are guaranteed to slip under the board (Murphy sends his regards) - we have already had to get a fin screw out of the laminate. Such parts should be individually packed in cardboard or foam and securely fastened with tape - between the foot straps, for example. Booms can also be dangerous for the board. Here you should make sure that there is enough space between them and the board and that nothing can slip - it is best to place two sails between them as protection and secure the whole thing with straps or tape.

Incidentally, zips are the most common weak point on board bags. If they break, this is often the end of the bag. It is therefore essential to maintain them regularly - rinse them thoroughly, especially after contact with salt water, and keep them supple with zip care products. This is particularly important for metal zips.

• Gearaid Zipper Cleaner and Lubricant: Care product for zips
• Repairing zips: Rescue for broken boardbags

Padding and fit of the boardbags

The session bags offer good padding for car transport, but for flying some additional padding is useful, at least in the lower board compartment. The Double Bag from MFC is particularly solid in this field - with thick foam, a very robust zip and firmly sewn padding in the side panels that cannot slip. Between the GunSails and ION bags, the GunSails performs slightly better in terms of the outer material, and the padding in the lid compartment is also thicker. The side walls of both bags are padded thickly enough, but the foam is not sewn in place - in the worst case, a small gap in the padding can occur near the seam. The ProLimit double bag offers an interesting special shape: robust on the outside like GunSails, but with slightly thinner side padding. On the other hand, the foam is sewn to prevent slipping.

A tip on the fit: It's better to leave a few centimetres of space at the front and back than to stuff the board into the bag as far as it will go. Ten centimetres of buffer provide additional padding - and prevent the nose from pushing through the foam after packing.

Test results and impressions of the boardbags

MFC Ride

This is the ultimate motorbike suit among boardbags. The Ride Bag* impresses with its extremely robust workmanship and additional reinforcements. Solid rubber layers are emblazoned at both ends to provide all-round protection, while a chunky zip with an impressively large zip guarantees a secure hold. Thickly padded, but covered with wear-resistant, fine material, it ensures durability and aesthetics. The compression straps that run around the bag are particularly clever, taking the strain off the zips and preventing any tension on the seams. The spacious bag with two intermediate layers weighs 5.75 kilos. With a width of 90 centimetres, it offers plenty of storage space, but is also available in smaller sizes. This bag provides all-round access for additional padding and has a reliable, high-quality finish.

Reinforcements, padding, belt guide
-
-

• Dimensions: 255 x 90 cm
• Weight: 5.75 kg*
• Price: 490,00 Euro >> available here

ProLimit Session Bag

The Session Bag impresses with its fine yet robust outer fabric. The lower compartment is medium padded at the sides, the upper compartment offers well-padded protection for the stowed sails, better than in unpadded sail bags. A useful extra are the straps for tensioning belts, which make unnecessarily tight lashing to the car superfluous. In the size tested, the bag is very spacious and offers room for up to three sails, two booms and a large board. Practical details such as well-padded handles and a side shoulder strap ensure a high level of carrying comfort. A rubber pad on the underside reduces wear and tear when pulling the bag and allows an adapter plate with wheels to be fitted. Originally conceived as a car overnight bag, it is also suitable for travelling by plane with additional padding in the lower compartment.

Clever layout, tabs for tensioning straps

Optional roller plate

• Dimensions: 260 x 80 cm
• Weight: 5.33 kg*
• Price: 277,95 Euro >> available here

ION Windsurf Core Double

The ION Bag is a remarkably lightweight model that does, however, make slight compromises in terms of upholstery and features. It offers space for two 130-litre freeride boards, separated by a firmly sewn-in, thin but padded intermediate layer. Internal straps allow the boards to be securely fastened. The side padding is thick but not firmly stitched, which can cause the foam to slip under unfavourable conditions. Eight compression straps allow the bag to be pulled together precisely, but are positioned below the zip and should therefore not be pulled too tightly. Front and rear carrying handles allow the bag to be carried comfortably by two people, while a side handle also makes it possible for one person to carry it. The construction of the bag is weight-optimised, with an underside made of reinforced plastic film.

Very light
-
Cover on the bottom only reinforced foil

• Dimensions: 250 x 85 cm
• Weight: 3.98 kg*
• Price: 249,99 Euro >> available here

ProLimit Windsurf Performance

The Double board bag from ProLimit is one of the semi-closed models. This makes additional padding on the front of the boards more difficult. The padding is slightly thinner than that of GunSails or ION, but is firmly sewn right into the seam, which means that the padding material does not slip and always offers protection everywhere. An integrated thick pad at the tail primarily protects the upper board, as it is folded down from the top, but does not cover the entire tail. The outer material is thick and robust overall. Solid sewn-on carrying handles are located at the front and rear, while a shoulder strap at the side ensures comfortable transport. A ventilation opening at the rear is designed to prevent moisture build-up. There is also a slot at the bottom for stowing a board with a fin attached.

Non-slip and robust outer material
-
Half closed

• Dimensions: 245 x 65 cm
• Weight: 4.22 kg*
• Price: 229,00 Euro >> available here

Unifibre Roofrack Quiver Bag

The session bag from Unifiber is specially designed as a car transport bag and impresses with its sophisticated design. It has two compartments that offer space for a board as well as several sails, booms, masts and small parts. All compartments are easily accessible from the back. Tabs on the top prevent the board from slipping off the car roof even when the straps are quite loose, which protects the sails. The padding is ideal for car transport, but additional padding for the board is advisable when travelling by plane. The upper compartment protects sails and booms very well, while the padding in the lower compartment is thinner. The bottom of the bag is particularly robust and reinforced at the back for a roller plate. Additional comfort is provided by two sturdy handles at the front and rear and a shoulder strap on the side.

Very robust appearance
-
Opens only at the rear

• Dimensions: 260 x 80 cm
• Weight: 5.59 kg*
• Price: 269,00 Euro

GunSails Double Reshell

The GunSails Bag is similar to the ION in shape and padding, but offers more robust materials at half a kilo more. Eight compression straps tie the contents together. Large sewn-on carrying handles on the front and back, a side handle and a padded shoulder strap ensure comfortable transport. A single side ventilation opening is provided at one point. The side padding is not fully stitched, which could allow for slight shifting. The bag opens wide and has a firmly sewn-in divider. Additional straps can be used inside the bag to secure the luggage. Although the Gun-Bag is lightweight, it impresses with its robust outer fabric and offers solid padding, especially at the ends. With a width of 75 centimetres, 130-litre freeriders fit in quite tightly.

Inexpensive; robust fabric cover
-
-

• Dimensions: 260 x 75 cm
• Weight: 4.54 kg*
• Price: 219,00 Euro

*surf measurement