The 9 Best Surfboard Car Racks

For a car with no crossbars, the Curve Lockdown turns two foam blocks and one long strap into a board carrier. The strap loops over the boards and runs through the open doors or around roof rails, so the stack sits wrapped instead of pinned. Foam with a soft neoprene lining curls up around the rails to keep the strap off them. Despite the name, there's no lock, so boards can't stay on the roof while you surf.

Anyone with modern flat crossbars can start with the Dakine Aero Rack Pads, which cover only the top of the bar for a slim, quiet fit. The recycled polyester cover has a sun-resistant coating and closes with hook-and-loop, and Dakine backs them for two years. The Inertia reports one pair lasting more than eight years of regular use. They cushion the board but don't hold it, so you still need cam straps.

A surfer who drives different cars gets a lot from the Ho Stevie Surfboard Car Racks, since the straps run through the doors and need no rack at all. They hold up to three boards, and the metal buckles sit inside silicone covers so they don't chip paint or fins. A grippy base keeps the pads from creeping, and a zip bag stores everything in the trunk. As with any door-strap setup, nothing locks.

Boards left on the roof at a trailhead or hotel need a lock, and the INNO INA744 has keyed locks built in. The two carriers clamp to square, round, aero and most factory crossbars, then a ratchet cinches a cable-backed strap over the stack. It takes up to three shortboards or two longboards, with a lifetime warranty on the seller's page. Very wide boards won't fit, so check your widest one against INNO's limit.

Paddleboards and wide longboards are the reason to look at the Yakima SupDawg. Its arms slide out to match the board, and built-in rollers help one person push a heavy board up onto the roof. Locks secure both the mounts and the boards, it arrives assembled, and Yakima gives it a limited lifetime warranty. It's a big spend for a shortboard, and cars without tie-down points up front need an extra hood anchor.

Round and square crossbars need a pad that wraps all the way around, and the Dakine Rack Pads do that with thick extruded foam. The cover is recycled polyester with a reflective logo that catches headlights, and hook-and-loop holds each pad in place with no tools. The seller lists a two-year warranty. These won't sit right on flat aero bars, and like any pad they need separate straps to hold a board down.

For padding flat aero bars without spending much, consider COR Surf Aero Pads. They come in two sizes: the large set fits the wide bars from the big rack makers, and the small set suits thin factory bars. The coated fabric is treated to resist sun fading, and hook-and-loop holds it on. COR covers defects for one year, and no straps come in the box.

The Thule SUP Taxi XT is a telescoping carrier that stretches to fit the board, so one set works for a fat longboard or a paddleboard. A push button locks the strap, and steel-reinforced webbing makes it hard to cut through. It mounts without tools on Thule bars, round bars and most factory racks, and carries two boards. It's a lot of money to carry a single shortboard.

Pickup owners can skip the roof with the Ho Stevie Surfboard Truck Rack, a padded cover that straps over the tailgate. Boards rest on the pad, fins up, and get strapped down two at a time. The buckles wear silicone covers so they don't scratch paint, and the waterproof fabric wipes clean. Boards hang past the back of the truck, so check your state's rules on rear overhang before a long drive.