Surfing and paddleboarding are fun until you have to store your boards. In an ideal world, you’ll be able to store your boards somewhere by the shore, most likely your beach house. However, you don’t live in an ideal world and most surfers and paddlers have to bring their boards all the way home.
To make you feel better, knowing how to store your surf and SUP boards will provide a head start in thinking about potential storage options. Contrary to popular belief, dumping your board right outside is not the best way to extend its lifespan. So without any delay, here’s all you need to know about how to store your surf and SUP boards.
Table of Contents
Before Storing, Clean Your Board
First things first, you have to clean your board before you store it. This way, you make sure that no chemicals or substances can decrease the lifespan of your board. Cleaning your surfboard is different from that of your SUP board. While they generally are made of the same material, their maintenance requirements differ.
Cleaning a Surfboard
For surfboards, the first thing that you have to do is wash them with fresh water. This is a great way to remove all the salt residue. Salt residue makes your board less durable so it’s best to wash the whole board, both top and bottom.
Next is to remove the wax that stayed there during your surf. Yes, surfboards have wax on them and after you surf, it’s best that you remove them so they don’t stick and damage the board. To remove the wax, you need a comb or a credit card to scrape it off. Don’t scrape too hard though.
When you’ve removed all the wax, you need to add some oil to your board. You’re probably thinking that a surfboard needs a lot of maintenance, and you’re right. But if you want it to last, you shouldn’t skip this step.
After removing the gunk, you need to put oil. Any type of oil will do, but it’s better if it’s coconut oil since it’s affordable and natural. This keeps your board in good condition while it’s stored.
Cleaning a SUP Board
Similar to a surfboard, you first have to rinse your paddleboard with fresh water. After a quick rinse, get soap and a piece of cloth (a towel will do) to wash the gunk off. When you wipe the board, make sure to do it gently so you don’t damage the board itself. Don’t forget to clean the fin, too.
When you’re done putting soap all over the board, rinse everything thoroughly. Give special attention to the fin box since this is usually an overlooked part. Also, don’t leave any soap on since it can damage the board.
After rinsing, get a dry towel and wipe the water off. Do this gently. Some prefer airdrying their boards but if you want to store your board right away to avoid leaving it under the sun, use a towel. A towel won’t damage your board.
Where to Store Your Surf and SUP Boards
When you’re done cleaning, the next thing you have to do is figure out where you will store your board. The storage areas where you can place your boards are the same for both surf and SUP boards.
The best place to store your boards is indoors. It can be inside your home, your garage, or even inside a shed by your home. What’s important is that your board is not exposed to sunlight and rain. Constant exposure to the sun will just damage your board. So as much as possible, keep it away from sunlight.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t store your boards outside. What if there’s no space inside your home, right? Don’t worry, you can still put your board outside as long as it is under a shade. A shade will protect your board from getting exposed to UV rays. It’s also going to keep it from rain or snow.
Another way to keep your board safe outdoors is to put it on a rack under a roof extension. If you have a porch or a terrace, then you can place your surfboard or SUP board right there.
When it comes to storing your boards, the important thing to remember is that they shouldn’t be exposed to external forces. It can be rain, snow, sun, or whatever it is that can damage your board. It’s also helpful to know that the recommended storage temperature is 40-110 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to Store Your Surf and SUP Boards
Now for the meat of this post – how to actually store your surfboards and SUP boards. There are many ways to do this. Here are some of the best ideas.
1. Leaning on a Wall
This is the simplest solution for your storage woes. All you have to do is look for an empty wall inside your house or garage and lean your board against it. Needless to say, your ceiling should be high enough so the board won’t scratch it.
Of course, there’s a proper way of leaning the board on a wall. For example, you should never put the nose down. The nose is narrower than its tail so your board will easily topple over or slide. Make sure that the tail is the one resting on the floor. If you have a strap to lock your board and a nearby pole, then this is also a great way to secure the board.
What about the damage done by friction between the floor and the board? To prevent any scratches on the tail, place a towel or a non-slip cloth underneath it.
2. On a Rack
One of the most common ways to store your board is by using a rack. Aside from having a more organized storage space, this is a great way to place boards in one area.
There are lots of rack designs that are available online. Some only have stands at the bottom, while others have top supports. If you’re already sold on the idea of placing your boards on a rack, then try to look for a rack that stores your boards vertically.
Vertical storage racks are better space savers since they only take up a small area of the room. Even if you have more than three boards, a vertical rack won’t be a disturbance.
There are horizontal racks, too but the disadvantage of these is they take up so much floor area. It’s not ideal when you want to save space inside your garage. Besides, getting a board when it’s already standing up is a lot easier.
3. Hanging on the Ceiling
Another way to store your surf and SUP boards is by hanging them on the ceiling. Yes, you can actually bring board up on the ceiling so that you don’t have to give up any floor space.
There are many ways to make your ceiling storage great for your boards. One is by having racks and poles placed across your ceiling. That way, your boards can rest on top of them without the risk of falling down. If you have beams at home, then you’re in luck! No need to make some poles to put your boards on.
You’re probably thinking of the same question a lot of people want to ask, how do you get your board up there and how do you bring them down? Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to do it unless you’ve made a pulley system that will bring your boards down.
This is one of the disadvantages of placing your board on the ceiling – it’s just hard to take down or bring up. If you’re not tall enough, you have to rely on a ladder. And even that’s hard to do since you have to make sure you won’t fall over.
4. Deflated and Folded
This only applies to inflatable boards. If you didn’t know it yet, there are inflatable SUP boards. They’re not as durable as your usual boards, but they’re going to last a while if you know how to take care of them.
Anyway, for owners of inflatable boards, one storage method you can do is by wrapping them up and placing them in a bag. Some boards have their own bags so you can just place them there.
To get this done, first, you have to remove the attached fin. Then, deflate your board. This might take a while so to speed things up, you can just slowly roll the board starting from one end. While you roll the almost-deflated board, press it down to the floor to release the air that hasn’t escaped.
Once the whole board is rolled up, put the SUP board inside the bag and zip it. Leave a small space unzipped so the air or the moisture that is still on the board will go out. This prevents damage done by moisture both to the board and the bag.
Tips for Storing Your Surf and SUP Boards
Now that you know how to store your boards, you’ll realize that it’s very easy to do so in the first place. But storage doesn’t stop there. Here are other tips to make storage a lot easier, use less space for your boards, or keep your boards safe and clean.
Tip #1: Always make sure your board is dry.
By now, you already know that moisture that stays on your board over a long period of time is a bad idea. It will damage your board and it will also stink if it doesn’t dry fast enough.
To make sure that your board lives a long life, you have to wipe it with a towel. Airdrying it is not enough especially when it’s not that sunny in your area. Just to be on the safer side, always use a dry towel to wipe the board and the fin box.
Tip #2: Cover your board with a sleeve.
If you plan on storing your boards outside, then it would help to cover it up. Even if it’s under a roof, there’s no guarantee that the sun’s rays won’t be able to touch it.
To give added protection to your board, always put a sleeve on top of it. If you don’t have a board sleeve, then cover it with a dry sheet of cloth that is large enough to fit the whole board. The point of this is to ensure that your board is fully protected from harsh weather or from external factors (like dogs or cats) that might scratch it.
Tip #3: Release some pressure from your board.
This tip only works for inflatable boards. The reason why you have to release some air is that the latter expands when it’s hot outside. If you don’t depressurize your board, the air inside of it will expand. This will weaken the material used by the board. You don’t have to remove a lot of air. Just release some of it so it doesn’t “bloat” when it’s too hot.
Moreover, there’s no problem with storing an inflatable board without deflating it. The material used on it is durable enough to withstand having constant air inside.
Tip #4: Avoid putting it directly on the floor.
Even if your board is made of durable materials, that doesn’t mean that it’s scratch-proof. Besides, over time, wear and tear will take their toll on your board. To make your surf or SUP board lasts longer, always place a cloth underneath the board. Don’t let it rest directly on the floor.
Tip #5: Check the weight evenness.
There’s a reason why you can’t let your board stand on its nose even when it has a strap supporting it to a pole or a wall. The nose is narrower than the rest of the parts of the board. This means that it’s the most unstable part when the whole weight of the board is on it. If you have to lean your board on the wall, always put the nose pointing to the ceiling.
And there you have it, all the things you need to know for storing your surf and SUP boards.
