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The Best Surfboard Bags

Looking for the Best Surfboard Bags for your next trip?

If you surf, you have to travel.  It just comes with the territory.  

If you're gonna travel, you need a good bag to hold your boards and protect them from damage.  

A good surfboard travel bag is an essential piece of gear and we've compiled a list below of our favorites.

Here are some our favorite Surf Board Bags

We've tried a ton of bags.  Most are pretty good, some are great, and some are terrible (but we'll leave out their names). 

If you're a seasoned surfer, you know there are a ton of different brands, styles, materials, and quality of board bags on the market.

As with everything, the best bag for you depends on your needs as well as your budget.  Sometimes you can get by with a no-frills bag and sometimes you need a premium well padded bag for longer expeditions.  

Below we have compiled a list of our favorite that range from value to premium, that we think will cover most surfers needs and budgets.

top view of the dakine mission hybrid surfboard bag


Features:

  • 3/8" closed cell foam padding for maximum board protection
  • Lengths: 6'0″, 6'6"
  • Width (for both sizes): 25.5"
  • TPU venting system to wick moisture off your board
  • Wax / Fin pocket

You've put to much time, effort, and money into acquiring your surfboards so it's worth it to give them a little extra protection when you travel.  The Dakine Mission Hybrid won't let you down.

This bag is designed to hold one surfboard, very well and very safe.  It has a TPU venting system which is designed to whisk moisture off your board and keep the inside of the bag dry, and 3/8" of dense closed cell foam padding to protect your board from the inevitable dents and dings that always happen when traveling.

Dakine built metal pieces into the bag to add strength and provide extra durability.  This is not a flimsy bag, this is a serious piece of travel equipment.  The Mission Hybrid comes with several stash pockets to carry wax, fins, and whatever else you want.

This bag also has a padded shoulder strap and we like how you can remove the strap and store it in the bag, so it doesn't get hung up in transit.  

The Mission Hybrid is a solid travel bag from Dakine that gives you all the protection you need while also looking good.

Pros of this Bag

  • Beefy YKK molded zipper with internal rail protection
  • Diamond ripstop material is lightweight yet also durable
  •  Reflective bottom is nice for short term outdoor storage

Cons of this option

  • Only designed to hold one surfboard
top view of the pro lite rhino travel bag


Features:

  • Compressible gusset with velcro
  • Empty bag weight 8-11 lbs. depending on size.
  • Fish board styles, 26.5" width.
  • Bag depth is 3" at nose and 7" at tail.
  • 10mm foam protection designed for airline travel

Pro-Lite has had a reputation as a quality travel bag manufacturer for a long time, since 1982. They know how to made a good surf travel bag and it shows here with the Rhino.  

If you are looking for a travel bag that weighs a lot less than a wheeled bag, but has basically the same level of padding and protection for your board, the Rhino is the bag for you.  This bag has 10mm foam which designed for the abuse of airline travel.

A sewn in divider provides good separation to keep wax from switching and the boards from banging together.  You don't have to worry about salty stuck zippers either because Pro-Lite designed durable molded non-corrosive zippers that will keep the movement smooth for the life of the bag.

This is a solid, well-padded bag with a lot of nice features like a fin pocket, strap pocket, drains, etc. It also works great for extra-wide hybrid shapes.

Pros of this Bag

  • Rail guard around the zipper to protect your board.
  • Light weight but still tough
  • Venting integrated into the bag to allow air flow to keep your board cool.

Cons of this option

  • It'd be helpful if the bag unzipped from past the nose to tail
top view of the dakine daylight hybrid surfboard bag


Features:

  • Available in sizes: 5'8", 6'0", 6'3", 6'6", 7'0"
  • Generous outline to fit wider/alternative shapes
  • 1/4", 6.5mm,  foam padding
  • Ample design that allows for wider retro shaped boards
  • Weight 2.6 - 3.5 lbs.

It's important to treat your surfboard with at least a bit of care.  It's really important to have some protection to your board when travelling.  This Dakine Daylight Hybrid surfboard bag will get your board to your destination, and it won't break the bank.

The Daylight Hybrid has beefy 1/4 inch foam padding to protect your board from a getting a thousand dings and dents, yet also remains lightweight.  The ample size of this bag allows for wider and hybrid shape boards.

This durable bag will protect your board with heat and water resistant material.  The YKK coil zippers are beefy and won't break easily.  And the padded shoulder straps are nice.

If you're looking for a quality surfboard bag, that isn't overpriced, check out the Dakine Daylight Hybrid today.

Pros of this Bag

  • Limited Lifetime Warranty
  • Wax/fin pocket
  • Reasonably priced

Cons of this option

  • Metal zippers, some prefer plastic due to salt erosion.
top view of the pro lite recession fish hybrid day bag


Features:

  • Available in three sizes: 5'10", 6'3", 6'6"
  • 3mm foam padding
  • "Secret" pullout storage pocket
  • Designed for day use
  • Reinforced nose

Surf gear can be expensive but Pro-Lite is looking out for your wallet with this solid day bag at a reasonable price.  The Resession Fish/Hybrid bag will keep your board protected from the elements, and from getting banged up, as go travel to your spots.

The Resession has molded non corrosive zippers which do a good job of keeping the zippers from getting stuck and corroded from the salt. 

The silver tarpalene material is durable and proven to hold up and there is a generous size external storage pocket, with a special wax storage compartment to keep it separated from the rest of your stuff.

The generous sized top unzips so you can easily slide your board in and out.  The Resession is 26.5" wide and can fit most fish/hybrid board styles.  But keep in mind, the cut of the board is 26.5", which means it can fit most boards that are 24" depending on the thickness.

Pros of this Bag

  • Good for everyday use
  • Basically, it's a killer lightweight sturdy wide bag

Cons of this option

  • Not a full length zipper
side angled view of fcs stretch surfboard bag
nose image of fcs stretch surfboard bag with logo


Features:

  • Stretch board cover
  • Drawstring rear closure
  • Length: 6'3"
  • UV light protection

FCS has made a great soft bag in this Stretch Funboard Surfboard bag.  It's exactly what you'd expect.  Up front the extra padding on the nose is nice for that added protection and the polyester material is soft.

This bag is ideal for day travel between surf spot and your house.  This stretch bag is good for Fish and Funboard designs.  The main purpose is protection from wax, scratches, dust and UV light on short day trips.

Pros of this Bag

  • FCS quality est used to keep the sun off my sticks or for a little extra cush in the airline case
  • Best for keeping the sun off your sticks or for a little extra padding in the airline case

Cons of this option

  • Fabric is a bit thin
top view of the creatures of leisure day use bag


Features:

  • Durable Diamond-Tech fabric
  • Length: 50"
  • UV-resistant 
  • 3 coats of internal polyurethane lamination

The Creatures of Leisure Fish Day Use Bag is designed for every day use with single board that also has capacity for wider fun boards.

Your board is protected by 5mm of dense foam, and an expandable closed cell sidewall.  The bag has an airflow ventilation system that wicks moisture off your board and regulates the heat at the same time.

The shoulder strap is padded with 10mm of foam to keep your shoulder from getting sore on those longer carries.  

One of the things we really like when reviewing products here at Paddleboard Surf is to see a good warranty.  This Creatures of Leisure bag comes with a 2-year warranty, which you don't see much.  We like this bag, and we like how the company stands behind their product as well.

Pros of this Bag

  • Width: 21.25"
  • For serious surfers
  • Padding sections, stitches and fitting are all awesome

Cons of this option

  • Not the cheapest bag

Final Thoughts

That wraps up our list of favorite board bags for traveling.  We know board bags are the most exciting part of surfing, but if you've ever gone on a trip without a travel bag you know how much that sucks!  


The bags we listed are some of the best you can get, and it will enable you to not have to worry if your board will get damaged in transit on your next surf trip.