Paddleboards have taught us to appreciate nature – they take us to locations where we could view the surroundings as the majority would only see on a postcard. They also teach us to go with the flow, not work against the rules of nature – so we should treat them with equal respect.
And let’s be honest – paddle boards often look rather good as well and deserve to be highlighted on their time off. Sure, they look their best when gliding in the water, but the fact is that they spend the majority of their time on land.
Home & garage / Car / Boat / Bike
This article is written to show some of the most popular ways to store and transport a paddle board.
Table of Contents
1. Home & garage ↓
Wall / Floor / Ceiling
2. Car ↓
3. Bike ↓
4. Boat ↓
Dock
5. By Foot ↓
1. Home & Garage
Wall / Floor / Ceiling – Horizontal / Vertical
A paddle board rack is one of the safest, easiest, and most convenient ways to store such oversized vessel like the SUP. It is often difficult to find a simple solution – but take a look at those timeless designs. Made of wood or metal, all these solutions have a simple design and maximum functionality. These racks featured below can hold up to 100lbs even on a single rack.
1.1 Wall Racks
I bet we have all seen those DIY surf and SUP racks at someone’s garage. I am talking about the ones that do the work by holding up the board to some degree – but let’s be honest, they don’t look the best. There’s always so much more to add or remove about a product – but we couldn’t find anything about those examples.
We are not against DIY projects at all, instead, we’d like to introduce you to pieces of mastery by brands that make honorable stands for paddle boards for a living. Maybe you can get an idea for your own project, or choose to appreciate your board to the fullest and look into some of the inventions.
Why prefer a wooden rack?
Surfing and paddleboarding are both considered silent sports – performed in nature with no engines in the mix.
That being said, wood blends well with the nature of the sport, and they look good at home as well. Wooden racks also don’t scratch the boards’ surface, and a proper rack has a solid weight capacity as well (over 100lbs). There’s often no need for extra padding on the stacks as well, but most models come with one.
By the end of the day – the wooden rack is made of wood – which means it is basically a living material. Wood is known to get better in time, and the racks are basically hand-made. All of this adds extra value to this seemingly basic design.
- Main types of wood being used – Bamboo veneer, birch
- All the other rack types are made of metal or plastic – foot trailers, bike trailers, boat trailers, etc.
Horizontal Wall Racks
Horizontal wall racks work best when you have only a handful of boards to stack, and when most of the garage space is already occupied. Among the most popular types out there – the paddle board wall rack is the second-most popular after the floor rack due to its simple and space-saving design. You save on floor space, and the majestic boards add a decorative element as well.
The good news doesn’t stop just there as horizontal wall racks are often the easiest to load the board on. If you have an 11′ board (about the average size) – it simply might not fit in the garage vertically. As most decent SUP wall racks are slightly angled upwards – you’ll save an extra from there as well.
- Arm Length: 21”
- Distance Between Arms: 7”
- Board Distance from Wall: 3”
- Maximum Recommended Board Width: 40″
- Capacity – 100lbs+
*Whether you stack one or more boards on the wall rack – make sure the wall is thick enough to hold the loaded capacity.
Why prefer a metal rack?
We get it – wood overdose can sometimes be a thing, and some of us like their things high-tech. Paddleboard racks made of metal are a go-to choice for anyone who is after an indestructible construction with a high load capacity and a minimalistic design. Metal SUP racks are often more affordable.
1.2 Vertical Floor Racks
One of the most popular and easiest ways to store multiple boards – is a vertical floor rack. A paddle board stand-up rack doesn’t need basically need any installation – just find a location to store the boards and stack them up. A good free-standing rack should have all the paddings to protect the boards from scratches and add an extra cushion – on the sides and the bottom.
Placing longer boards in this rack can be more difficult than using the wall rack as it is way too easy to occasionally hit the ceiling or anything else nearby.
- No drilling is needed for freestanding racks.
- Extra padding.
- Needs extra care when placing the boards on the rack.
Rack dimensions
- Crafted from incredibly strong solid 3/4″ bamboo or birch.
- Supports up to 100 lbs.
- Height – 34″ / Width – 26″ / Depth – 23“
A well-crafted paddle board stand is a piece of decorative furniture – it looks good on and off its use. Wood always adds extra character to the room, and why not honor your paddle board with a designated spot for it?
You’ll often see this type of paddleboards rack on surf stores as they offer the best solution to stack multiple boards in high-ceiling buildings. If you have a secure outdoor area with plenty of height clearance, the vertical paddle board holder might be a best solution.
Whether you own one or more boards, the multiple SUP paddle board rack pictured above is another genius idea to save floor space and use all the height in a room.
*With a vertical wall-mounted rack you’ll have to drill holes in the wall, but you don’t have to worry about the thickness of the wall since you are not going to load any boards on it.
- Vertical wall racks require drilling although the thickness of the wall is not as important.
- Make sure there are no live wires in the wall.
- Fits also a surfboard, snowboard, or skis.
1.3 Ceiling racks
A third option to store the boards in your garage has the best space-saving solution – the ceiling rack.
The ceiling SUP rack works both ways – it can be easy to load the board, or it can be a nuisance. If you have a high-entrance open garage, loading the board off from the vehicle’s roof racks to the ceiling rack can be a convenient solution while it can also be the most difficult way to stack. Another thing to keep in mind is that the intense heat from a thin metal roof can damage the board in the long run.
- The best space-saving solution.
- Easy to load from the roof racks.
- Can be installed on concrete ceilings that can hold the loaded weight.
- Difficult to stack on high ceilings.
- Can interfere with the garage door.
More DIY paddle board rack ideas at Pinterest
2. Car
A majority of paddleboarders use their car to reach to the water. At the moment, there is quite a good selection of racks for cars that are safe, easy to use, and made by well-known brands that specialize in transportation accessories only. A stand-up paddle board rack for a car is a universal item that can be used on almost all car roof types. Even if you have a flat roof – your car can be fitted with a pair of crossbars.
Thule & Yakima are two of the best stand-up paddle board roof rack brands on the market. There are a few more, and we will be reviewing the best models in the near future so make sure to check back.
How to strap paddle board to roof rack?
Check out the video below if you have a pair of crossbars with soft paddings.
How to transport paddle board without roof rack?
Although you can carry the SUP on the back of your truck with the board sticking upwards, there are a few other options for the job.
- Get an inflatable SUP.
- By bicycle and look for a SUP trailer.
- By foot & or by a hand-trailer.
How to attach a paddle board to a roof rack?
For best aerodynamics, paddle boards are often placed on the roof rack upside-down – fins upwards, and the nose part on the front.
Why’s that? It’s because most boards have a slight bottom rocker (curvature), and placing the paddle board upside-down improves its aerodynamics while driving.
Can you stack an inflatable board on the rack?
Many paddleboarders can’t tell the difference between a rigid and inflatable SUP, although there is a difference when you going to drive at highway speeds.
It is not advisable to go over 50mph with an inflatable board on the roof rack since the board can simply ‘taco’ and fly off the straps.
3. Bicycle
A short ride to the beach works well as a pre-paddling warm-up, so why not consider cycling to the lake or beach by your bicycle?
As there are surfboard racks for shortboards and longboards, a SUP board is simply way too large to stack on the bike and pedal safely. Sure, you should always wear a helmet to a bike ride, but maneuvering with that extra 10ft by your side can be unsafe.
4. Paddle Board Boat Racks
Sailing and boating are often in the minds of paddleboarders, and luckily there are few very good inventions to combine these hobbies. For solid SUPs – the most-used way is by placing the board on the side of the boat.
When placing the board outside the guardrails – make sure there’s extra clearance when docking so you wouldn’t crush the SUP.
Although bear in mind that paddle boards (and surfboards alike) don’t like to be left out on the sun for extended periods of time. If you are going on a multi-day trip and have to leave the board on the deck – try your best to protect the board with something that the intense UV rays wouldn’t damage the resin. A few days out in the sun ain’t that bad, but its the long-term effects that weaken the board over time.
4.1 Dock Racks
If you are fortunate enough to live in a lakehouse, a cottage by the estuary, or own a beach house – chances are you have considered getting a paddle board rack for a dock. Dock racks are convenient when you are a daily paddler and need to store the board right by the water for easy use, or when it is private enough – leave it out there for longer.
These types of racks are also often used by rental companies so one wouldn’t have to carry the board each time.
5. By foot
Yes, there are even SUP-specific trolleys. Living right by the water has its own pros and cons, and if you don’t live at a lakehouse – chances are you have to carry the board to the beach.
Sure there are shoulder straps available, but some boards can get really heavy, and carrying something heavy on one shoulder can damage the disks in the long run. A simple trolley is designed to make our lives more convenient so why not consider one. The average paddle board weighs between 20-30lbs, and it’s the humongous size that’s puts many of us off.
A multi-SUP carrier:
Read next
Best Surfboard Racks
For home, garage, car, bike & scooter.
13 Types of Paddle Boards
Materials, sizes, types – everything’s covered.
41 Best SUP Brands
That specializes in the making of a paddle board.
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I created Nulltuul to share my experience, research and analysis with other surf enthusiasts out there. If I'm not surfing on my travels - I like to photograph waves, surfers, and the surf lifestyle in general.