Car Luggage Carriers

John F: How do I avoid pressure dings caused by soft roof-racks?

When I first got the soft roof racks (FCS) the surfboard was very unstable and was jumping all over the place while going down the road, but then as soon as I tightened the straps I ended up getting pressure dings from the straps being so tight. What would be a good way to combat this? Do I need to purchase a transport bag to put it in while it's on the roof?

Public Comments

1. Yes, buy a bag. It will prevent your board from being scratched and it is much easier to tie the bag on the roof.
2. Just buy a padded board bag. That should do the trick. The Surfboard Man http://www.thesurfboardman.com/
3. Wow, not cool. I suspect that you are talking about actual dents in the rails, where the straps bind down on them. I have never seen that happen on a normal surfboard. I have seen it on foamies, though. It makes me a little skeptical of the glass job on your stick's rails.... However, it is what it is. The suggestions about a board bag are pretty sound. I car top my boards in bags (and sometimes in socks inside the bags), just because I have had tons of negative experiences with transportation dings. Now, if the bag is something too expensive at the moment, you may want to pad the portion of the straps the runs over your rails. A little duct tape and some pieces of towel might work. I'm sure there are more creative ideas on how to pad them out there. Good luck.
4. Wrap a towel around the boards where the straps are.