SUP Travel Tips | Loading Multiple Paddleboards on Car Roof Racks

When you’re heading out with a couple of your friends and need to stack multiple paddleboards on the roof of your car, one on top of the other, a few more issues come into play for you need to think about.

Biggest paddleboard on the bottom. I’m no engineer but common sense says that the biggest paddleboard goes at the bottom of the stack of SUPs because it provides the best foundation / stability.

SUP Travel Tips | What Direction Does My Paddleboard Go on My Car?

It's a common question - what way should my paddleboard go on top of my car? Of course, cars and paddleboards and other variables will impact how exactly you load your sup, but below are our tips on how to strap up your paddleboard to your sup car roof rack: 

SUP Travel Tips | How to Strap Your Paddleboard to your Car Roof Rack

What is the right way to secure your paddleboard to your car roof rack?

For cars with roof rack bars, it’s all about feeding the straps around the bars and your paddleboard in the right direction for max security. You’ll have 2 straps, one in front and one in back. Start with the clamp end of the first strap on the outside of the board, underneath the roof rack bar. Run the strap across the top width of the paddleboard to the other side of the board, underneath the rack bar, and back along the width of the board. There it will meet the clamp end and you will tighten appropriately. Tie off the excess strap and give your paddleboard and the straps a couple of pulls to make sure nothing is loose.

Paddleboard Travel Tips | SUP Roof Rack Car Setup and Installation

Before you can load your paddleboard to your roof rack for your next SUP adventure, you have secure your SUP roof rack to your car. Because of the different types of roof racks, each will be attached differently, but it's important to install properly. For rack pads, velcro them on your roof rack bars tightly. For straps, clamp them down tightly and check them for any worn or weak spots. For more specialty paddleboard racks, follow the instructions and make sure they fit properly with your car. After you’ve installed the rack, do a quick post-inspection so you really know that everything is snug and secure. You don’t want to lose a paddleboard because you were in a rush and forgot to attach a part of your rack.

Paddleboard Travel Tips | Preparing Your SUP for Car Roof Racks

Once you've figured out what type of sup roof rack you need for your car, you're one step closer to strapping up your paddleboard. But there are still some maintenance items to take care of on your paddleboard before you throw it on your roof.

How to Choose a Paddleboard Roof Rack for Your Car | Best SUP Car Roof Racks

There are lots of different types of paddleboard roof racks to choose from and there are a variety of price points in the roof rack market. Some are simple and affordable paddleboard roof racks, while others have more bells and whistles to strap up your SUP. In picking out your paddleboard roof rack, think about what will be the easiest rack for you to use that will fit your budget, your paddleboard and your method of transportation. With that in mind, the biggest question in picking out the proper roof rack for your paddleboard is whether your car has rack bars on its roof.