Traditional surfboard bags are a necessity when transporting your board to and from the beach, but they’re not without their drawbacks. After extended use — and exposure to saltwater, which is pretty common with these sorts of bags — zippers can and do fail; the designs trap moisture; and many are only available in fixed lengths, so you need different bags for the boards in your quiver.
Noting these limitations, Joseph Cunningham designed a new adaptable day bag that's ideal for hauling surfboards of all shapes and sizes to and from the beach.
Cunningham, an avid surfer living in San Francisco, is the lead soft goods designer for Peak Design. Over the past two years, he evaluated prototypes in his apartment —hand-sewing, testing and refining a design that eventually became the Roew Roll Top Board Bag.
Instead of closing with a zipper, the Roew bag features roll-top access that's adjustable for boards varying in length by up to two feet. Unlike traditional bags, this one can fit a range of board outlines (including kiteboards) and fin configurations. The fully-padded construction features recycled 2.5mm-thick breathable air mesh fabric in the body and sturdy recycled 400D sailcloth fabric to protect the nose of your board — the design includes a double stitched rail for added protection and bar tacks in hard-wearing areas for added durability.
The Roll Top Board bag features heavy-duty Duraflex hardware, a grab handle for ease of transport and a removable shoulder strap for long-distance carry. And, when not in use, it rolls up to the size of a yoga mat.
The bag is backed by a lifetime guarantee and is launching now on Kickstarter. When you preorder — shortboard bags are $140, medium board bags are $150 and longboard bags are $160 — you'll save $30 on individual bags (or more on bundles).
Whatever you do, act fast. The campaign ends on May 28, and bags will ship to backers on September 21 — just in time to prepare for the strong fall surf.
