The 8 Best Cars For Surfers (2023)
Photo by Eddy Billard on Unsplash
For surfers, it doesn’t get much better than catching an early morning set before the crowds or hitting the waves at the end of a stress-filled day. But, unless you’re one of the lucky few that live within walking distance to a beach, you’ll need to drive to your favorite spot. This means finding a way to bring your surfboard along safely. But not every vehicle is well-suited for a surfing adventure, so let’s look at the best cars for surfers.
Best Cars for Surfers: The Basics
Before getting into specifics, let’s cover aspects of surfboard transport safety, including protecting the board itself and avoiding damage to the vehicle transporting it.
We’ve all seen the surfer who casually throws their board in the back of a car or strapped it to the roof with a few bungee cords. Or, worse, left the surfboard half hanging out a car window. These situations can create hazards for the board, car, and occupants.
Failure to protect and secure the surfboard can result in:
- Damage to the Surfboard: A loose surfboard is susceptible to fiberglass dings and dents inside a car. This damage not only makes a board unsightly but it affects performance. In addition, surface punctures can cut skin (the last thing anyone wants when in the water). On the roof, an improperly secured board is prone to surface damage from scratching or getting destroyed if it falls off.
- Damage to the Vehicle: A longboard inside a short car can make for a disaster when the nose gets pushed into the windshield. In addition, a crisp fin or dent-filled rail is no friend to a car’s upholstery or plastic trim. Even the wax can transfer to interior surfaces, especially on a hot summer day.
- Injury to Passengers: Loose objects of any size in a car can become projectiles. And large, unsecured items like a surfboard can interfere with everyday driving, especially during a panic stop or accident. Not to mention that an errant surfboard can strike and injure vehicle occupants.
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Types of Surfboards
Knowing what type of board you usually use to ride the waves goes a long way in determining the best cars for surfers, especially if you want to store the surfboard inside the vehicle or in a cargo bed.
- Shortboard: A shortboard is the most common surfboard and typically runs from 5.5 to 6.5 feet in length.
- Longboard: Longboards are often a starting point for beginning surfers, but a length of 8 to 10 feet requires extra focus on the vehicle used to transport them.
- Mid-Length: As the name implies, a mid-length board sits between a shortboard and a longboard. But, a length of as much as 8.5 feet can rule out interior safe storage in smaller vehicles.
- Gun: Experienced surfers like gun boards for big waves, but a length of as much as 10 feet usually relegates this surfboard to the roof. And a four-fin setup is best left free of an interior.
- Funboard: Funboards come in sizes similar to mid-lengths and have multi-fin configurations, so storage challenges can be an issue.
Best Cars for Surfers
With the basics out of the way, let’s explore the best cars for safely and securely transporting a surfboard to your next green room adventure. Mostly, we’ll look at vehicles that work for keeping a board behind the front seats or cars that can be outfitted with a factory roof storage system. And while you’re shelling out for a new board-friendly vehicle, be sure to spend a few extra bucks for a surfboard bag or sock for additional protection.
Chevrolet Trailblazer
This diminutive SUV may not be the solution for storing a surfboard inside the vehicle. Still, an easy-to-install, affordable roof rail package is ideal for such purposes. Also, the Trailblazer is available with all-wheel drive, which comes in handy when beachside parking doesn’t involve pavement.
THE BEST TWO-SEATER CARS
If you’re in the market for a speedy two-seater, we’ve got you covered. Check out our list of the best two-seater cars on the market today.
Ford F-150
With a cargo area of up to 8 feet, the F-150 can easily swallow shortboards, and there may be room for a mid-length or funboard. Keep in mind that not every version comes with the extra-long cargo bed, but the available four-wheel drive can make dealing with beach sand a piece of cake.
GMC Yukon XL
Like other jumbo full-sized SUVs, including the Chevy Suburban and Ford Expedition Max, the GMC Yukon XL can carry small and medium surfboards without needing a rooftop stretch. Depending on the seating configuration, there’s even room to share the back with cargo and people.
Honda Passport
Nestled between the CR-V and Pilot in the Honda SUV lineup, the Passport offers two rows of generous room. Surfboards will need to go on top, but the integrated roof rails make this an easy and accessible task. At least there’s room in the back for the kids’ boogie boards.
Jeep Wrangler
A Jeep Wrangler can help surfers tackle the dunes and the waves without a hitch, but surfboard storage is strictly a rooftop thing. The Wrangler 4xe is a plug-in hybrid with up to 49 miles of gasless driving range, so heading to the beach doesn’t have to interfere with Mother Nature.
Subaru Outback
The Outback comes across as a wagon in SUV clothing, thanks to its clever design. And somehow, seeing a surfboard or two on the roof is perfectly in keeping with Subaru’s marketing of the Outback as an adventure vehicle. And, not-too-tall dimensions mean accessing the roof rack is straightforward. Plus, six feet of space behind the front row makes bringing along a shortboard easier.
8 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN BUYING A USED CAR
So you’re in the market for a used vehicle? We’ve gone ahead and prepped some essential questions to ask when buying a used car.
Toyota Sienna
Who says kids and surfing can’t mix? Drop the little ones off at school and head to the beach with your board in tow. Shortboards may be best for inside (with the seats dropped), but longboards will need the roof and the easy addition of crossbars. The current-generation Sienna is available with all-wheel drive and only comes as a hybrid.
Volkswagen Atlas
There’s one word to describe the interior of VW’s largest SUV, massive. Flip down the two rows of back seats and easily carry most shortboards. And what doesn’t fit inside can get secured to the roof. The company’s flat-style crossbars are well-suited for surfboards and other aquatic gear.
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