higgins14

i realize there is a pretty small group of people on this forum that surf... but this has been discussed in a few threads, but none of the solutions really worked for me. With the top down or the hard top, carrying surfboards is easy enough. I wanted a solution for transporting the board when the soft top was up. Obviously, as my pictures, the hard top is still on (we still have snow) because i wanted to make sure everything worked on the way to the beach... when i mount the soft top in a few weeks, all i will have to do is roll up the back window.

The solution: rear seats folded flat, front seat pushed all the way forward, a thule "spare me" bike rack, a foam block typically used when putting a canoe on the roof of a vehicle.

The foam block on the top of the bike rack raises the board high enough so there is no weight on the rear brake light... it is hard to tell in the pics. The surf board sticks out the back a bit, but not really any farther than the bike rack extended with two bikes on it. My trip to the beach is about 15 min of highway and 20 min of back roads, and everything was secure. I didn't love having the back glass open, but it all seemed to work out ok.

MADDOGsrfr81

I'm am thinking of a solution for my SWB. I am thinking of getting a light bar and Thule makes a hitch rear support I saw in a canoe thread. I recently moved back to the beach so my motivation has died, but for a long surf trip I can't have them hanging out the back window with only 3ft inside.

higgins14

this is my attempt at not needing one of those safari racks... i just wouldn't have a use besides carting around the surf boards. i only go canoeing or kayaking when the weather is relatively nice so the top is down.

i thought about the idea of a light bar rack and one of those rear hitch things, and if using the bike rack didn't work, that is what i would have probably done. it just seems like it would be expensive.

this is not the most convenient way to do this, i can't really have a passenger. if my wife and 1 year old are also coming to the beach, we would just take her outback. it will work well enough for the days with the soft top up. with the top down, i can strap the boards to the front window and roll bar easy enough.

maddogsurfer81: this probably wouldn't work on a 2-door. does your front seat recline enough so you can have the nose of the board all the way down to the passenger foot well? remember that i have a ridiculously long 10 footer for the new hampshire surf. if you have anything shorter, you might be able to work something out. btw, isn't the water around daytona known for shark attacks? be carefull out there.

el mono

FCS Soft Pads work with your hard top on or off. And the double pad will let you carry a four-stick quiver with all four surfers (or just one really good one) and gear riding inside.

Pluke the 2

lol, there is snow where your surfing?

MADDOGsrfr81

I have a 6.5 fish and a 11'9. They hang out too much. On a real short trip I just wedge the noise under the seats.

higgins14

that is my plan with the top down or the hard top on. someone in another thread said that they just keep the pads strapped to the roll bar even without boards and they don;t get in the way. the solution solution i posted today is for when it is too cold or rainy for the top to be down. i don;t like the idea of strapping the boards on top of the soft top. i just tried out this idea with the hard top on so if it didn;t work, i would just strap the boards on the hard top and then come up for a new plan with the soft top up.

sure, there are great days in the fall (hurricane season), winter and spring. The bonus is that the water is also the least crowded. i couln't help but laugh the first time i was surfing in a quick snow flurry

is the 11'9 an SUP? i though my 10'er was big. an 11'9 would definitely have to go on the roof of a jku too. any canoe setup would probably work for you.

MADDOGsrfr81

Sup? It's just a conventional longboard. I've been debating on a canoe or jetski, so if I go canoe that rooftop setup would be dual purpose.

I'm also wanting a paddle board

PG-JKU

If the front seat folded flat it would buy you a few more feet, if you didn't need the passenger seat. I don't know why it's not a feature. Even the Patriot has this.

higgins14

seriously... if it would do that, i wouldn't have to worry about. i love this jeep, but i wish the engineers put a little more though into it. i hear that the patriot also has a removable dome light. who couldn't use an extra flashlight?

SUP= stand up paddle board. i tried one once, it was fun... but alot of board to handle. i would like to give it a try again.