SUP and Surfboard Carriers
SUP and surfboards may not be quite as unwieldy as kayaks and canoes, but they still require some care to get them to the water safely on your car. Thule and Yakima make a variety of board carriers ranging from dedicated paddleboard and surfboard racks to simple crossbar pads, as well as accessories to help make the trip easier.
Dedicated Board Carriers
Yakima SupDawg
Yakima SupDawg is a premium locking board carrier designed to carry 2 boards up to 36” wide. It has locking universal mounting hardware to fit most crossbars, and the straps feature an internal steel band with additional locks to keep your boards securely yours.
Yakima ShowDown
Yakima ShowDown is a hybrid rack that can carry either 2 boards or 1 kayak. Its unique feature is that it lowers down to the side of your vehicle to make loading easier. Locking universal mounting hardware is included. ShowDown does not work with typical factory crossbars and careful crossbar length must be chosen to ensure it can swing down and not contact the vehicle.
Thule SUP Taxi XT
Thule SUP Taxi XT is the Swedish company’s premium board carrier. It telescopes to adjust to different board widths up to 34” wide, and can carry up to 2 at a time. Wrap-around universal mounting hardware is included that fits a wide range of crossbar sizes. Locks are included for the mounting hardware as well as the steel reinforced webbing strap to secure your boards.
Thule Board Shuttle
Thule Board Shuttle falls somewhere between basic crossbar pads and the SUP Taxi. It has a supporting telescoping base that adjusts to carry 2 boards up to 34” wide. It includes versatile universal mounting hardware that is non-lockable, and includes standard cam strap tie downs that feature rubber buckle bumpers. Xadapt12 kit can be used to attach it to T-slot style crossbars.
Thule Compass
Thule Compass is a unique watersports carrier that can carry 2 boards, or 1 or 2 kayaks depending on the configuration. It has basic bolt and wingknob universal mounting hardware and no built-in locking capabilities. Xadapt13 is a longer bolt set to fit tall crossbars like those found on the Xsporter.
Crossbar Pads
If you’d prefer a simple option and don’t need a dedicated board carrier, simple crossbar pads will do the trick and keep your gear supported from the metal crossbar. These are typically just nylon fabric wrapped around foam with velcro closure, but there are some different shapes and styles.
Yakima Aero Crossbar Pads
Yakima really only makes 1 style of rooftop crossbar pad in 2026. These pads are 30” long and designed to fit aerodynamic crossbars, like most factory bars as well as the CoreBar and JetStream. These will not fit well on RoundBars or SquareBars.
Thule Surf Pads
Thule makes crossbar pads in 2 shapes and 2 sizes: Narrow and Wide in either 20” or 30” in length. Narrow pads work best for SquareBars and RoundBars, and Wide pads should fit most aerodynamic crossbars, including factory bars and WingBars. Choose the shape based on your crossbar, and the length based on your board needs.
Surf Pads Narrow M 20” 843000
Surf Pads Narrow L 30” 844000
Surf Pads Wide M 20” 845001
Surf Pads Wide L 30” 846001
Accessories
Hood tie downs are important for any load that extends beyond the roof of the vehicle, including SUP and surfboards. If your vehicle does not have an easily accessible tie down point near the hood or front bumper, Yakima Hood Anchor and Thule Quick Loop Strap provide secure attachment points that simply close in the hood, so they are easy to remove when you don’t need them.
If you need to carry paddles and they either don’t collapse or you don’t want them in the car, you can put them on the roof! Yakima TopGrip and Thule JawGrip allow you to carry paddles, oars, or other long cylindrical objects securely on your crossbars.
Not sure which board carrier will work best for you? Send us a message and we can help determine exactly what you’ll need!