NEVER use foam pool noodles for soft rack!

[WhatsSUP]

SERIOUS lesson learned early this am...

I set off for a short (5 min) drive to 1st Beach in Newport (RI) this am and decided to use two pool noodles on top of my SUV and lash my board down with my Kanulock straps.  While proceeding down the road at approx. 35-40mph the light ahead turned yellow so I braked to come to a controlled stop...as the vehicles momentum slowed to 5mph or so the board flew forward lifting off and crashing to the asphalt approx. 15' ahead of the vehicle.  Thank goodness no one was in front of me!  at the very least it would have landed on another vehicle or potentially blasted thru a window.  I threw my flashers on and jumped out feeling like I could vomit thinking my Fanatic Allwave was seriously trashed!  Below are a couple of pics....showing minimal (surface) damage to the rail and one of the side bite fin tips shaved off by 1/2 inch or so.  Again, the stop was controlled and not really abrupt....I was shocked to see the board fly forward.  The board was snugged with the straps, fins forward.  I noted afterwards (putting the links of the failure chain together) that the top of the car was wet with dew, as was the board which stayed out overnight, the foam noodle pieces were dry....  The board was strapped with 2 straps..one forward, one back....the front strap was aft of the fins....all of which resulted in ultimately allowing the board to propel forward.

Lesson learned, the above noodle setup was the perfect conveyor belt for launching the board forward. I felt like a complete morn and realize how likely I am to have not damaged another vehicle or person.  I'll never use this setup again!  Seriously reco against noodles as any sort of soft rack setup...

I'm incredibly lucky!!!! and the Allwave is rock solid have suffered minimal damage!  That was close!  Phew!

 

[OUTSIDEWAVE]

how tight were the straps?  If the straps were tight enough to compress the noodles down I don't understand how the board could slide  out form under the straps. 

  Actually you may be luckier than you think the only time I ever left a board out strapped down  it got ripped off and it was in avery nice neighborhood right out side my girlfriends window,  I never leave  a board out over night now. 

[RATbeachrider]

I'm flashing back to this ....

[PonoBill]

Wow, who'da thunk it. I've used them a number of times. In fact they're pretty much the standard spacer for shuttling multiple boards in Maui.

[Eagle]

Kinda odd.  We use pool noodles on our Yakima round bars and use thick SIC pads as spacers.  Been using the same ones for years with no probs.  At hwy speeds the boards are on solid.  Were your straps snugged up enough?

From what it sounds like though - you may have been using them right on your roof and not on bars.

[starman]

Why does anyone load boards fins forward?

[jrandy]

I am a fan of a line fore and aft along with the noodles and straps.

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

Fins forward comes from the idea (I was told by Brody Welte) that if your board slips on the straps the fin will catch them. I do not subscribe to this idea. I think the aerodynamics of the board are better with the fin back — there was a Windsurfing magazine article that went into this, back in the day.

Ultimately it doesn't matter too much if you do a good job with your straps.

[WhatsSUP]

Clarification....I"m a moron!

After posting this incident yesterday and reading several comments today I further pondered the mishap and now realize exactly what happened.....

In my early dawn patrol haste yesterday morning I quickly thew the board on top of the vehicle (my wife's Honda Pilot SUV) on two foam noodles...one forward, one aft.  I then lashed the board quite snugly via the vehicles luggage side rails....I should have realized her luggage rack had no cross boards - WTF....my bad!  As a result, the board, once snugged, was now lightly resting on the noodles.  When I came to a controlled stop (not abrupt) the board scooted forward over the noodles and right thru the straps - this strap/luggage side rail setup simply does not allow for the board to be pulled down to the vehicle top or cross rail (had those been there).  I usually use my truck for board transport but not this time...and the one time I used her vehicle before I now realized I threaded the straps thru the vehicle cab which pulled the board down onto the vehicle top.

Sorry for putting and question/doubt in folks minds.... I'm a dum dum!   

[Zooport]

Not a dum dum, just distracted with a million other things, like all of us.  It sure speaks to the construction quality of the AllWaves; that's not much damage considering what happened.

[WhatsSUP]

Amen Zoo!  Thanks

[supthecreek]

The beauty of a forum.... relay that go wrong, so everyone can learn from it..... nicely done!

Glad the HRS stood up well in the test.... great construction.

[Easy Rider]

Not directed at the OP - - but everyone in general - - Because a good set of rack pads (from DaKine / etc.) at $20. to $30. is SO expensive for your $2000. SUP?

Never understood the logic of having to cheap out on something so important. 
(same goes for quality tie down straps).

[WhatsSUP]

Rider:  Appreciate the comment! Certainly no offense taken, but allow me to comment - on your comment......fact of the matter is sometimes we take short cuts for whatever reason to get what/where we want to be/go.  In my case, I chose to take a shortcut that (luckily) only cost me some instant ding epoxy. 

Since discovering this amazing (SUP) sport I've spent my fair share of $'s on the misc assessories...none of which would have prevented my mishap given my state of mind early Saturday morning.... I chose to take some hasty steps to quickly get to beach only minutes away! - fortunately, it only cost me some instant ding epoxy!  I'd be willing to bet the farm that the vast of folks here are taking good measure in judgement and procedure with all things SUP including board transport to/from water. 

Peace water brother!
 

[Board Stiff]

Clarification....I"m a moron!

I do stuff like that all the time. A week ago I loaded the board up on the roof, got in the car, started to back out of the driveway, and realized I hadn't tied it down at all!   The other night I was in a hurry, pulled into the garage and hit the garage door button, only to find out I hadn't pulled in far enough as the garage door came down with a sickening groan on the nose of my board while it was still strapped to the roof! Fortunately the amount of resistance it took for the garage door opener's safety mechanism to reverse direction was less than the board could withstand, but I was really worried about that one. 

HRS is really tough. My Allwave flew off the car in a strong wind once onto a hard, frozen asphalt parking lot, bouncing a few times for good measure, and it barely got a scratch!