Ultimate Guide to Surfboard Socks

Looking for a quick and simple way to protect your precious surfboard? Search no further, surfboard socks are the best and cheapest solution. These may not offer the same level of protection as your surfboard bag, but they do offer a convenient, simple, and cheap answer to keeping your surfboard pristine and healthy.

What is a Surfboard Sock?

Surfboard Socks are a great way to help protect your board from the sun and minor scratches. This can happen when traveling in your car or storing it at your home. Surf Socks are usually made of a soft cotton blend to help keep your board protected from the sun and minor scratches but do little for hard-hitting impacts or heat. At Boardcave you can browse through our large selection of surfboard covers including Surfboard Socks. bags and covers that will offer a little more protection when traveling around and to help keep that stick bright white and ding free.

Why Use a Surfboard Sock?

A surfboard sock cover is a great way of preventing scratches and provides simple ding protection. It also helps you keep your surfboard looking fresh by protecting it against UV light from the sun. By providing an extra layer of protection, it prevents your surfboard from turning yellowish and keeping your surfboard’s colours bright. Using a surfboard stretch sock when transporting or storing your board will help keep it white and fresh for years.

If you’re looking for another good reason why you should use a surfboard sock, imagine the trouble of getting the interior of your car contaminated with wax. Save yourself the trouble of removing this sticky material by preventing it with a surfboard sock.

What to Look for When Buying a Surfboard Sock

Just like choosing a surfboard or any surf related gear, it is best to select a surfboard sock that best fits your needs. For short travels to the beach, we highly recommend surfboard socks.

Surfboard Cover Fit

The best way to determine if you’ve bought the best surfboard sock is if it fits your board perfectly. And to do this, you must first know your board’s exact dimensions (length, width, shape). Take careful attention of your surfboard’s nose shape. The biggest difference in surfboard socks is the shape of its nose. Surfboard socks designed for longboards have a round nose while those for shortboards have a pointed nose.

When it comes to sizing, surfboard socks will offer a bit of leeway when compared with the sizing of traditional surfboard bags. The general rule is that you can throw a sock on anything with about 3 inches of leeway either way. So, if your surfboard sock is 6'7", you can get away with using it generally for 6'4" to 6'10" boards due to their ability to stretch.

Materials Used

One of the signs of a well-crafted surfboard sock is the presence of pads in the nose area. It does not only give additional protection for the nose area but is also an area where the surfboard sock usually gets damaged.

Surfboard socks are constructed using different materials such as polyester, canvas, tarpaulin, and a wide variety of fabrics. Depending on the material used, surfboard socks can be shock-proof, waterproof, stretchable, and heat resistant.

The collection of surfboard socks from Boardsox have a 5mm reinforced padded nose and are made from a lightweight, yet durable 16oz canvas.

Protection

They might not provide the same level of protection as surfboard bags, but you should always consider the amount of protection your surfboard socks provide. Don’t expect any cushioning or padding, it is usually determined by the thickness and type of material used for making the surfboard sock. If you're after a board cover with extra protection see our Surfboard Travel Bag range.

Fin Compatibility

Boards come with different fin setups and when you’re looking for a surfboard sock you must consider this. Your surfboard sock must work with your fins in and out. Boards with a single fin, for example, only require a zipper where the fin can poke through. Multi-fins, thrusters, twins, and quad fins need surfboard socks with more room at the back.

Carrying Convenience

For short trips to the beach, simply slinging your board under your arms would not be a problem. But if it takes more than a few steps or requires a little hiking then you should consider shoulder straps or handles.

Costs

Price is a good indicator of quality, but you don’t have to go overboard and buy the most expensive surfboard sock in the market. The most important thing to consider is how you would be using your surfboard sock. Would this be for short trips from the car to the beach or you need something more robust that can carry multiple surfboards.

How Does a Surfboard Sock Differ from Surfboard Bags?

Convenience. Surfboard socks are light, easy to store, and carry. It is mainly because they are made from light materials. Surfboard bags, on the other hand, are constructed using more robust materials to give your surfboards the maximum protection available.

Purpose. While both surfboard socks and surfboard bags are generally used for protecting and storing surfboards, each serves a definite purpose. Surfboard socks are ideal for short trips to and from the beach while surfboard bags are designed to keep your boards safe during long travels and even on plane rides. To give your surfboards the ultimate protection, you could first cover them with a surfboard sock before storing them in a surfboard bag.

Check out our in depth Surfboard Bag Guide which will tell you everything you need to know when comparing the different levels of surfboard protection.

We carry all styles of surfboard covers from leading surf brands such as Creatures of Leisure, FCS, RYD, FK Surf, Roxy and many more, all of which you can order directly online and have delivered safely right to your door.