what are the pros and cons of hard cases to soft cases such as fcs, ripcurl, and dakin besides more protection? And why are they not as popular for only a few dollars more? Is it the weight disscrepency for airlines? I’m interested in purchasing a travel case, posibly the Santa Monica Surf Case. Can you also suggest other cases.
The biggest disadvantages are the weight and size. With two boards inside, each in its own daybag, the hard case is heavy. Heavy, as in one guy will struggle to get it on the roof rack. Heavy enough, that when combined with a really bad dirt road, it will break the roof rack of your rental car. They are also large enough that two hard cases, on top of one another, may be too long for your straps. You also have to deal with where to store the case once your boards are out. The two halves take up a lot of space in your car or room. That said, I love mine and would like to get another for my longboards. Your boards will be ding free upon arrival and return. No need to put pipe insulation on the rails or any other extra protection that you would do with a soft case. They are expensive, but used ones turn up on Ebay occasionally. Some of the older models do not have wheels. I can’t imagine carrying a wheeless model around. You can add wheels to the wheeless models with a kit from Santa Monica Hard Case. The guy that runs the company is very helpful and the kit is reasonably priced.