Lately I’ve been thinking of ways to safely keep my gear on the roof rack while I’m at work.
Steel-core locking straps, master lock makes a cinch lock that could be used, etc.
But what about a built-in gps tracking chip? Like LoJack for your board. Something could probably be implanted in the blank that could track the whereabouts of your board.
Thoughts?
GPS tracking is not "theft proof" - more like plausibly trackable. I can see that being a recipe for more trouble down the road. Are we all gonna be like Dog the bounty hunter now? Step into someone's home to recover a stolen board, and now you're committing a crime. I personally hate all this hi tech "tracking" stuff. Now that GPS is standard issue on all new cars, the great state of Calif. is looking into using it for logging everyone's car miles, so they can add a new "by the mile" tax on top of all the others. I say just find a way to lock it up.
I built toolboxes for my work truck and put a lock on the tailgate - you could do something similar if you had a pickup truck (or just a platform with a place to slide the board underneath), or a nice locking box that goes on the roof, to put the board in. Just thinking out loud.
You don't say your car type or parking situation or why you need to lock your board on the roof while you're at work - why not just set it in your cubicle next to you, or lock it in the car?
ok you hate my idea
hahaha, sorry (you did ask for thoughts). I did contribute some positive ideas too, you may have noted?
well I can’t leave it in the car, doesn’t fit, and its too hot
can’t bring it inside because I don’t want to advertise my “being a surfer”…bad for business
In case of theft, I’d probably just file a police report and turn the GPS data over to them…let them do the dirty work. If there’s a suitable device out there I think it’d work great.
Well, you obviously have more faith in the local police force than I do - I suspect that type of info would find its way into their circular file somewhere.
Hahaha, call me cynical!
For what its worth, you can probably buy the chips and tracker for doing what you're proposing, just search the internet, I'm pretty sure its all available.
Divebomb there are 3 companies that do surfboard lojack
We use SBT
http://www.surfboard-tracker.com/
I thought That Yakima or Thule had a lockable surfboard rack?
Huck, is that diamond plate on top of plywood covering your tool boxes? How do you deal with the issue of water on top? Your craftsmanship looks nice on that rig…
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can't bring it inside because I don't want to advertise my "being a surfer"...bad for business
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Considering the popularity and mainstream acceptance of surfing, that must be some pretty sucky job to have.
Get a mat.
Just a thought, but why not just save yourself the money on expensive gps that needs a power source and a way of charging adding weight and potential hazaard to your board (imagine if you get a small crack and the GPS gets wet?) - just get yourself an RF chip like the kine they put in dogs out here and embed it into the foam when you shape it (or cut out a section of glass, embed it and re-glass it on an existing board).
They aren't "trackable" per-se (you need an RF scanner to track) but if theres ever a doubt of whether or not someone stole your board, it can be scanned to show all the owners information and proof of posession. They use the same thing in some snowboards these days.
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Huck, is that diamond plate on top of plywood covering your tool boxes? How do you deal with the issue of water on top? Your craftsmanship looks nice on that rig...
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Yes, thanks - its aluminum diamond plate. Water doesn't hurt it, just runs off. Had it for years, plenty times in wet weather, water is not an issue.
I have 3 boards that do not have leash plugs, fin boxes or removable fins. They do all have cord loops and enough room to get a 5 or 6mm cable or lock shank through them. Anybody have any suggestions on what is available or what might work?
Thanks
don’t be lame…
…My Toyota Matrix holds a 9’6" if I fold down the seat. Inside and locked up… My truck holds up to 6’5" in the front seat. My best friend has a Honda Pilot…The Honda fits a TEN footer. Crack the windows , park in the shade…window tint…commom sense is lost…most of my friends have surfboards in their cars 3-7 days a week…?
I forgot to mention, the problem isn’t locking the boards down to the rack on my truck or even locking them inside my truck. The problem is locking them to the rack that I have in my carport. I’ve got no more room to lock boards in my shed. So 2 or 3 boards have to be locked to the rack in the rafters of my carport.
Nice work truck, Huck!
If the board has a standard single fin fins unlimited box I saw a 2 piece metal device with an aligning hole for a lock.
One piece half the thickness of a Fin base has a wide tab that fits in the channel in the box, when another piece without the Tab is inserted into it it gets locked within. Place a lock through the aligning holes and the board would have to be seriously damaged to steal it, or thief would have to travel with a battery powered sawzall or angle grinder with cut off wheel. It would likely get so hot to still damage the board, and nothing like molten Metal sparks for your car’s paint job.
Not sure how aomething similar could be done for multifin shortboards. Perhaps security nub screws with a 7 headed torx bit. There is a company which makes one off security heads on screws…
Or just get a Van.
Or build two lockable clamps that are attached to the roof racks. Board on, clamps tightened and locked. Solved.
