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How to Justify a Surf Van
At some point in a watersports career, your method of beach transport comes into question. You learn to drive in whatever you can get your hands on, you take up a surf sport and the priorities change a little as you value staying warm, keeping your gear safe and a mobile bed also sounds handy! If changing the car isn’t in the plan for the near future, good for you, but you can be sure whenever it does comes around, your surf sport needs will be there in the background shouting for position! Lets face it, we all want to rock up to the beach in an ideal surf wagon, but whats the ideal?
Most of us start by investing in a pair of roof racks, pads and straps, making huge promises to the owner of same to clean it every weekend, contribute to the insurance/tax/petrol, all in exchange for borrowing it to visit the local surf spot at the weekend. At this point in time, you don’t have much choice in picking out the vehicle, so you take what you’re given and keep saving! If you’re holding down the day job and are just after taking up the watersports, but need to keep space for the family, there are still a host of trendy options available!
The Estate Car
Very trendy, not just for the water sports, but also for everyday use. With power outputs ranging from 100bhp up to an internal crushing 600bhp, coupled with front, rear and 4 wheel power deliver options, there’s plenty of choice on offer. Good space inside, they are nice and comfortable for the spin home after a long session on the water. Quick, economic, they’ll swallow the average surfer’s kit, and tow a caravan all over Ireland also. But there’s no room to stand up and change in it and you’re still working with a roof rack (unless your other significant half is happy to sit in the back while your kit takes pride of place across the front seat!
Very trendy, not just for the water sports, but also for everyday use. With power outputs ranging from 100bhp up to an internal crushing 600bhp, coupled with front, rear and 4 wheel power deliver options, there’s plenty of choice on offer. Good space inside, they are nice and comfortable for the spin home after a long session on the water. Quick, economic, they’ll swallow the average surfer’s kit, and tow a caravan all over Ireland also. But there’s no room to stand up and change in it and you’re still working with a roof rack (unless your other significant half is happy to sit in the back while your kit takes pride of place across the front seat!
People Carriers
Ok, there is more space in them that the estates, they are great for carrying kids, but you’ll still need a roof rack at the end of the day. I’ve never heard anyone say they are cool, no matter what 200bhp power is under the bonnet, or large titanium alloyed wheels are under the arches. Family car - end of.
Ok, there is more space in them that the estates, they are great for carrying kids, but you’ll still need a roof rack at the end of the day. I’ve never heard anyone say they are cool, no matter what 200bhp power is under the bonnet, or large titanium alloyed wheels are under the arches. Family car - end of.
Four Wheel Drives
Go anywhere machines, not much more space inside than the cars, slow, thirsty, generally badly perceived in the eyes of green activists and they are expensive to run. But boy are they cool! You’ll probably still need a roof rack, in which case you’ll need to climb to get up to your kit, and you’ll likely need to check each height barrier to see if you can make it under. You won’t be able to change inside (easily anyway), but you (generally) won’t get stuck in Gowlane sand and have to wait to pay a farmer to pull you out! Buy a commercial, get cheap tax. Buy a passenger model, get upto 7 seats, but face a saucy tax bill every year!
Go anywhere machines, not much more space inside than the cars, slow, thirsty, generally badly perceived in the eyes of green activists and they are expensive to run. But boy are they cool! You’ll probably still need a roof rack, in which case you’ll need to climb to get up to your kit, and you’ll likely need to check each height barrier to see if you can make it under. You won’t be able to change inside (easily anyway), but you (generally) won’t get stuck in Gowlane sand and have to wait to pay a farmer to pull you out! Buy a commercial, get cheap tax. Buy a passenger model, get upto 7 seats, but face a saucy tax bill every year!
Camper Vans
Forever seen as the ultimate surf vehicle, splash the cash and these machines can be custom built to suit your specific needs. In Ireland, cheap tax and insurance are a bonus, but the big ones are slow, wide, and everybody hates getting stuck behind them. Gear on the roof can be dangerous to access on a very windy day, they are expensive to buy new, and you will need another vehicle for the shopping trips during the week. Brilliant for keeping the costs down when you visit those far flung away beaches across Ireland, while a hot shower, a toilet, a dry and warm home for the other half and the kids to stay if they want to come watch you strutting your stuff on the water for the day! Some “windsurfers with family” reckon they get more time on the water as a result of buying the camper!
Forever seen as the ultimate surf vehicle, splash the cash and these machines can be custom built to suit your specific needs. In Ireland, cheap tax and insurance are a bonus, but the big ones are slow, wide, and everybody hates getting stuck behind them. Gear on the roof can be dangerous to access on a very windy day, they are expensive to buy new, and you will need another vehicle for the shopping trips during the week. Brilliant for keeping the costs down when you visit those far flung away beaches across Ireland, while a hot shower, a toilet, a dry and warm home for the other half and the kids to stay if they want to come watch you strutting your stuff on the water for the day! Some “windsurfers with family” reckon they get more time on the water as a result of buying the camper!
Pick-Ups
Great for bringing the dog around if its sunny, and depending on the bed length, they can also fit your wave boards in. Unless you’re in America (ideally Hawaii), the units in Ireland are small, bouncy, as thirsty as a four wheel drive, and your kit can be nicked from the back. In Hawaii, you’re cool if you have one, with mega Toyota Tundras & Tacomas, Dodge Rams, Ford F-series, Chevy’s, etc., all on offer! Those gas (petrol) guzzling machines are exactly that, gas guzzling, more than often V8 petrols, lots of power, 4 wheel drive auto transmissions, often shod with super swamper tyres to give go anywhere performance. Forget about bringing one into Ireland, you’d have a fleet of vans for the price of one by the time you pay all the imports and they’ll be left handers.
Great for bringing the dog around if its sunny, and depending on the bed length, they can also fit your wave boards in. Unless you’re in America (ideally Hawaii), the units in Ireland are small, bouncy, as thirsty as a four wheel drive, and your kit can be nicked from the back. In Hawaii, you’re cool if you have one, with mega Toyota Tundras & Tacomas, Dodge Rams, Ford F-series, Chevy’s, etc., all on offer! Those gas (petrol) guzzling machines are exactly that, gas guzzling, more than often V8 petrols, lots of power, 4 wheel drive auto transmissions, often shod with super swamper tyres to give go anywhere performance. Forget about bringing one into Ireland, you’d have a fleet of vans for the price of one by the time you pay all the imports and they’ll be left handers.
Traliers
Great for carrying your kit, and keeping the wet, sandy mess out of the car. Can be hand built, or you can buy custom models developed for windsurfing. The older style was to have a box with racks, but your €1500 freestyle wave board could get stone chipped and the strap could break and it’ll fall off! The newer styles are locked boxes, removing the need to strap kit on, and they hide your gear from thieves! Can be expensive, you can only drive at 80kph legally with one on the back, twin axles will eventually need 4 wheel drives to be legal and they must be braked else you’ll never stop, load them wrong and your kit can get damaged, load them unevenly and you can get a trailer wobble. They can be stolen, in addition to all your kit inside, so you need somewhere secure to store it. They are nearly classed as a second car on a ferry. Great if you’re not going far, but at the end of the day, you may be prolonging the purchase of a van.
Great for carrying your kit, and keeping the wet, sandy mess out of the car. Can be hand built, or you can buy custom models developed for windsurfing. The older style was to have a box with racks, but your €1500 freestyle wave board could get stone chipped and the strap could break and it’ll fall off! The newer styles are locked boxes, removing the need to strap kit on, and they hide your gear from thieves! Can be expensive, you can only drive at 80kph legally with one on the back, twin axles will eventually need 4 wheel drives to be legal and they must be braked else you’ll never stop, load them wrong and your kit can get damaged, load them unevenly and you can get a trailer wobble. They can be stolen, in addition to all your kit inside, so you need somewhere secure to store it. They are nearly classed as a second car on a ferry. Great if you’re not going far, but at the end of the day, you may be prolonging the purchase of a van.
Other
They’ve all been considered before, tractors are slow (although good off road ), motorbikes with trailers are dangerous, bicycles are grand but you’re knackered tired by the time you get there - forget your mast foot you’re like a bull for a day, an old hearse isn’t really that cool, while buggies offer no protection whatsoever.
They’ve all been considered before, tractors are slow (although good off road ), motorbikes with trailers are dangerous, bicycles are grand but you’re knackered tired by the time you get there - forget your mast foot you’re like a bull for a day, an old hearse isn’t really that cool, while buggies offer no protection whatsoever.
So for all of the above reasons, YOU NEED A VAN. If you’re seeking approval from your better half/parents/bank manager, this BIGSURF guide will help you in your negotiations!
Ok, so here goes, ahem...
* Your surf tools are out of view – provided you have the rear window tinted out, and blocked the line of sight from the cab, nobody can see your customs, rubber suits and twinser wave boards in the back.
* Its much easier to slip in and out of your wetsuit! Picture being freezing cold, cos the wind is blowing on your damp rasher as you strip the wetsuit off your tired arms having been paddling for the past 4 hours! Then picture, hopping in the back of the van, heater on, agggghhhhhhhh, nuff said.
* Your surf kit is in your van at all times, cos there ain’t enough space under the kitchen table to store it all. On the way home from work, you spot some BIGSURF rolling into Seapoint on a NE and fancy a quick half hour on the water, all-ride!
* No more roof racks! no more stuff falling off on the way home – Sign me up now!
* You can sleep in it – a nice warm sleeping bag for 100 readies, a camping pillow for 10 and a blow up mattress for 50. Nothing beats the feeling of sliding back the side door, having just woken up at Keel beach and about to tuck into a big bowl of Frosties in the morning sunshine!
* You can get em with 4 wheel drive – goes well on the soft stuff (not for boulders)
* You can get em with a lot of power – an empty box with over 200horses turning Bridgestones as standard! Yum, yum!
* Economic – 40mpg is entirely feasible, just don’t get a cramp in that right foot
* Comfortable – The days of bouncy, sit on engine, straight backed seats, smoky and clanky diesel vans are a thing of the past. No longer do you have to put up with rubbish on the front window and dusty seats! Most nowadays are more comfortable than a car! and they have more storage space for your CD’s, food and energy drinks!
* Options – they can be spec’d; AC, DVD, leccy windows, you name it, you have it!
* They can be pimp’d – radio, rims, running boards, reflections...
* Cheap tax – commercial tax
* Reasonable insurance. Bear in mind you’re getting free accommodation, better economy (as a roof rack is great for drinking fuel) and somewhere secure for your kit!
* Servicing virtually the same as for standard sized car. Vans are popular, so lots of parts available.
* Airbags – most new vans have ‘em as standard!
* Handy for work – Few minutes on the tools installing a few electrical switches, a few hours at the beach before you go home!
* Handy for your mother / other half / buddy / etc. needing something collected – you can with a van!
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