So another thing I'll need for the trip is a board bag. That is, I'll want to protect the board from the damaging UV rays of the sun. I'll also want to protect it from rocks, car parts, and small-caliber arms fire that might hit it when on the SoCal freeways.
Instead of actually paying money for a bag, I took the fleece blankets off my daughter's bed (she's away at college), and sewed the bag myself. OK, actually, I had my wife do the sewing. And she did the cutting out, and the design and all the other stuff too, but I sure saved a lot of money!
Here's the final result:
And here's my wife's description, in my own words, of how she did the sewing:
- Lay out the fabric (2 blankets) on floor
- Put the board on top (remove sand, seaweed, etc. first)
- Mark with chalk around the board, adding about two inches on each side for extra room
- Cut blankets (I cut both sides of the top and bottom pieces. Alternatively, you could fold it over the board, and cut only one side).
- Pin the pieces together
- Sew across the seam if you needed two blankets
- Fold over and sew a little "tunnel" in the tail end for the drawstring
- Sew side seams
- Sew the tip (rounded for better fit)
- Turn it inside out (so the sewed part of the seams are on the inside)
- Add the drawstring
- Tell His Highness that his board bag is ready.
That's all there is to it! The bag is a little longer than necessary, in case I ever get a longer board. The bag is easy to put on and off the board -- easier than some knitted socks that I've tried in the past.
If you don't have a family member who is away at college, you might have to buy some fabric. In that case, I'd recommend something in a light color that will reflect the sun's heat better.
Stay tuned for what the board bag looks like after a few thousand miles!
