Forums > Stand Up Paddle General

SUP board bags without metal zips

Reply
Created by beefarmer > 9 months ago, 27 Feb 2015
beefarmer
WA, 328 posts
27 Feb 2015 8:02PM
Thumbs Up

sorry put this one in the board talk section by mistake....


Anyone know where I can get a sup boardbag that doesn't come with a zipper that'll rust away within the year?

Bit annoyed about the top quality Balin cover that ive had for 12 months which now has only one working zipper.... my stuff gets a nice salt coating even in storage due to where i live.... 30 knot seabreezes straight off the ocean in into my shed all summer.

They make fine plastic zippers, work great on my ute canopy etc. I dont see why no one seems to use them on boardbags

lotus blossom
SA, 106 posts
27 Feb 2015 10:53PM
Thumbs Up

Pour boiling water on the rusted zips. Plastic zips break.

LordKuz
NSW, 260 posts
27 Feb 2015 11:24PM
Thumbs Up

I have sold off most of my Balin, Flying Objects and OceanEarth bags when Ive sold boards... and have mostly gone with Blackhawk bags.... cheap and do the job nicely. Have one large plastic zipper that goes right around most of the bag, so you can open it up completely to wash out and dry out. The oldest one is still only 18 months old...but has had plenty of use and abuse. I guess you have to really keep using them and wash them in fresh from time to time to make them last. However, the more expensive ones seem to have all the fancy features like vents and soft padding and such... however, they are not easy to wash and dry. So.... for mine.. you are better to pay for a cheaper bag anyway.. if they are going to wear out equally as quick.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/BLACKHAWK-SUP-PADDLE-BOARD-DAY-RUNNER-CARRY-BAG-COVER-SIZE-10-106-11-116-/111254488894?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&var=&hash=item19e748c73e

Danny Lee
SA, 133 posts
27 Feb 2015 11:56PM
Thumbs Up

Check out a product called Inox. You'll never have an issue again.
I live by the coast and rust is an issue for a lot of products. Fishing gear, golf gear etc.. all in the shed exposed to sea spray.

Squirt it all with inox and no issues for at least 6-12 months.

If you're not cleaning/washing your zips they are always going to foul up eventually

Stev0
419 posts
28 Feb 2015 4:16AM
Thumbs Up

I know what you mean. Why use crappy metal zippers on board bags that corrode!? Brass zippers are good as they work on wetsuits but they are too expensive to use in board bags. I am getting two custom board bags made by Stash-IT in NZ and they use good quality plastic zips: www.stash-it.co.nz/

I always wondered why board bags don't use Velcro as no moving parts and won't corrode?

IWB
205 posts
28 Feb 2015 7:40AM
Thumbs Up

Plastic zips on board bags last way longer than metal. I have some windsurf bags over 10 years old which have plastic zips and still going strong. This could be the reason why some companies continue to use metal zippers instead of plastic as they dont want customers to buy board bags every 10 years :). Starboard 2015 sup bags come with plastic zippers.

beefarmer
WA, 328 posts
28 Feb 2015 9:45AM
Thumbs Up

and that inox stuff looks the go...

cheers danny lee.

I've been mucking around with oil/hotwater/CRC/vinegar/silicon lubricant you name it in to get the zippers on various board bags working... might as well add the inox stuf to the list :) at least it appears it'll work on my fishing reels :)

JonathanC
VIC, 1020 posts
28 Feb 2015 2:22PM
Thumbs Up

I've had heaps of the Flying Objects bags over the years, never had a problem with the zips. Balin, terrible, zips always crap out.
Mind you I usually sell the bag with the board so the oldest one I have would only be three years. Wish the FO bags were lighter colours to keep cool in the sun but other than that really good IMO.

Danny Lee
SA, 133 posts
28 Feb 2015 2:43PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
beefarmer said..
and that inox stuff looks the go...

cheers danny lee.

I've been mucking around with oil/hotwater/CRC/vinegar/silicon lubricant you name it in to get the zippers on various board bags working... might as well add the inox stuf to the list :) at least it appears it'll work on my fishing reels :)


Sure will, doesn't affect your expensive braid either Spray it on, spin it round a few times and simply wipe off the excess. Do it every few trips and never had corrosion problems on my expensive reels.

SandS
VIC, 5904 posts
28 Feb 2015 9:11PM
Thumbs Up


I have had a BALIN sup board cover for Four or five years ! both zips are still good !!!! the Balin board covers are excellent !!!

The only reason your zips don't work is you are not using them enough .


I leave mine out side and not a problem , never gets gets washed!! may get some rain on it but its under the eaves.

I use it to carry the board to the beach , it is always covered in sand /salt . NOT A PROBLEM !!!!

The Balin zips will not fail if you use them . End of story !!!

beefarmer
WA, 328 posts
1 Mar 2015 12:10PM
Thumbs Up

Yeah too true sands, problem is I don't get the sup out much over summer, bloody windy up here for 6 months so that's the kiting season, the sup tends to sit there two or three months without getting used

but thats the situation i'm in, and I need a solution.... i found a nice boardbag in the end with a plastic zipper, theres a few out there if you look around. Windsurfing companies seem to be a bit more switched on in this regard and the bigger windsurf bags will fit smaller SUPs

DavidJohn
VIC, 17408 posts
1 Mar 2015 3:51PM
Thumbs Up

Balin must have changed their zips because I have two of their newer type board bags and they're both excellent..

One is about two years old and the other about six months old..

JonathanC
VIC, 1020 posts
1 Mar 2015 4:20PM
Thumbs Up

My Balin was a really old windsurf one so could be I was giving them a bad wrap. It had two zips and they both flogged out in about a year. Sorry Balin!

colas
4986 posts
1 Mar 2015 3:08PM
Thumbs Up

Before Gong made bags (anyways, they are not sold in OZ), I was using pro-limit bags which were very nice and one of the cheapests around. http://www.prolimit.com/boardbags-sup15/products/evo-sport-sup-2015/

I had an old starboard SUP bag once, but I was disappointed: there was no zipper flap, so the zip was in contact with, and "sanding" the rail. I hope they chnaged this design. A goo trick is to get a bag with the zip on the top side of the rail, not in the middle, to avoid the rail being in contact with it.

Dvlakic
NSW, 9 posts
1 Mar 2015 10:20PM
Thumbs Up

Not sure who makes them with plastic zips but I had four zips corrode on my O&E bag and decided to test out some stainless steel sliders. They were recycled from an old backpack I hadn't used in years and I haven't had issues since - cut the old one out and sewed a stop near the end of the zip after fitting the new slider. My Dakine snowboard bag is stored alongside my SUP bag in the same slightly salt prone garage without a hint of corrosion in over 5 years. You could also source new sliders from a sail rigging/canopy place and request something with better corrosion resistance - might be a bit $$$ but still much cheaper than a new bag.

marco gribi
WA, 195 posts
4 Mar 2015 4:33PM
Thumbs Up

Hi Beefarmer,

Flying Objects is an Australian / WA brand that makes accessories for SUP. All our bags use plastic No. 10 sliders and zips, with the Travel Cover versions using the heavy duty YKK versions. The teeth pattern on these zips are quite large so they do aid in less grit and grime being capture. Pretty good value at $210 - $240 with a full range of 19 different sizes.




Hope this helps?

Available in most SUP retail outlets
www.flyingobjects.com.au/contact-us/oceania/australia/


Flying Objects is a site sponsor
Cheers,
Marco

cantSUPenough
VIC, 2122 posts
4 Mar 2015 10:52PM
Thumbs Up

Hey Marco, I have always wondered why they don't put handles on both sides of the bag. Let's say you want to put the board on the roof, the natural thing to want to do is grab the handle and lift it up. But I "always" seem to be on the wrong side, so I have to lean across to grab the handle on the far side. If they were on both sides then it would always be easy. (Or is it just me?)

And I have always wondered why they don't have small breather holes at the nose-end of the bag: a) so that there is some ventilation, and b) so that if you roll the bag up from the fin end the air can get out quickly. Sure, I could roll it up from the other end, but I find myself often trying to roll it up from the fin end. Again, maybe it is just me, and maybe your bags already have holes at the nose.

And while I am sharing dumb ideas, why don't you make an inflatable board cover? Imagine if you had a series of 3 cm dia. tubes running the length of the inside of the bag on both sides of the board. If you knew the board might take a beating then you could inflate the tubes to give the board lots of protection. Under normal conditions the tubes would be deflated.

The inflated tubes might also provide heat insulation - so it survives longer in the sun (especially if you had two optional tubes with a wide diameter that would create a bigger gap between the board and the cover for ventilation). If you could give our precious SUPs better protection (than the common bag) you would surely sell more bags.

And what about attachment points for a shoulder strap that were in a better position so that you could walk more than 20' before the strap had either decapitated your head or it had slipped off your shoulder. I am yet to find a bag where you are comfortable carrying a board any distance.

Now that's a bag I would buy ;)

beefarmer
WA, 328 posts
4 Mar 2015 10:26PM
Thumbs Up

thanks for the recommendation (or pimp? ) marco

funnily enough the one I got was the one in your photo so you've already got my money! Always happy to buy local and particularly happy to keep the money in WA so extra bonus. I didn't know Flying Objects was a WA mob.

The bag is good and the zips excellent

If i was to be trying to improve it I'd suggest a lighter colour (or silver / reflective) on the bottom so it doesn't overheat the board in the sun on the roof of my car which is where the board stays whenever I'm on the road.

also a longer zip that opens up towards the nose would help get the board in the bag..... but all first world problems really, I have a good board and a bag that will keep it good for a long time so all is good

tightlines
WA, 3467 posts
4 Mar 2015 11:05PM
Thumbs Up

+1 for the flying objects covers, there was four of them on my roof for a recent road trip (14'x30, 12'6x30, 9'6x30 and 8'6x30 plus a F.O. kite harness and couple of wetsuits in the car)

I just wish they had a 7'10x28 for my latest board, might have to make do with the 8'0x30.

balin
VIC, 11 posts
5 Mar 2015 1:12PM
Thumbs Up

Notes on our zippers:

We used plastic sliders on the spiral type zippers some years ago and found that while they do not corrode they will wear and stop pulling the teeth together properly. The pull tabs will also break if pulled too hard.

Most metal sliders are made by casting the metal. Not sure of the compounds used (probably zinc alloys) but they can corrode if they are not lubed with something and stored for long periods without use. Or factory has arranged for the new zipper stock to be "treated with anti- corrosion". Not exactly sure what that means but we are considering going to a more expensive style of zipper. We have a "care of your zip" instruction label on the inside of every bag.

Stronger plastic sliders are available on the chunky style zippers, however they are about 3 times the cost. The teeth however are not as robust and they hate sand. There is a lot of zip in each bag and this can equate to a big increase in the retail price.

We find that if you apply a little lube maintenance and / or use the bag regularly (as noted in comments) then you will have no issues.

Having said all that we are still working on this issue...constructive criticism leads to improved product always. Many thanks to our loyal customers.

BALIN

marco gribi
WA, 195 posts
5 Mar 2015 11:41AM
Thumbs Up

Hi All,

Firstly Beefarmer, thank you very much for making the decision to buy one of our bags even before my pimp

We are based in Osborne Park and have been in the Wind / Kitesurf industry for 30 years, our bags are a large part of our business and a product range that we have gained a very good reputation for. Our products are now in about 40 odd countries and all the product development and testing is done in WA.

In response to a few of the questions above:

Many of the features and materials used are generally done so based on price and how we view our product should sit in the market compared with other brands. It would be awesome if I could just make a bag with no thought to retail cost but that simply would not work.

We design our bags firstly with the materials that offer the best protection / durability and the we fit them out with as many features we can to reach the target price. So including more handles, holes / breathers, longer zips etc.... simply bump up the cost. As Balin pointed out the YKK zip is very expensive and we just use enough to make sure the bag opens up past the mid point of the board.

We already use white reflective tarpee in our other ranges and I have considered doing this in the SUP range. However materials like the reflective silver do not last as long as using the 600D. In the past we used the Silver version and it was quite often a source of issues / complaints with durability. Creating another line makes stocking more costly for my distributors but I will probably end up offering another cheaper line with the white tarpee.

cantSUPenough,

Thanks you for your suggestions, always keen to hear ideas from the end user.

more holes in bags, mmmmmm!!! This does go a little against the point of a bag, they do not only protect the board but quite often are used to protect the car. We already have fin slots and a breather that release air so putting more holes in the nose is not necessarily beneficial, in fact with most boards sitting on a car roof nose down this could lead to salt water dripping on the car. I have also never heard of somebody rolling up a bag, but as you point out maybe just a case of going nose to tail.

More handles = more cost, flipping the board over is probably an easier process

Our shoulder straps are adjustable in length and these should be used in conjunction with the center handle. Currently we do not supply these but they are an optional extra. Developing another system for a part that is not used by the majority is an extra cost with the least benefit.

Inflatable bags have already been used for surf boards, great idea and it is reasonable easy to incorporate a kite bladder into the bag for this purpose. I did looked at this as a new project a while ago but once again cost is a major factor in development. I just question how many would actually be sold at the price required to make viable.

Tightlines,

I am actually working on some Vanguard style bags, if you bring your board in I can measure it up and make a sample with my others. Who knows it may even find a home once its been checked for production

I'm away till the 16th of March but drop into Airborne anytime after that


Cheers,
Marco

mazdon
1196 posts
5 Mar 2015 12:50PM
Thumbs Up

with regards to the comment from dvlakic about "You could also source new sliders from a sail rigging/canopy place and request something with better corrosion resistance - might be a bit $$$ but still much cheaper than a new bag." - does anyone recommend one in perth that has done this for them before?

i've got same issue, zips corroded and literally disintegrated apart after me not taking proper care of it. such a shame to waste the bag which is still primo if i can just have the zips replaced. i had heard though that with cost of labour, sometimes replacing zips doesn't add up to less than cost of a new bag???


+1 on buying local - will keep FO in mind from now as well.
but my balin bag was a gift, and i'll add i was very happy with quality until i stuffed up and didn't use enough, or check it in storage. classic "d'oh" moment.


gday nick - classic that i had exact same issue, hadn't had board out since september or something due to wind and waves a plenty down south.
hope to catch ya up in gero someday mate
maz

Dvlakic
NSW, 9 posts
5 Mar 2015 5:42PM
Thumbs Up

Mazdon - if you can't find stainess zips you could try your local tailor/alterations place for generic sliders (if the rest of the zipper is in good condition). I'm not a seamstress by any stretch of the imagination and even I managed to cut, fit and re-stich the bag in a few mins. Less time if it needs to be done again in a year or two. Total zip length is about 5cm shorter than is was before but my O&E bag has a zip the whole length of the board anyway, so doesn't really matter.

tightlines
WA, 3467 posts
5 Mar 2015 2:50PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
marco gribi said..
Tightlines,

I am actually working on some Vanguard style bags, if you bring your board in I can measure it up and make a sample with my others. Who knows it may even find a home once its been checked for production

I'm away till the 16th of March but drop into Airborne anytime after that


Cheers,
Marco


Sounds good will do.

mazdon
1196 posts
5 Mar 2015 9:21PM
Thumbs Up

Select to expand quote
Dvlakic said...
Mazdon - if you can't find stainess zips you could try your local tailor/alterations place for generic sliders (if the rest of the zipper is in good condition). I'm not a seamstress by any stretch of the imagination and even I managed to cut, fit and re-stich the bag in a few mins. Less time if it needs to be done again in a year or two. Total zip length is about 5cm shorter than is was before but my O&E bag has a zip the whole length of the board anyway, so doesn't really matter.


Thanks.
Will do some recon this weekend. My mums handy with an over locker, so worst case I'll hire in the help (may take some bribing and time off water though)



Subscribe
Reply

Forums > Stand Up Paddle General


"SUP board bags without metal zips" started by beefarmer