*Updated 4/16/19
I’ve had my Thule SUP Taxi for a few years now and I’m impressed with how well it has held up over that time and having the option to lock up my boards when I’m traveling is priceless. But there are a few issues and other options to think about too. So for those thinking about buying one or who have purchased the SUP Taxi recently, here are a few thoughts based on my experience.
I’ve had my Thule SUP Taxi for a few years now and I’m impressed with how well it has held up over that time and having the option to lock up my boards when I’m traveling is priceless. But there are a few issues and other options to think about too. So for those thinking about buying one or who have purchased the SUP Taxi recently, here are a few thoughts based on my experience.
PROS AND CONS
Pros:
Cons:
Pros:
- Ability to lock your boards
- Very well made and durable. I’ve had it on my car for a number of years, all-year-round and with heavy use. The straps have stretched out a bit but that’s about it.
Cons:
- It collects road grime that ends up transferring to your board. A Magic Eraser will clean the board easy enough but I’ve yet to find a way to clean the grime off the SUP Taxi to begin with.
- It’s not very low profile. It will make lifting your board onto your car more of a challenge because you’ll have to lift it and additional 6 1/2” to get it on the car.
- 2 board maximum - (Although, I have had 3 boards on it with additional straps and padding but wasn’t going too far with that configuration)
TIPS
Yoga mats have many uses
When I’m stacking two boards I use a yoga mat between the boards. It's thin but provides some protection, it has good traction and for me it’s convenient because I use it to stand on while I'm changing in and out of my wetsuit. You can also curl the end of the yoga mat to act as a spacer. As an added bonus, you can also use a yoga mat to do yoga (crazy, I know!). Depending on the sizes/shapes of the boards you may need an additional spacer in the front. I use pipe insulation from my local hardware store as my spacer and you can cut them to size if you like.
Stretching out
As my SUP taxi has aged it seems the straps stretch out a bit now. If I'm getting on the highway I'll strap everything in at least 20-30 minutes before I actually leave, then do it again right before I drive off to give the straps a chance to stretch.
Maybe this is just a goofy good luck habit for me but I always cinch down the front first, then the back, then do the front again. I'm not sure why, but that routine seems to keep the boards from moving. (See update below for an additional tip)
“Umm...I think it's moving”
If you’re lucky enough to be able to see your board while you are driving, do keep an eye on it. It will bounce and you will see some up and down movement. In my experience, the slight bounce up and down isn’t terrible, it’s when I can see the board moving left and right that I have a problem. More than once I’ve seen that slight left and right movement and pulled over and found the board wasn’t nearly as tight as it was when I left the house. I’ve also noticed different car racks have different amounts of flex. I’m still getting used to my new (used) Toyota Highlander. I’ve noticed my 14’ board bounces far more than when it was on my old Subaru Impreza and I think it’s because there is more flex in the Toyota factory crossbars. (See update below for additional safety measure as the SUP Taxi ages and the straps stretch.)
Yoga mats have many uses
When I’m stacking two boards I use a yoga mat between the boards. It's thin but provides some protection, it has good traction and for me it’s convenient because I use it to stand on while I'm changing in and out of my wetsuit. You can also curl the end of the yoga mat to act as a spacer. As an added bonus, you can also use a yoga mat to do yoga (crazy, I know!). Depending on the sizes/shapes of the boards you may need an additional spacer in the front. I use pipe insulation from my local hardware store as my spacer and you can cut them to size if you like.
Stretching out
As my SUP taxi has aged it seems the straps stretch out a bit now. If I'm getting on the highway I'll strap everything in at least 20-30 minutes before I actually leave, then do it again right before I drive off to give the straps a chance to stretch.
Maybe this is just a goofy good luck habit for me but I always cinch down the front first, then the back, then do the front again. I'm not sure why, but that routine seems to keep the boards from moving. (See update below for an additional tip)
“Umm...I think it's moving”
If you’re lucky enough to be able to see your board while you are driving, do keep an eye on it. It will bounce and you will see some up and down movement. In my experience, the slight bounce up and down isn’t terrible, it’s when I can see the board moving left and right that I have a problem. More than once I’ve seen that slight left and right movement and pulled over and found the board wasn’t nearly as tight as it was when I left the house. I’ve also noticed different car racks have different amounts of flex. I’m still getting used to my new (used) Toyota Highlander. I’ve noticed my 14’ board bounces far more than when it was on my old Subaru Impreza and I think it’s because there is more flex in the Toyota factory crossbars. (See update below for additional safety measure as the SUP Taxi ages and the straps stretch.)
OTHER OPTIONS
The ability to lock up your board is the biggest advantage of the SUP Taxi but if you have a rack with cross bars, straps are simple and work just as well. You can also look at KanuLock locking straps. Yakima offers the SUP Dawg which is very similar to the SUP Taxi but I haven’t tried it yet.
The ability to lock up your board is the biggest advantage of the SUP Taxi but if you have a rack with cross bars, straps are simple and work just as well. You can also look at KanuLock locking straps. Yakima offers the SUP Dawg which is very similar to the SUP Taxi but I haven’t tried it yet.
|
|
|
DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME
And here is one of the crazier things I did with the SUP Taxi and some other straps. I in no way endorse or recommend doing this. I was going a very short distance. But it makes for a pretty hilarious picture.
* UPDATE 4/16/19
My SUP Taxi is still going strong but as I said before, I still worry about the straps stretching over time. I had tried a number of solutions to secure the board to the front of the car with additional safety lines but I found one simple solution to give me piece of mind when I get out on the highway and I'm going long distances. Simply adding a traditional cam strap in the middle that is connected directly to the car's rack keeps it rock solid at highway speed. For my short trips to my local spot I don't worry about it and just use the SUP Taxi. Why not just use straps all the time? Because this gives me the advantage of using the locks on the SUP Taxi. So, if you already own a SUP Taxi and want to extend it's life while feeling at ease out on the highway, I think this is a good solution. I use NRS and Mile 22 straps.
My SUP Taxi is still going strong but as I said before, I still worry about the straps stretching over time. I had tried a number of solutions to secure the board to the front of the car with additional safety lines but I found one simple solution to give me piece of mind when I get out on the highway and I'm going long distances. Simply adding a traditional cam strap in the middle that is connected directly to the car's rack keeps it rock solid at highway speed. For my short trips to my local spot I don't worry about it and just use the SUP Taxi. Why not just use straps all the time? Because this gives me the advantage of using the locks on the SUP Taxi. So, if you already own a SUP Taxi and want to extend it's life while feeling at ease out on the highway, I think this is a good solution. I use NRS and Mile 22 straps.