What kind of surf rack for my BMW?

Question

I need a surf rack for my 318i BMW... What kind would best fit since i dont have cross bars or whatever. I was looking at the Dakine pads and tie downs but wasnt sure if that was all i needed.

Answer 1

I use the FCS soft racks.  They work great but given the choice I would go with the cam lock version.  The D-rings are kind of a pain in the a$$.

Answer 2

the dakine pads and tie downs are for cars with hard racks i believe. you could probably make it work, but there will be nothing holding down the pads if you use them without a rack. if you don't already have factory racks, or don't want to buy a thule or yakima system (expensive, but worth the investment, in my opinion) try fcs soft racks ($40 or so). fcs makes two kinds; one with a "d" ring strap closure and one with a "cam" buckle closure. i had the cam buckles and they worked great; the d rings tend to slip and loosen sometimes which isn't good. also, block surf makes a similar product to the fcs soft racks.

Answer 3

Is it for a shortboard or longboard, b/c I can fit three shortboards in my Honda Civic by just folding the back seats. Anyways, the Dakine pads are good because they are portable meaning you can take them off. If you want to invest in an actual rack, I recommend a Thule or Yakima brand, they last longer and cost about $250 to install.