Surf Bimini

[Booms]

Here are the pictures I have of ours. The only suggestion I would have is to make sure you leave enough fabric for the opening. I think that ours was too tight. It caused the board traction to rub against the speaker tower mount and started to wear away. So I had to put a towel/rag under the boards for added padding. I do not think the boards would ever fly out of the Bimini at boating speeds so there is no reason to make it extremely tight.

bimini 1.jpg

bimini 2.jpg

Because the material of the factory Bimini is Sunbrella the local guy was able to match the color. I have seen other owners use mesh to deter having a wet Bimini, but to be honest the sun usually dries out the material quickly. The black material was a padded somewhat sticky surface, which helped keep the boards secure.

[SurfTN]

Great picks ... thank you! Does the open edge of the pocket have some elastic to secure the board?

[DLafont]

Nice setup, simple enough.

I'll consider adding this mine.

[007]

Had a local shop do mine, use it every outing. Just make sure they don't sew the sleeves for the Bimini bows shut like my guy did the first time! Doh!

[Coop]

I do not think the boards would ever fly out of the Bimini at boating speeds so there is no reason to make it extremely tight.

I would mount straps to secure the boards. I have the factory surf bimini. Even though the pockets are pretty tight, on windy/choppy days, if I don't use the straps, the boards can (and will) slip out of the pockets. Unfortunately, I have some personal experience with this. No damage to boards or passengers, but it could have been worse.

[IDBoating]

If you have that exposed rubber surface at the opening of the pockets, I don't think the boards can slip out. I don't like the straps because they can flop around up there and damage boards as well as make noise unless you secure them every time, which just makes the setup less convenient to use.

On my bimini, the pockets open at the rear and the pockets slope downward toward the bow. To wiggle out, the boards would have to 1) overcome the friction of the exposed rubber, and 2) walk uphill toward the stern. Basically zero chance of that happening. In fact, I once set a board up there and forgot to put it in the pocket... it rode up there for hours and I didn't realize it until we were putting the boat away for the night.

Here's our setup, custom stitched by a local upholstery shop to my specs:

[Smcqueen]

I lost a board because it was not strapped in. Fortunately it showed up a few hours later. I never saw it leave the boat.

[Coop]

If you have that exposed rubber surface at the opening of the pockets, I don't think the boards can slip out. I don't like the straps because they can flop around up there and damage boards as well as make noise unless you secure them every time, which just makes the setup less convenient to use.

On my bimini, the pockets open at the rear and the pockets slope downward toward the bow. To wiggle out, the boards would have to 1) overcome the friction of the exposed rubber, and 2) walk uphill toward the stern. Basically zero chance of that happening. In fact, I once set a board up there and forgot to put it in the pocket... it rode up there for hours and I didn't realize it until we were putting the boat away for the night.

I suppose it may depend on the rubber material and the angle of the bimini, but on the factory bimini with the Alpha Z tower, I can tell you from experience that the boards can and will slip out without the straps. Not on a calm day, but in chop, it can happen.

I typically don't secure the straps when I don't have boards up there, and I've never heard them flopping around while under way. I've also never had unsecured straps damage a board.

[IDBoating]

Mine is the factory bimini on the Alpha Z, and I sure won't repeat the experiment on purpose so I guess I was just lucky.

Are you saying your factory bimini doesn't slope down toward the bow? Mine sure does. The Alpha Z crossbar is definitely the high point, sloping down toward the chromed front bar.

[Coop]

Mine is the factory bimini on the Alpha Z, and I sure won't repeat the experiment on purpose so I guess I was just lucky.

Are you saying your factory bimini doesn't slope down toward the bow? Mine sure does. The Alpha Z crossbar is definitely the high point, sloping down toward the chromed front bar.

It's pretty flat, but If anything, mine slopes down towards the stern.

Looking at your picture again, I think your pockets may be further forward than mine. Maybe that's part of the difference.

[gibbs114]

I put a call in to Z5 Cargo Racks about make there top for the Tige tower.


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