Figuring out how to store a surfboard in an apartment is the post-session puzzle every city surfer knows. Leaning in the hallway, sliding under the bed, wedged behind the couch — your board deserves better, and so does your living space. A badly stored board picks up dings, yellows in the sun and eventually takes a fall. The good news: from space-saving vertical racks to wall mounts that turn your shortboard into wall art, there are simple fixes. Here are 5 ways to store your board without sacrificing your square footage — or your rails.
Why Leaning Your Board Against the Wall Is a Bad Idea
A surfboard left on the floor or propped against a wall gets damaged even when you're not surfing it. The rails take micro-knocks every time the board slips or gets moved, and PU/polyester construction dents easily — those pressure dings weaken the glassing over time. Rest the board on its tail with fins down and the fins carry weight they were never designed for.
Then there are the two silent killers: heat and sunlight. Next to a radiator or a south-facing window, wax melts and runs down the deck (and onto your floor), while an EPS/epoxy board can yellow or even delaminate. And there's the dumbest risk of all: the fall. One draft, one bump of the vacuum cleaner, and you're off to the repair shop.
Option 1: A Horizontal Wall Mount to Display Your Board
This is the most stylish solution. Mounted horizontally in the living room or bedroom, your board becomes genuine wall decor: the shape, the stringer and the deck artwork read like a painting. A wooden wall mount with felt padding only touches the rails — no wax sticking anywhere, no glassing rubbing against the wall.
It's the perfect option for a board you care about: your first fish, a vintage longboard, a custom shape. Match the weight capacity to the board: around 3 kg (7 lbs) for a shortboard, up to 10–12 kg (26 lbs) for a 9-foot longboard. Browse our surfboard wall mounts to compare both orientations.
Option 2: A Vertical Rack, the Space-Saving Champion
In a narrow hallway or entryway, a vertical surfboard rack is unbeatable: the board stands tail-down and takes up barely 50 cm (20 in) of wall width. It's the most practical everyday storage — grab your board on the way to the session, hang it back up when you're home (once it's rinsed and dry).
Check two details before you buy. First, ceiling height: a 9'0" longboard is about 2.75 m (9 ft) tall — better to know before you drill. Second, fin clearance: a good vertical rack leaves enough room between board and wall so you don't have to pull your thruster set out of the boxes every time.
Option 3: A Multi-Board Rack for Your Quiver
Own more than one board? A shortboard for punchy days, a fish for mushy summer waves, a mid-length for everything else — your quiver grows faster than your apartment. A multi-board wall rack stacks 2 to 4 boards horizontally on a single wall, surf-shop style.
It's also the best way to see your whole quiver at a glance and keep every board ventilated, with no board-on-board contact. For a loaded rack, go for powder-coated steel or solid wood with a comfortable weight capacity: three boards add up to 12–15 kg (26–33 lbs) fast.
Where Should the Mount Go in Your Apartment?
The golden rule: away from direct sun and heat sources. Skip the wall facing the bay window and the one running along the radiator — neither wax nor resin will thank you. Any interior wall in the living room, bedroom or entryway works perfectly.
Think about foot traffic too: mounted horizontally, your board sticks out about 20 cm (8 in) from the wall. Above a couch, a sideboard or a bed, it sits safely out of reach of shoulders and backpacks. If your board looks good from both sides, alternate deck and bottom whenever you feel like a change — a good mount allows both. Want to push the gallery vibe further? Have a look at our board display racks.
Will It Hold on Drywall?
Yes — with the right anchors. A drywall partition will happily carry a wall mount and a board as long as you use hollow-wall anchors rated for the total weight. For a 3 kg shortboard it's a formality; for a 10 kg longboard or a loaded quiver rack, use heavy-duty anchors or, better still, screw straight into a stud.
A stud finder costs a few dollars and saves a lot of regret. On brick or concrete, the standard plugs supplied with the hardware are more than enough.
3 Mistakes to Avoid
- Storing the board wax-side to the wall. Wax sticks, melts and stains. Deck facing out or facing up — never against the wall.
- Leaving it in a damp boardbag. A zipped bag after a session means trapped moisture and accelerated yellowing. Dry your board before you store it.
- Undersizing the mount. A hook made for a skateboard won't hold a 5 kg funboard. Always check the stated weight capacity.
The Takeaway
Storing a surfboard in an apartment comes down to a trade-off between space and showcase: a vertical rack in the entryway for the daily driver, a horizontal wall mount in the living room for the board you want to display, a multi-board rack once the quiver grows. Either way, your board stays safe from dings, heat and falls — and your floor finally breathes.
Ready to clear that hallway? Explore our surfboard wall mounts in solid wood or steel, designed for everything from shortboards to longboards.