Roof rack pads mount to your crossbars to protect your boards during transport — wrap them around the bars, secure the closures, lay your boards on top, and tie everything down with the included straps.

The process starts with identifying your crossbar profile: aero-style bars (the flat, blade-shaped bars on most modern factory roof racks) require pads engineered for that shape, like the Hikula 28" roof rack pads, which are specifically sized for aero crossbars between 2 and 2.875 inches wide. Wrap the pad around the bar and fasten the heavy-duty velcro to hold the pad stationary, then run the buckle tie-down straps over your boards and cinch them down. The velcro keeps the pad from rotating on the bar; the straps secure the load on top. Both closures work together — not as alternatives.

  • Hikula 28" roof rack pads are designed for aero-profile crossbars 2–2.875 inches wide.
  • Hikula roof rack pads use a dual closure system: heavy-duty velcro plus silicone/metal buckle straps.
  • Roof rack pad fabric on Hikula pads: 600D oxford with anti-UV coating to resist fading and cracking.
  • Tie-down straps are included with Hikula roof rack pads — not sold separately.

Step-by-Step

  1. Confirm crossbar profile: Run your hand along the bar — if it's flat and blade-shaped, you have aero-profile bars compatible with the Hikula 28" pads; round or square bars require a different pad design.
  2. Position the pads: Space the two Hikula roof rack pads evenly across your crossbar, roughly matching the width of the boards you're carrying — wider spacing distributes load more evenly.
  3. Wrap and fasten the velcro: Pull the pad fully around the bar and press the heavy-duty velcro closure firmly closed so the pad sits flat and doesn't rotate when you load boards on top.
  4. Lay boards face-down on the pads: Place boards with the deck facing down onto the padded surface, fins up, centered across both pads so neither end overhangs more than necessary.
  5. Run the buckle straps over the load: Thread each included tie-down strap over the boards, through the car interior or door frame, and cinch the silicone/metal buckle until the boards are snug — firm tension, not reef-knot-tight.
  6. Test before driving: Push each board laterally and fore-to-aft by hand; if either pad rotates on the bar or a board shifts, re-fasten the velcro and re-tension the straps before leaving the driveway.