Migra Surfboard Bag - Tested

Surfing is a great sport, but one part that always comes with it is travelling hazards. Although, compared to other water sport activities like windsurfing or kitesurfing, we surfers are used to travelling with the bare minimum. But we still have some things we need to take. Besides our beloved baby (surfboard) and a wetsuit we still need some other accessories like a board bag, board sock, wax, comb, fins, fin key, water, snacks and so on. Therefore, it is common that we hit the road with not only one but multiple bags or transportation devices. Whether it is only to surf our home break or to be on the road for a couple of hours or even to fly to another surf destination.

Marco and Mirko, the founders of MIGRA are two cool Italian surfer dudes, who are used to travelling a lot to be in the water and surf decent waves and they always came across the same problem. Why is there no decent durable and functional board bag around, that could be used for travelling and also versatile enough to be used on a daily basis? That is why they came up with the idea of creating their own board bag. In the beginning, the guys only wanted to evolve the surf sock. Their first idea was to create a durable, more protective surf sock, something for everyday use, but they ended up with a high quality surfboard bag which can also be used as travel board bag. Based on the north shore of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands, they started MIGRA in November 2017.

MIGRA is a high quality durable single board bag which weighs 1,8 - 2,2 kg depending on the size and is available now in 6’0“, 6’3“ and 6’7“.

The first touch you get with this board bag is unconventional but pretty cool, because the bag comes rolled and packed up in an additional storage bag. Something I have never seen before and I think is such a great idea. I personally have 5 different board bags which are very bulky and take up a lot of storage space when not being used. But with this roll up feature the MIGRA bag is a standout. It takes up less space than a sleeping mat. Sure, some doubters might say: why do I need to store my surfboard bag, because I have my board in it all the time anyway. But some of you, like me, might like to let their boards breath, stand around or hang on the wall… you know to let every visitor visibly know that they are entering surfer property!

As you unpack the MIGRA Surfbag, the first thing that comes to your mind would be something like “oh that’s unusual“. At first sight, it is of an unusual form, odd material and tons of extras you would never have considered finding within a standard surfboard bag.

But let’s start at the beginning. The most important aspect, obviously, is the material of a board bag, because it has to make sure that your baby is safe. MIGRA Boardbags are made out of a very water repellant and an 800 Denier durable polyester fabric. The perception speaks for itself. Smooth but still kind of rough. You feel the quality straight away. The charcoal and black colour mixed with tiny bits of yellow colour drops definitely is an eye-catcher from the outside. The inside cover material is a smoother polyester fabric, in colourful yellow, to make sure the surfboard glides silky smooth into the bag.

The next thing that I noticed was the thickness of the bag. Normal board bags have in-between 5 mm cushion on the top and around 10mm at the rails. Marko and Mirko made it 10 and 15mm. An extra thick buffer to protect the board from hard impacts. The 15mm foam rail protection additionally is stitched into the bag and kept in place by a high quality and enormous stitching along the outside line. The stitching is also evident in the inside, which gives an extra shock absorption on the rails. Check your own bag, I’m pretty sure you can see the stitching on the outside. A double layer shock and 10mm closed cell padding all over the bag keeps your shred stick safe.

The form and outline of the board bag is wide. Wider and bigger compared to other board bags on the market. A creation made for shorter but thicker boards, a fact which I find astonishing. MIGRA reads the needs of the market well, because lately everyone is getting shorter but wider and thicker with surfboard dimensions.

The nose of the bag is not pointed but square, which gives you extra space and also prevents the kinking of the bag whilst driving with your boards on top of your car.

The innovative external multitasking rings, which are stitched in and attached to the outside rails, are made out of material that is normally used for car seat belts. Usually, they are used to balance the bag with the attachable shoulder strap, but they can also be used to tie the boards onto your car roof rack.

Have you ever heard of a bag that can be balanced out while carrying? This is a super cool feature. Imagine walking back from your secret surf break exhausted after scoring wave after wave. Depending on where you placed all your accessories in your bag, for sure either the nose or the tail is going to get heavier the longer you walk. With the construction of the multitasking rings the bag is well balanced during the walk and so makes it a comfortable travel companion. And the best is still to come.

The next innovation can be seen at first glance as well. An external carry system of adjustable rope which is attached to the outside deck of the bag in a zig zag pattern. The yellow rope caught my attention straight away, because apart from the material, the form and additional small details, that is a never seen before addition to a daily used item in the surf industry. It can be used to carry your wetsuit, a towel, other accessories or even another surfboard.

Additional storage can be found on the inside. An interior pocket to store fins, wax or other smaller items. The hook and loop fastener has a handy gap so it is easy to open with one finger. Just another tiny but well thought through detail of this product. The zip of the bag is made out of salt-resistant metal, which was originally used on sailing boats.

To be honest, the MIGRA board bag is a high quality comfortable product, with an innovative design and new details, the likes of which I have never seen before.

But there are also some cons that have to be mentioned as well.

First, the length of the zipper is shorter than ‘normal’. It might not affect the daily use, because due to the smooth inner fabric the surfboards glides in and out without problems. But, for instance, if you want to turn the bag inside out to clean it on the inside, it is a hell of a job. Next, the space for the board with fins on is limited and you might get into trouble with glassed on or single fin boards.

I tried to put a 6’0“ x 20“ x 2 3/4“ shortboard with FCS 2 thruster setup into the 6’0“ board bag model and scraped through zipping the bag with fins on. My 6’0“ board bag model with my 6’0“ x 21“ x 3“ Joel Tudor single fin could not be closed without taking the fin off. It’s just a little downer because these days the FCS 2 fins can easily be taken off the board, but if you are a hardcore styler on single fins or glassed on sticks, you might get a bit nerve-wracked.

Also, the puller of the zipper to me seems to be a little bit small, especially if you want to close the bag with fins still on your board.

Nevertheless, I find the manufacturing of this piece of surf hardware remarkable. I love all the small details, and the whole thing is very well thought out. New features added to a daily used item, makes it a little piece of art.

It’s a great travel companion that really enhances the ease of making surf trips less hassle. It is durable, of high quality and one hell of an eye-catcher.