A Product We Genuinely Adore: DB’s New Surf Bag 3.0
It passed the Tavarua test. Here’s what you need to know.
Erling Haaland earns roughly $3M a month from Manchester City, has 77 million followers on Instagram, and, by all accounts, is quite good at kicking a white and black ball around.
Curiously, he was recently seen touting a product that was technically born on a surf trip.
In 2009, an engineering student and a famous free skier met while chasing a swell in Norway. By 2012, they launched DB with a ski bag that suddenly made all other ski bags look foolish. In 2021, they revisited that original spark and released their first board bag, with that same level of sophistication that shook up the ski world. They also brought surfers like Craig Anderson and Jordy Smith on the team and started making short surf films.
The DB board bag immediately became a favorite amongst our staff and began overindexing anytime we brought a large group of surfers together at one of our events. Our Editor-in-Chief at the time claimed that the board bag and luggage hook-up system changed his life. A bit hyperbolic, you’d think, until you consider the fact that he was averaging 200 days a year on the road with a bunch of gear. When the second iteration came around, another writer felt drawn to it in a more peculiar way.
Five years after the first board bag came along, DB’s Surf Bag 3.0 is here. And those obsessively thoughtful Scandinavians have done it again.
”The new board bag is a complete upgrade from version one,” says Jordy, who contributed to the design. “Think first class from economy. More protection and lighter weight. Also there’s padding in better areas of the bag, making life light and easy to roll on through.”
You might want to trust a guy who’s been on the CT for nearly 20 years when it comes to travel gear.
With 3.0, DB went hard on protection — frankly, harder than even the most aggravated baggage handler could fathom. To start, it has a polymer rib cage running 360 degrees around the bag in a few strategic locations. It fits three boards and has a padded shelving system for their noses. It has pockets for towels, clothes, etc around both the nose and tail, so that the rest of your luggage becomes extra padding. You can remove the nose and tail systems if you hate nice things. Oh, and see where Jordy’s hand is touching there? In the 3.0, you’d see a memory foam tube running the length of the rail for even more protection.
And of course, it folds up easily for storage and can hook up to a DB roller bag in that allegedly life-changing way.
The new drop conveniently aligned with the Fiji Pro, and our social manager, Coral McDuffee, gave the 3.0 a try. Sure enough, her boards showed up safe and sound after the Uber, flight, van ride, and boat trip required to reach Tavarua from California. It even kept her stuff dry despite the best efforts of a tropical squall. Now let’s tap in Coral for a bit more color.
@stabmagazine Every surfers (second) worst nightmare. #surftok #surftravel #travelhack ♬ House featuring John Cale – Charli xcx & John Cale
I really liked the shelving system for your noses. I know it’s for protection, but it also just made everything feel more organized when packing — especially with all the pockets for your gear and clothes. When I was traveling with it, it felt more sleek and way easier to carry than a normal board bag. I especially noticed that when going down aisles and through tighter spaces in the airport. I just like the way it looks, too. I think it’s one of the cleanest designs that you see in surf as whole.
DB’s Surf Bag 3.0 is available as a 6’6” or 7’6″, in case you like either waves that might harm you or mid-lengths.
Early data from the 2026 Stab reader survey suggests that approximately 95% of you are considering a surf trip in the next year. Head here to send that tattered old bag in your garage out to its final resting place and roll into your next trip with comfort and style instead of some new dings.
If you’re a Premium member, keep an eye on your inbox for a 15% off discount code. Or, if you don’t keep up with our emails, hit [email protected] and he’ll send you a code.
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