These Simple, Lockable Tie-Down Straps Will Save A Surf Trip

The crew here at Stab ain’t luddite minimalists. We love a Shiny Object, especially one born from a good idea, a new invention we never knew we had to have. 

When the crew over at Surf Hardware International, aka Fin Control Systems, aka FCS, hit us about the addition of Kanulock’s steel-belted to their core offering, you could tell they were very, very excited about it. Of course, we had to get our hands on a set to see what all the fuss was about, and a few days later a shiny new set of keys and a very fancy set of straps arrived at our door (along with Kanulock tie-down’s sister safe, the Key Vault). 

The straps are sturdy and thick, with 2 x 2.5mm stainless steel cable running throughout. 

Now, these straps ain’t bike lock-secure—they’ll handle most box cutters and pretty much anything short of a hacksaw just fine—but they’re a damned solid improvement from standard nylon straps, which can basically be undone by anyone with any semblance of motor skills with a single slash or about ten seconds of untethering and untangling. Let us tell you, walking outside of an Ensenada nightclub empty handed, with only the next morning’s San Miguel session as consolation prize, only to find your racks bare and coffin as good as buried…

The stainless cable also makes the straps remarkably tangle-free, which for the less OCD amongst us is a true blessing. 

A little background on Kanulock, from the boys at FCS: “The Kanulock brand was established in 2005 and after operating successfully in Australia for some time was launched into the USA market in 2014 and later throughout Europe.

“The Kanulock lockable tie-down, brainchild of Clinton Hollier the company founder, is a premium lockable tie-down which allows Surfboards, SUP’s and Kayaks to be easily secured and locked to your roof-racks, giving the user the freedom to leave their board or kayak unattended and safe from theft.

“The addition of Kanulock to the existing portfolio of SHI brands which includes FCS, Gorilla, Softech and Hydro is part of a strategy designed to expand the business into the broader water board sports and fast growing outdoor & adventure markets. CEO of SHI, Michael Heath, had this to say about the latest addition to the company’s portfolio and future opportunities with the brand.

“We’re really excited about Kanulock and the potential of the brand. Clinton has done a tremendous job establishing a market leadership position for the brand in the premium lockable tie-down category. We see a number of opportunities to further grow the business including through international expansion, channel development and product line extensions”

Which doesn’t really say anything about whether you should cough up the not insubstantial amount of coin (the straps range from $70-100 depending on length—Kanulock’s tie-downs come in a range of lengths depending on the girth of your rooftop haul), so we’ll say it for them: yeah, totally. 

You can purchase Kanulock straps at fine retailers internationally, or from FCS directly, here.