How The APEX Works - Protect and Cradle with XPS / IPS

How The APEX Works - Protect and Cradle with XPS / IPS

DESIGNED FOR A LIFETIME OF USE

Unveiling the groundbreaking APEX Surfboard cover series, a paradigm shift in surfboard protection. Featuring state-of-the-art patented external and internal protection systems (XPS / IPS), your boards stay safeguarded like never before. What's more? Embrace sustainability with our lifetime warranty, ensuring your board's longevity and reducing environmental impact..... aside from a personal O&E sherpa for your trip, what more could you ask for !?!?!

The APEX is Ocean & Earth’s top-end travel cover for shortboards, fishes and longboards ranging from 5’8" to 10’0”. It is the pinnacle of innovation and durability, made so you can surf with no limits.

How’d we do it? It didn't happen overnight. Connecting and protecting surfboards is in our DNA and the APEX is the culmination of 40 years of innovative surfboard bag creation experience. It is a board bag with enough space to protect your entire quiver, plus all your surf trip essentials.

That’s the big picture. But the devil is always in the detail. And while our designers have come up with a new look that is both sleek, stylish and stealthy, the APEX surfboard bag's technical magic bullet, and smoking gun, is the XPS / IPS system, patent applied.

The external protection system (XPS) is a structured external shell that provides the initial high-impact defence designed to protect. The internal protection system (IPS) is the internally positioned cushioning pads and compression straps that keep the precious cargo cushioned and cradled at all times.

The XPS / IPS system only features on the multi-board APEX surfboard covers from double to five-board, board bags are designed to safeguard your boards, instilling a lifetime of trust so your next surf trip comes with total peace of mind.

We see the XPS as the first line of defence. It’s a fortification that makes The Wall in Game of Thrones look like wet tissue. Essentially, we have used the equity in the (XP) Extra Protection from our previous surfboard covers and juiced it up in APEX

The tail and the nose sections feature an Armour plate, made from a tough, tear-proof, water-repellent fabric. This is backed by anti-impact moulded foam that cushions your boards from board damaging impact. Lastly, a high-impact inner board is a stiff reinforcement designed to thwart white walkers and psychotic baggage handlers.

The rail section also features the armour plate, 10 mm of shock-absorbing, 10mm lightweight anti-impact foam and nylon ripstop fabric. The body is designed with our Armour Weave Light, which is a tough, tear-proof water repellent fabric. There’s also more anti-shock and anti-impact foam, and a lightweight lining that keeps your gear dry and protected. Oh, and the contoured rail gusset is designed to fit the rocker curve and makes a secure and protective fit during transit.

To this tough, light and flexible external shell, we added touches that only surfboard covers made by surfers have. External compression straps can be cranked tight to minimise surfboard movement that leads to damage. Strategically positioned top load handles help baggage handlers move your prize possessions carefully rather than use them as a discus. The ergonomic carry handle feels super plush under your hand ensuring your surfboard cover isn't a punish to carry.

A hard-wearing skid plate at the base is designed to reduce abrasion and protect the cover, whether dragging it through an airport or throwing the board bag into the back of the Ute. A custom wheels system features a heavy-duty inline bearing system, positioned at the end for easy rolling or to stand upright to roll into lifts or for tight corners.

As a final touch, we added an anti-shock stretch shoulder strap that can be stashed in its own pocket once you reach oversized baggage, and large, lockable zip heads that come with reflective paracord pullers and a padded zip flap to protect your rails. The end result of the XPS system is a surfboard cover with pure protection.

Then comes the IPS, the internal mechanisms and tech features that cradle and protect your boards and reinforce the XPS first line of defence. Nose and tail padded bumpers are crucial in providing a cushioning effect. This combined with rail protection means the total padding is over 50 mm thick. That’s why you don’t need to add any bubble wrap, pool noodles or clothes to the board bag. The APEX surfboard cover provides all the protection you need.

 Next up is board cradle padded dividers that are strategically positioned pads to ensure your boards do not touch each other. Less friction means less damage. 40 mm thick nose cushion pads are designed to separate each board and redirect the stress point away from the nose, a common area of damage. Padded internal compression straps are secured with Velcro to further keep surfboard movement to a minimum.

We’ve added padded fin pouches on the rail so you can stash your fins, each fin in a separate section, so they don’t cause havoc. Aircon Vents then add breathability and means you can regulate the temperature to keep your boards from overheating on the tarmac, or in the tropics. There’s even a patented hanging hook to hang up your surfboard cover once you are home after an epic trip.

The combo of the XPS / IPS system means you don’t need to worry about your very expensive surfboards because we’ve got you covered. It’s the APEX of protection for a lifetime of travel that, fittingly, comes with sustainability in mind. Busted surfboards commonly end up in landfill, and busted surfboard bags will end up in the same pile.

Our new board cover range is designed for a life time of use, and our new lifetime warranty underscores our commitment to a sustainable future and reducing waste. We assure you against faulty workmanship or defective materials for the entire lifecycle of the surfboard cover.

Reducing waste and keeping the Ocean & Earth pumping for generations to come.

We understand that safeguarding your boards increase the chances of scoring waves. And the APEX does that beautifully. Or as our test pilot Russell Bierke said, “Knowing your boards will get there safely is a pretty bloody good way to start a surf trip.”

 
 Words by Ben Mondy
Photography by Dane Singleton & Andrew Kaineder