Let's Chat: "No sand in the Whip!" w/ Aaron

Tips for keeping your car clean, even after those sandy kiting trips...

As we were about to leave the beach one hot July afternoon, my 5-year-old son, River, turns to my wife, Lesa, and says, “Remember, Mom—NO sand in the whip!” Hahaah! I about fell over laughing - my poor kid has OCD like me!

You know that one friend of yours that never cleans their car, truck or van out? Especially if they’re a fellow kiteboarder that always has all of their kiteboarding gear with them at all times. They change out of their wetsuit and just toss is casually in the back, sand and all. All of their boards, wetsuits and gear are just piled up in the back, with sand falling off everywhere. Yeah, I totally used to be that guy. It was all function. I could care less about what people thought of my 12-year-old mini van. It got me to the beach and back, with all of my gear in tow. Mission accomplished.

So, yeah that was me—until I found and purchased one of the cars I’d always wanted. Back in high school, I had several friends that owned muscle cars. I always wanted one too. As a kiteboarder, I just couldn’t justify driving something that couldn’t haul my gear, though. And that has always limited my car buying options. I love fast cars, but I love kitesurfing more, and I will always need room for my gear.

Then I found it. A car dealer in my neighborhood had THE car that I had been looking for. Ever since it hit the market over ten years ago, I had wanted a Dodge Magnum RT. It had the horsepower and the space to haul all of my gear. It was, in my opinion, the “family man’s muscle car”. It could carry the family and the gear, and it could haul some ass too! 5.7 liter Hemi V8, black on black, leather seats, premium sound, and room for my gear—it was a done deal.

Of course, now I had to look at how I carry my kiteboarding gear a little differently. I don’t want sand everywhere. I don’t throw my gear in the back and forget about it. I don’t jump in it and change out of my wetsuit inside. I can no longer have sand in my whip!

Yeah, I’m a little bit of a tweaker that way - I get it. But I’m guessing that I’m not alone in my challenge to keep my car clean? If you spend any time at the beach, you know that you’re going to have sand in your car. It’s a fact. Here’s how I do my best to keep the sand out.

Compression Bags

Have you noticed how much sand gets trapped in your kite bags? If you leave it on the beach while you’re out riding, sand always seems to find a way into all of the pockets and such. I get around that by using Dakine Compression Bags to store my kites in. Originally, I used them to save space, as you can compress your gear down to around half of its original size. Then I realized that they don’t trap nearly as much sand as the bags that came with my kites do. Maybe it’s because they are a simple nylon bag without pockets and zippers. I’m not sure.

Board Bags

Next, I make sure to have board bags for all of my boards. Surfboards, twin-tips, foil-board—everything has a bag. Sometimes you have to tear down quick after your session, and you don’t have time to be neat. Just knock the loose sand off and slide it in a board bag. Then you can clean them off later, and they won’t dirty-up your car.

Wetsuit Bag

Even in the summer, I almost always have a wetsuit handy. Sometimes it’s just a thin springsuit—sometimes a fullsuit. Wetsuits are notorious for attracting sand. Did I mention that I don’t like sand in my whip? Ha! I like using a wetsuit changing mat/wet bag like the ones that ION makes. Just lay it down, stand on it while removing your wetty, and then pull the drawcord tight to trap your wet gear inside. No worries. Just make sure to take your wetty out when you get home or you’ll be greeted with the most gnarly aroma the next time you jump in your car to go somewhere. No jackpot.

Rinse Kit

The first time a saw a guy spraying down his gear with a hose coming from the back of his car, I had to find out more. He was using what’s called a Rinse Kit. Basically, it’s a portable, pressurized outdoor sprayer/shower and it works great for hosing down your boards, harnesses, and wetties. They have a two-gallon capacity and can be filled and pressurized with your garden hose. At first, I thought it was kind of ridiculous—then I tried it out. Now I have one too. I did mention that I’m a gear tweaker, right?

Seat Covers

My last line of defense in the fight to keep sand out of my car is a good seat cover. ION makes two different options: towel material and neoprene. I prefer the neoprene ones, as they keep more water off of my seats if my boardies are a little wet on the drive home. And of course, they trap more sand.

Aside from that, I also take advantage of a local car wash chain that happens to have free vacuums. They also have an unlimited wash membership and an attached Timmy Hortons—triple-threat bonus!

So, that’s all from me and my OCD. Cheers to your next session, and your sand-free whip!