Mule Transport System
One of the biggest issues with stand up paddle boards is the fact that they
are huge. Getting them around and storing them is a serious concern. Carrying
a regular 8’ longboard (which is maybe 22” wide and 2” thick)
under your arm down to your favorite beach break can be tiresome enough if it’s
a bit of a trek. If you live 8 blocks from the beach, even more so. Now try
that with a 12’ long, 30” wide and 5” thick SUP that weighs
in at a tad over 30 lbs. These things are so wide that they typically put a
hand slide in the center because nobody’s arm is long enough to carry
it like a standard surfboard. I’m lucky enough to live right on the beach
at the bay, so I can drop my stand up paddle board into the water out front
and take a 10 minute paddle across the bay towards the ocean strand. Then I
have to haul the board about the equivalent of a block or two and I’m
usually switching hands by the time I make it to the waves, especially if there’s
a cross wind. The take away is that transportation is a serious concern for
SUP enthusiasts.
The Mule Transport System is a simple, yet elegant solution for not only transporting
your stand up paddle board to your favorite drop-in point, but also to pile
on all of your gear as well. It’s basically a set of tube tires with plastic
mag wheels on a lightweight, padded crossbar/axel that straps onto one end of
your stand up paddle board. You throw another canvas like material nose piece
over the nose of your board and a strap cinches the two together securing everything
into one piece. There is a loop strap out the nose of the Mule that acts as
a carrying handle, or better yet attaches to a bicycle seat (or a scooter or
motorcycle or four-wheeler if you’re backroading it to a hidden away lake)
as a tow behind. Suddenly you not only have an effortless transportation solution
for your stand up paddle board, but you’ve got a platform to pile on all
your stuff (ice chests, beach towels and gear, tents, whatever). It’s
designed for low speed, and while I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it,
I’ve heard of people taking these 55 mph behind a motorcycle. Not exactly
street legal, but neither is sitting on a longboard on top of a scooter seat
as it dangles out the back 6 feet and you’ve going 30 mph around the Hawaiian
Islands…
For international travelers, the Mule Transport System is a Godsend. It’s
turns your typically unwieldy stand up paddle board into a lightweight EZ-cart
that you can stack all of your luggage on top and wheel around an unfamiliar
airport and perhaps town if need be. The wheels are even off-road friendly.
The upper nose piece of the Mule has a shoelace like adjustment feature that
allows it to fit the nose shape of pretty much any board. It also features a
pouch to hold surf essentials like wax, a leash, and personal items. Once you
reach the beach, everything can be broken down in just a couple minutes. The
wheels have quick release cotter pins. Disassemble, and toss all the Mule Transportation
System parts into the provided carrying bag, then loop your bike lock thru the
bag handle or individually thru the mag wheels depending on the place you’re
leaving it. The whole Mule system only weighs about 5 lbs and packs in a 12"x28"x3"
travel bag for easy storage.
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