Dakine

Dakine · Day Surfboard Bag (5'4" – 7'0")

Dakine Daylight Surfboard Bag — Thruster Review

9.0/ 10 Aggregate score

9.0

Average price$92Range $76.50–$115 across 3 retailersSee sources

The default day bag. Quarter-inch (6.5 mm) foam padding, a heat-reflective tarpaulin shell, a wax/fin pocket and a removable padded shoulder strap — sized from 5'4" to 7'0" for thruster outlines. It is a storage and car-to-beach bag, not a travel coffin.

View on Dakine

Quick specs

Type: Day bag — single board, thruster outline
Padding: 1/4 inch (6.5 mm) full-length closed-cell foam
Shell: Heat- and water-resistant tarpaulin, 50% recycled content
Sizes: 5'4", 5'8", 6'0", 6'3", 6'6", 7'0"
Pockets: Wax / fin pocket
Straps: Removable padded shoulder strap + top carry handle

Dakine's own description sets the brief plainly: "Treat your board right. From routine storage to everyday transport, our Daylight Surfboard Bag offers unbeatable lightweight, padded coverage... your board enjoys heat- and water-resistant coverage plus full-length 1/4-inch (6.5mm) foam-padded ding protection. A padded shoulder strap leaves your hands free for other gear."

Pricing on dakine.com runs from $85 for smaller sizes in the White colourway up to $115 for the 7'0" in Dark Tide. Cleanline Surf lists the 2024 version from $76.50, and the range extends upwards into the Daylight LT ($138) and Daylight DLX ($180, 5 mm padding, YKK #10 zip) for surfers who want more protection.

Pros & cons

Heat-reflective shell genuinely helps when the board sits in the sun between surfs
Six lengths from 5'4" to 7'0" — you can size it to the board rather than round up
Removable padded shoulder strap and a top handle, so it carries two ways
Widely discounted: verified at $76.50 at Cleanline against $85+ at Dakine

1/4 inch padding is a day bag spec — not enough for checked airline travel
Single board only; two boards need the Daylight Double or a coffin
Colour and size combinations sell out, and prices vary by up to $30 across the range

How it surfs

What you are buying at this price is sun and scratch protection plus a clean way to get a waxed board into a car. The tarpaulin shell reflects heat well enough that a board left in a bag in the sun does not go soft the way a bare board will, and the wax pocket keeps a bar and a fin key off the deck.

What you are not buying is travel protection. Airlines are hard on boards and 6.5 mm of foam will not survive a baggage belt — step up to the DLX with 5 mm closed-cell padding and a #10 zip, or a dedicated travel coffin. Amazon's listing for the Daylight Thruster shows 4.5 out of 5 from 84 ratings, which lines up with the general verdict: excellent day bag, wrong tool for flying.

Volume & sizing chart

Use the chart below as a starting point. Add half a litre if you are less experienced, subtract half a litre for a looser feel.

Size	Volume	Rider weight	Best for
5'4"	Groveller / small shortboard	n/a	All
5'8"	Shortboard	n/a	All
6'0"	Shortboard	n/a	All
6'3"	Shortboard / step-up	n/a	All
6'6"	Step-up	n/a	All
7'0"	Step-up / small mid-length	n/a	All

Verdict

The most sensible $80–$100 you can spend on a board you drive to the beach. Buy it in your board's exact length, keep the wax in the pocket, and get a DLX or a coffin before you fly anywhere.

Aggregate score: 9.0 / 10

Aggregated from 3 independent sources — see full list below.

What reviewers around the web are saying

Surfex does not test gear directly. Below are independent retailer and editorial sources. When a source publishes a numeric score, it is normalized to a five-point scale; otherwise the source is listed without a score.

Aggregate score

9.0/ 10

9.0

3 sources

Source	Score	Summary
Amazon — Dakine Daylight Surf Thruster Bag	9.0 4.5 / 10	"Rated 4.5 from 84 reviews. Padded: 1/4-inch foam; removable shoulder and top carry straps; 1 stash pocket, 1 wax/fin pocket; tarpaulin material."
Dakine — official product page	No numeric score	"Treat your board right. From routine storage to everyday transport, our Daylight Surfboard Bag offers unbeatable lightweight, padded coverage... full-length 1/4-inch (6.5mm) foam-padded ding protection."
Cleanline Surf — Daylight Thruster Day Bag 2024 (2 reviews)	No numeric score	"Listed at $76.50, reduced from $85.00, in six lengths from 5'4" to 7'0" across four colourways."

Where to buy & average price

Listed prices come from verified retailer pages. The average price below is an unweighted mean of verified retailer prices — converted to USD (≈) when retailers list in different currencies. Click any retailer to verify the native-currency price.

Average price

$92

$76.50–$115 · 3 retailers

Retailer	Price	vs. average
Cleanline Surf (US, 5'8")	$76.50	-$15.50	Visit
Dakine (US, 5'4"–5'8")	$85	-$7	Visit
Dakine (US, 7'0")	$115	+$23	Visit

Frequently asked questions

Can I fly with the Daylight Thruster bag?+

Not safely. It carries 1/4 inch (6.5 mm) of padding, which is a day-bag specification. For checked flights use the Daylight DLX with 5 mm closed-cell foam and a YKK #10 zip, or a purpose-built travel coffin.

What size should I buy?+

Buy the closest length at or above your board: sizes run 5'4", 5'8", 6'0", 6'3", 6'6" and 7'0". A bag much longer than the board lets it slide and knock the nose.

How much does it cost?+

Dakine lists $85 to $115 depending on size and colourway. Cleanline Surf lists the 2024 model from $76.50, down from $85.

Will it fit a fish or a wide-tail board?+

It is cut for thruster outlines. Very wide fish and hybrid shapes fit better in the Daylight Hybrid, which Cleanline lists from $76.50.

Does it hold two boards?+

No — one board. Dakine's Daylight Double is the two-board version.

Does the heat-reflective shell actually work?+

It helps. Dakine specifies a heat- and water-resistant tarpaulin shell, which slows the temperature rise on a board left in the sun. It is not a substitute for parking in the shade.