Board bags are used for several reasons:

1. To protect your board from dings. Surfboards are fragile and need to be protected from little bumps. So when your board is not in the water, it should be in a padded bag.
2. To protect your board from the heat and sun damage. Heat is your surfboard’s worst enemy. Keep your board in a white or reflective board bag so that it does not overheat. If you board overheats, it can delaminate, which means that the glue and binding that holds it together starts to come apart and destroys your board.

How to pick out a board bag:

When buying a board bag I look for several things. I always make sure that my bag is a few inches bigger than my board so that I can fit my fins, leash, wax, and maybe wetsuit in it. The other thing I make sure is that it is white or reflective (very shiny, not dull shiny; should look like a mirror). White and reflective materials deflect the sun and keep your board cool. Dark colors actually attract the sun and make your board hotter than it would be without the bag. If your local shop only carries dark colors, go online and get it.

Do you need it?

I have a board bag for all of my boards except my kids foam boards. I could not imagine paying $600+ for a nice board and not protecting it!