Set the timer to 109 seconds

Online timer for 109 seconds

Set a 109 seconds countdown, leave the phone nearby, and use the interval to secure your board before heading to the surf. That gives you a defined window to centre it on the roof racks, feed the straps through, and tighten each side without repeatedly checking the time. On a breezy New Zealand driveway or beach car park, keep one hand on the board until the first strap holds it steady.

While you work around the vehicle, the phone may dim or lock before the countdown finishes. The timing should continue even when the screen goes dark, so the audible signal matters more than the display. Keep the phone close enough to hear over wind and traffic, but away from wet ground, dripping wetsuits, and any spot where a loose strap could knock it down.

After the signal, leave a small buffer before driving off or moving to the next job. Use it to pull firmly on both straps, tuck away loose ends, and check that the fins or board bag cannot shift against the racks. If the board was secured early, that spare moment becomes a useful final check; if fastening took longer, finish calmly and treat the signal as a progress marker rather than a departure cue.