Patent Publication Number: US-10314383-B2

Title: Wearable sports equipment carrier with personal flotation device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/083,559, titled, “SPORTS EQUIPMENT CARRIER WHICH CAN BE WORN”, filed Mar. 29, 2016, which claims the benefit of the priority date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/140,382, titled, “SPORTS EQUIPMENT CARRIER WHICH CAN BE WORN”, filed Mar. 30, 2015. 
     This application also claims the benefit of the priority date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/369,001, titled, “Wearable sports equipment carrier with a personal flotation device”, filed Jul. 29, 2016. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a device for carrying sports equipment such as surfboards, stand up paddleboards (SUP), snowboards, snow skis, and the like, where the carrier device is self-adjusting to the size of the object being carried, and the device can be worn as a belt with an integral personal flotation device (PFD) when not carrying the sports equipment. 
     2. Background 
     The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant: 
     
       
         
           
               
            
               
                   
               
               
                 U.S. patents 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 U.S. 
                   
                   
                   
               
               
                 Pat. No. 
                 Kind Code 
                 Issue Date 
                 Patentee 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 3,777,007 
                 224-205 
                 August 1968 
                 Gaylor 
               
               
                 3,591,063 
                 224-55 
                 July 1971 
                 Pearce 
               
               
                 4,483,380 
                 206/315.1 
                 November 1984 
                 Beran 
               
               
                 4,804,025 
                 224/604 
                 February 1989 
                 Bear 
               
               
                 5,094,344 
                 206/315.1 
                 March 1992 
                 Savage 
               
               
                 4,724,989 
                 224/609 
                 February 1988 
                 Silberberg 
               
               
                 5,823,551 
                 280/47.131 
                 October 1998 
                 Conroy 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
       
         
           
               
            
               
                   
               
               
                 Foreign Patent Documents 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 Foreign Doc. Nr. 
                 Kind Code 
                 Publ. Date 
                 Country 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                 2490597 
                 224/917 
                 March 1982 
                 France 
               
               
                 3225842 
                 206/523 
                 February 1984 
                 Germany 
               
               
                 8501194 
                 224/917 
                 March 1985 
                 PCT Int&#39;l Appl. 
               
               
                 20050236450 
                 224/577.000 
                 Oct. 27, 2005 
                 PCT Int&#39;l Appl. 
               
               
                 20080057805 
                 B63B 35/79 
                 June 2008 
                 PCT Int&#39;l Appl. 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     Carrying an article like a surfboard or stand up paddleboard (SUP) to and from the water has always been a problem since the inception of surfing. Surfboard designers design surfboards to facilitate their functionality while in the water. The width of a surfboard or SUP contributes to its floating capability and thus its performance. As the width of the board increases to improve performance, it becomes more difficult to carry. In some cases, people&#39;s arms are just not long enough to carry the surfboard or SUP. As result, many individuals have made attempts to solve this problem of carrying a surfboard to the water. These include the Sling for Surfboard (U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,007), Surfboard Carrier (U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,063), Foldable protective cover and carrier for sports equipment (U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,380), Carrying harness for surfboards and the like (U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,025), Surfboard carry case (U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,344), Sailboard carrying apparatus (U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,989), Surfboard or sailboard carrier (U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,551), System transport of machine water sport as, for example the windsurfing (U.S. Pat. No. 2,490,597), Transport protection for surfing equipment (U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,842), Carrying harness for rectangular or oval body and accessories (U.S. Pat. No. 8,501,194), Board sling (20050236450) and Devices and Methods for Carrying and Storing a Surfboard (20080057805). 
     All the above designs have had some deficiency in their approach. Two of the above patents U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,591,063 and 5,823,551 each require the use of at least one hand, thereby limiting the user&#39;s ability to carry other important equipment such as a wetsuit, cooler, towel, etc. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,007, PCT 8501194 and PCT 20080057805 each consist of two straps and some initial setup adjustments prior to use for the size of the surfboard and size of the user. A new setup would be required for a different user or a different size surfboard. This increases the time to utilize the device and discourages its use. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,483,380, 4,724,989 and 4,804,025 each utilize bars or rods in their approach. This complicates the assembly, has multiple parts and when not in use these bars and rods require additional area when transporting and storing them. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,344, PCT 20050236450, German Pat. No. 3225842 and France Pat. No. 2490597 are carrier style bags or blankets. The bag/blanket approach requires enough material to cover the surfboard which increases the cost to manufacture, store and ship. 
     Besides the deficiencies as described above, all of these solutions miss the one key element of the problem: a user needs to carry surfboards both to and from the water&#39;s edge. The ocean is a dynamic environment such that the entry and exit point of the water may not be the same. The ocean&#39;s longshore currents (side currents) could move the user hundreds of yards down the shore from where they entered. Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus that can go with the user into the water and be readily available for use upon exiting the water. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with one embodiment, a wearable sports equipment carrier with a personal flotation device comprises a fixed loop, a buckle that can slide along the fixed loop and a strap element extending past the fixed loop attachment point. The strap element, working with the buckle creates a secondary adjustable loop having a user-defined size. The user can carry a surfboard or other object by using the fixed loop over a shoulder and the secondary adjustable loop around the surfboard. When not utilized as a carrier, the device can be worn, such as a belt. To use as a belt, the user keeps the fixed loop compressed together, wraps the carrier around his/her waist, through the buckle and then attaches it back onto itself. The carrier may also include an integrated personal flotation device (PFD) which provides additional safety for the surfer when the carrier is worn as a belt. 
     Accordingly, several advantages of one or more aspects are as follows: 1) the single strap carrier solution is very simple which makes it convenient and easy to use, 2) the weight of the object being carried causes the secondary adjustable loop to auto-tighten ensuring that the surfboard or other object is securely held in place allowing hands free operation, 3) the adjustability of the secondary loop allows a single embodiment to wrap many sizes surfboards or other objects and adjusts from a child size to a grown male adult, 4) the carrier can be made from a soft material that will not damage the surfboard, 5) the single strap carrier design conveniently converts to a belt that allows it to travel with the user, 6) when it is not utilized to carry a surfboard or worn as a belt it can be folded together to reduce its size for convenient storage, 7) the single strap carrier embodiment also makes it less expensive to manufacture, 8) the integral PFD allows a single device to be used for surfboard carrying on land and surfer safety when in the water, and 9) for situations where the carrier is being used to carry a heavy load, a weight transfer strap can be used to share the weight between the user&#39;s waist and hips, thus reducing the pressure on the user&#39;s shoulder. These and other benefits for one or more aspects will become apparent from consideration of the following description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a wearable sports equipment carrier carrying a surfboard; 
         FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a wearable sports equipment carrier being worn as a belt; 
         FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of a sports equipment carrier; 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a wearable sports equipment carrier without user and without surfboard; 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a wearable sports equipment carrier under a surfboard; 
         FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of a wearable sports equipment carrier being wrapped around a surfboard; 
         FIG. 7  shows a perspective view of a wearable sports equipment carrier lifting a surfboard and includes a personal flotation device; 
         FIG. 8  shows a perspective view of a wearable sports equipment carrier folding down to reduce the belt size and includes a personal flotation device; 
         FIG. 9  shows a perspective view of a wearable sports equipment carrier folded to become a belt laid flat; 
         FIG. 10  shows a perspective view of a wearable sports equipment carrier wrapping as a belt with a personal flotation device; 
         FIG. 11  shows a perspective view of a wearable sports equipment carrier making two folds to reduce the belt size; 
         FIG. 12  shows a top plan view of the carrier; 
         FIG. 13  shows a right elevation view of the carrier; 
         FIG. 14  shows a bottom plan view of the carrier; 
         FIG. 15  shows a left elevation view of the carrier; 
         FIG. 16  shows a front elevation view of the carrier; 
         FIG. 17  shows a rear elevation view of the carrier; 
         FIG. 18  shows an example of a personal flotation device which may be used with the wearable sports equipment carrier; 
         FIG. 19  shows an example of a fixed loop element assembly which mates to connectors of a personal flotation device; 
         FIG. 20  shows an example of a wearable sports equipment carrier including a personal flotation device connected to a fixed loop element assembly; and 
         FIG. 21  shows an embodiment of a wearable sports equipment carrier system including a separate belt and weight transfer strap. 
     
    
    
     The dashed lines of the individual and surfboard shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 6 ,  FIG. 7 ,  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 10  are for illustrative purpose only and form no part of the claimed design. The wearable sports equipment carrier is shown with broken away lines in  FIGS. 3 and 12-15  to indicate indeterminate length. 
     Following is a list of Item Reference Numerals shown in the Drawings:
         sports equipment carrier  10     surfboard  12     strap element  20     loop buckle  22     two opening loop buckle  22 A   fixed loop element  24     end junction point  26  (where the webbing is attached to itself to form a fixed loop)   tongue  28  (can be made with hook fastener)   attachment-surface  30  (can be made with a loop fastener)   hook length-reducer  32  (can be made with a hook fastener)   loop length-reducer  34  (can be made with a loop fastener)   personal flotation device  36  (can be attached to the strap element  20 )   female buckle  38     male buckle  40     strap buckle extender  42     fixed loop element assembly  44  (consists of a fixed loop element  24 , a loop buckle  22 , a strap buckle extender  42 , a female buckle  38 , another strap buckle extender  42  and a male buckle  40 )   weight distribution belt  50     weight transfer strap  52     hook fastener patch  48     loop fastener patch  58         

     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A wearable sports equipment carrier  10  according to embodiments of the disclosed invention is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . In  FIG. 1 , the carrier  10  is being used to carry a surfboard  12 . In  FIG. 2 , the carrier  10  is being worn as a belt, providing the hands-free portability advantages discussed above. 
     One embodiment of the wearable sports equipment carrier  10  (not yet depicted with a personal flotation device) is shown in  FIG. 3 . The carrier  10  is preferably fabricated from a polyester, polypropylene or nylon webbing but can be fabricated from any thin flexible strap, belt or equivalent material. While dimensions can vary, a reasonable size is generally about 5.08 cm (2″) wide and 2.44 m (8′) long. In general, pieces attaching to this webbing share its width (5.08 cm (2″)) and only the length will be specified. Furthermore, it shall be assumed that throughout this description the attachment method for attached pieces will be sewing or some other suitable method. 
     One end of the webbing is inserted through a free moving loop buckle  22  and folds back and attaches to itself to form a fixed loop element  24 . The length of the webbing used to form the attachment junction point  26  should be sufficient length to provide a good connection for the type of material used; generally, about 5.08 cm (2″) long works well. The fixed loop element  24  length can be chosen for the size of the person using the carrier and the object to be carried. Additionally, with some selection in fixed loop  24  and strap element  20  lengths the wearable sports equipment carrier can accommodate a variety of different size surfboards and users. Generally, about ⅔ the length of the webbing material is used to form the fixed loop element  24  leaving approximately ⅓ its length leftover after the end junction point  26  to form a strap element  20 . 
     At the end of the strap element  20  can be a tongue  28  which can be made using a hook fastener. The tongue  28  length can vary but generally about 5.08 cm (2″) long is a sufficient to form a good attachment when mated to a loop fastener. When hook fastener is used the hook attaches to the webbing so that the hook&#39;s surface is on the opposite side of the webbing from the junction point  26 . That is, if the webbing is held horizontal, with the junction point  26  facing up then the hook surface would be facing down (see  FIGS. 13 and 14 ). If the tongue  28  was made from a hook fastener, then attachment-surface  30  would be made from a loop fastener. The attachment-surface  30  attaches to the webbing so that the loop surface faces the same direction as the hook surface of the tongue  28 . The attachment-surface  30  can extend the entire length of the wearable sports equipment carrier with the one edge beginning at the tongue  28  and the other the edge ending at the fixed loop  24  center fold-over point (see  FIG. 14 ). However, its length can be reduced and chosen for the waist size of its largest user. Generally, a size of at least 1.1 m (44″) works well to accommodate extra large waist size (XXL). The hook and loop of connecting surfaces face the same direction so that when the tongue  28  passes through the loop buckle  22  and folds back towards the attachment-surface  30  they can form a hook/loop type attachment ( FIG. 4 ). 
     The wearable sports equipment carrier  10  can be used to carry a surfboard  12  or other object (SUP, snowboard, snow skis, sports equipment bags, mountain bicycles, firewood, lumber, etc.) by wrapping it around the lengthwise center of the surfboard, or object, at roughly the center of mass. To utilize the carrier, the user can lay the carrier with the hook surface of the tongue  28  facing the ground. Slide the loop buckle  22  to approximately the center fold-over point of the fixed loop  24  leaving it easily accessible when the surfboard is in place. Lay the surfboard onto the carrier so its approximate center of mass is on top of the carrier and the length of the surfboard is perpendicular to the length of the carrier (see  FIG. 5 ). Position the surfboard so that one lengthwise edge of the surfboard is approximately over the end junction point  26  of the carrier and the other lengthwise edge of the surfboard is nearest to the loop buckle  22 . This should leave the strap element  20  uncovered. Take the tongue  28  with the strap element  20  and wrap it over the surfboard and feed it through the loop buckle  22  and back onto attachment-surface  30  to form a hook/loop type attachment (see  FIG. 6 ). This attachment produces a secondary adjustable loop. 
     Increasing the distance from loop buckle  22  to the end of the tongue  28  decreases the secondary loop for a narrower surfboard or a shorter person. Conversely, decreasing the distance from loop buckle  22  to the end of the tongue  28  increases the secondary loop size for a wider surfboard or taller person. This adjustment is best performed when the surfboard is held in place by the secondary adjustable loop and the carrier is on the user (see  FIG. 1 ). Thus, it is easiest to start with a larger secondary adjustable loop by attaching the tongue  28  close to the loop buckle  22  and then reduce it to the desired size. Next, pull the webbing of the fixed loop  24  away from the loop buckle  22  which causes the secondary loop to tighten around the surfboard. By lifting the fixed loop  24  up, the surfboard can be transitioned to a vertical position (see  FIG. 7 ) where the surfboard&#39;s weight causes the secondary adjustable loop to tighten holding the surfboard in place. Thus, the wearable sports equipment carrier is auto-tightening to hold a surfboard securely in place. The fixed loop  24  portion of the carrier can be used to hang on a shoulder or across the body of the user to carry a surfboard (see  FIG. 1  for a user with a surfboard or  FIG. 4  for the carrier by itself). 
     While an embodiment(s) of the wearable sports equipment carrier  10  has distinct advantages over one or more aspects of prior art in that it is quick to install (approximately 15 seconds), is auto-tightening (holding the surfboard in place), and is easily adjustable for many sizes (in seconds), it also has the distinct advantage over prior art for its ability to convert into a belt and travel with the user. 
     This wearable belt configuration is accomplished by putting the carrier in a full-length position and sliding the loop buckle  22  to the end which is approximately the center fold-over point of the fixed loop  24 . The user shall position the carrier around the waist of his/her body with the loop buckle  22  in one hand and the tongue  28  in the other with both the hook and loop surfaces facing away from the body. Take the tongue  28  of the strap element  20  and wrap it around the waist and feed it through the loop buckle  22  and fold it back onto the attachment-surface  30  forming a belt held in place by the hook/loop type attachment (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     Another embodiment(s) of wearable sports equipment carrier can be made for users whose waist size is proportionally smaller with respect to the width of the surfboard. For this embodiment, the user makes a smaller belt by first folding the carrier back on itself. To do this, a hook length-reducer  32  and a loop length-reducer  34  are added to the carrier (see  FIGS. 8 &amp; 9 ). The loop reducer  34  is not required if the attachment-surface  30  extends the entire length of the wearable sports equipment carrier as shown in  FIG. 14 . The loop reducer  34  can be made from loop fastener with a length about 3.81 cm (1.5″) long. The loop reducer  34  is attached with its loop surface facing out and on the same side as the attachment-surface  30 . It is attached so that it is edge-to-edge with the center fold-over point of the fixed loop  24 . 
     The hook length-reducer  32  can be made from a hook fastener with a length of 6.35 cm (2.5″). The hook reducer  32  is positioned so that when the hook/loop connection is made the folded carrier length becomes the same length as the attachment-surface  30  as described above (for example 1.1 m (44″)). When a folded carrier has an attachment-surface  30  length of 1.1 m (44″) the carrier will accommodate a waist size from 1.1 m (44″) down to half that length or 0.55 m (22″). The hook reducer  32  is attached on the same side of the webbing as the junction point  26 . In this embodiment, it is preferable to attach the hook reducer  32  with the hook surface facing in towards the webbing (the reason for this will soon become evident). In addition, attach only a portion (approximately 20%) of the hook material (approximately 1.27 cm (0.5″)) to the webbing leaving the majority of the hook surface (5.08 cm (2″)) available to fold up and mate with the loop. 
     Attaching the hook surface facing the webbing has two advantages. The first advantage is that the smooth side, and not the hook surface, is exposed to surface wax when wrapping and carrying a surfboard. This prevents wax build up on the hook surface interfering with its ability to function as loop fastener receiver. The second advantage increases the structural strength of the hook and loop connection. The ocean can be a turbulent environment with many forces acting at many angles. With the hook facing the webbing it takes more perpendicular force upon the strap element  20  to break the hook/loop connection and thus there is a lower probably the ocean will break their attachment apart resulting in the loss of the belt. 
     As described above, the attachment-surface  30  or loop reducer  34  can be connected to the hook reducer  32  (see  FIG. 8 ). This folded carrier makes for a smaller belt (see  FIG. 9 ). When using this length shortening technique a two opening loop buckle  22 A (see  FIG. 8 ) is preferred over a standard single opening loop buckle  22  (see  FIG. 3 ). When the carrier is folded over to be worn as a belt the second inner opening of the two opening loop buckle  22 A holds the inner fold of the webbing in place when it is in the folded position (see  FIGS. 9 . and  10 ). This prevents the inner fold from being dislodged in the ocean&#39;s turbulent environment and reducing the tension on the belt. 
     Another embodiment(s) of wearable sports equipment carrier can incorporate a personal flotation device  36  which is out of the way when the carrier is used to carry a surfboard but operational as a personal flotation device when the carrier is worn as a belt. For this embodiment, the personal flotation device (PFD)  36  is attached to the strap element  20  (see  FIG. 7 ) so that when it is used as a carrier it resides out of the way along the width of the surfboard (see  FIG. 8 ). When the wearable sports equipment carrier is used as a belt (see  FIG. 10 ) the PFD  36  provides typical belt-type personal flotation device functionality. 
       FIGS. 18-20  show a design configuration of the wearable sports equipment carrier where the hook-and-loop fastener attachment approach is replaced by a two-piece snap buckle of the type commonly used in sports equipment, backpacks, etc. These male-and-female buckle embodiment(s) of the wearable sports equipment carrier can use an existing personal flotation device (PFD)  36  with its own connectors  38  and  40  (see  FIG. 18 ) in lieu of the strap element  20  and connect a fixed loop element assembly  44  (see  FIG. 19 ) to the PFD  36  using the existing PFD&#39;s connectors  38  and  40  so that the combination of the PFD  36  and the fixed loop element assembly  44  becomes a wearable sports equipment carrier with a personal flotation device. The fixed loop assembly  44  consists of the fixed loop element  24  having a free moving loop buckle  22  retained thereon, a female connector  38  attached to the loop buckle  22  by a strap buckle extender  42  between the female connector  38  and the loop buckle  22 , and a male connector  40  attached to the end junction point  26  by a strap buckle extender  42  between the male connector  40  and the end junction point  26  (see  FIG. 19 ). 
     The purpose of the strap buckle extender  42  is to ensure that, when the female  38  and male  40  connectors are mated, their hard surface lays on a flat plane of the surfboard (e.g., the bottom) and not on the rounded edge of the surfboard which could damage the surfboard edge. Generally, the distance of the strap buckle extender  42  between the two attachment points is the maximum thickness of the surfboard or SUP for which the carrier is designed, or approximately about 10.16 cm (4″) inches. The size of the secondary adjustable loop is now changed by increasing or decreasing the loop length with the adjustment capability of the male connector  40  similar to the method described above for the tongue  28  through the loop buckle  22  and attachment-surface  30  connection. 
       FIG. 20  shows the sports equipment carrier assembled with the PFD  36 , where the fixed loop element  24  (worn over user&#39;s shoulder) is at the bottom, and the secondary adjustable loop (which holds the surfboard) with PFD  36  is at the top. It is noted that the configuration of the sports equipment carrier shown in  FIG. 20  can be used with ( FIG. 20 ) or without ( FIG. 19 ) the separate PFD  36 , both in the surfboard-carrying mode and in the wearable belt mode. Furthermore, the sports equipment carrier of  FIG. 20  can be simplified by making the female buckle  38  (at left) slidable and positioning it in place of the loop buckle  22 A; then the male buckle  40  (at right) can be attached to the female buckle  38  to form the secondary adjustable loop. 
     To summarize, the embodiments of the wearable sports equipment carrier include: a hook-and-loop fastener based design ( FIGS. 3-15 ), with or without the PFD  36  attached (such as be sewing) directly to the strap element  20  ( FIG. 10 ); and a male-and-female buckle based design ( FIGS. 19-20 ), with or without the PFD  36  attachable in series with the fixed loop element assembly  44 . The buckle-based design could also include the PFD  36  attached directly to the strap element  20 . All of these design embodiments are operable in a surfboard carrying mode and a wearable belt mode, providing the user with an optimal combination of utility, convenience and safety enhancement. In any of these embodiments, the PFD  36  is preferably a compact, inflatable flotation device which manually inflates when the wearer pulls a “jerk to inflate” handle. This type of PFD—sometimes referred to as a belt-type—provides unrestricted motion and movement for the user due to the minimal PFD bulk. Inflation is achieved via a compressed gas cartridge (such as CO 2 ) which is discharged when the inflation handle is pulled. 
       FIG. 21  is an illustration of an embodiment of a wearable sports equipment carrier system including a separate weight distribution belt  50  and a weight transfer strap  52 . The belt  50  and strap  52  may be used in conjunction with the carrier  10  for situations where the carrier  10  is being used to carry a heavy load. For example, if the carrier  10  is being used to carry a heavy surfboard or even something like a bag of concrete, the weight of the heavy load may cause user discomfort where the fixed loop element  24  bears on the user&#39;s shoulder. Using the weight distribution belt  50  and the weight transfer strap  52 , part of the weight of the load can be borne by the user&#39;s waist and hips, thus reducing the pressure on the user&#39;s shoulder. 
     The belt  50  can be fastened around the user&#39;s waist in any suitable fashion, such as with a snap buckle, a hook-and-loop fastener arrangement, or any other type of buckle. One end of the weight transfer strap  52  may be permanently or removably attached to the belt  50  so as to securely transfer a load. The other end of the weight transfer strap  52  may conveniently be attached to the strap element  20  using a hook fastener patch  48  on the strap element  20  and a loop fastener patch  58  on the weight transfer strap  52 . The attachment of the weight transfer strap  52  to the strap element  20  can be adjusted by the user so that the weight transfer strap  52  pulls downward on the belt  50 , thereby distributing the load between the belt  50  and the carrier  10 . 
     The configurations described above are not the only embodiments of the disclosed invention. Alternatively:
         Different materials, size and interconnections can be used for all components   The webbing material could be eliminated if the attachment-surface  30  is two sided   In lieu of hook and loop some other fastening system like side release buckles, fasteners, snaps, buttons, etc. can be used for securing the surfboard or other object as seen in  FIG. 20     In lieu of a buckle or two opening buckle with hook and loop some other length adjusting system like a ring, etc. can be used   In lieu of one fold, two or more folds could be made to further decrease the size of the carrier (see  FIG. 11 ) and various connections and buckles can hold the folded material in place   In lieu of a fixed loop, the fixed loop can be made adjustable with some fastening system to change its loop length   In lieu of a continuous assembly the fixed loop and strap element can be made a separate assemblies and attached together similar to the assembly shown in  FIG. 20 .   The wearable sports equipment carrier can also be have other items attach to it, such as a water bottle, camera, phone etc., by integrating them as part of the wearable sports equipment carrier similar to the personal flotation device  36  (as seen in  FIG. 7 ,  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 10 ).       

     The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.