In 1979, on the North Shore of Maui, a surfer named Rob Kaplan started making surf leashes and board bags; the name Dakine comes from Hawaiian pidgin for “the kind,” as in “the good stuff.” From surf accessories the brand spread into windsurfing, snowboarding, biking, and travel, always keeping the salt-and-stoke soul of its island origin.
The short version: Dakine, founded 1979 in Hawaii and part of the Marquee Brands portfolio, makes bags, packs, and accessories across surf, snow, bike, and travel. Buy it for backpacks, travel bags, snow and bike accessories, and board gear with a boardsports pedigree. It is an accessories-and-bags specialist with genuine surf-and-snow culture behind it, more lifestyle-active than hardcore mountaineering.
Where Dakine came from
Rob Kaplan’s Maui surf leashes grew into a full boardsports accessories brand spanning surf, windsurf, snowboard, ski, and mountain bike. The Hawaiian name and North Shore origin stayed central to the identity even as ownership passed through several hands (currently under the Marquee Brands portfolio) and the product line broadened worldwide.
What they actually make well
Backpacks and travel bags, snow and bike packs and protective gear, and surf and board accessories. It is the bag-and-accessory layer of an active, boardsports-flavored life, complementing the hiking-focused packs of Osprey and Deuter with a different cultural accent.
Built to last?
Solid durability for active use and reasonable warranty support; Dakine gear is built for the abuse of boardsports travel. Sustainability efforts include recycled materials in parts of the line, tracking the industry rather than leading it.
The causes they actually fund
Dakine’s cause work is modest and boardsports-community oriented; as a bags-and-accessories brand under a licensing portfolio, its engagement is less land-conservation focused than the outdoor apparel leaders in this series. Its roots and culture are its most distinctive assets.
Where this gear comes from, and where it earns its place
Born on Maui’s North Shore, at home wherever board meets trail: bike parks, ski hills, surf trips, and the travel days between adventures across the Trail Atlas.
The honest take
Dakine is more boardsports-lifestyle than serious mountaineering, and hardcore backpackers will look to the pack specialists. But for bags, travel gear, and snow or bike accessories with genuine surf-and-snow soul, it delivers style and function together. Buy it for the bag and the vibe; both are real.
“The good stuff,” born on Maui’s North Shore in 1979. More makers in Brands We Love. Last verified July 2026.