Give your surfboard a permanent digital identity. RecVIN's NFC-powered tag lets anyone with a smartphone instantly identify the owner — protecting against theft, proving ownership, and getting your board back if it ever goes missing.
Unlike cars with VINs or bikes with registration databases, surfboards have had no standardized way to prove ownership or recover stolen boards — until now.
RecVIN uses passive NFC technology — the same tech behind contactless payments and pet microchips. No batteries, no charging, no app to download.
Clean the surface with the included alcohol wipe, peel the backing, and stick the RecVIN tag to your board. That's it — the waterproof, UV-resistant NFC sticker is designed for ocean conditions. Apply near the logo or on the deck pad area.
Use the activation code that comes with your RecVIN to register your board at recvin.com. Add your contact info, board details (shaper, model, dimensions), photos, and any custom notes. This creates your board's permanent digital identity.
Anyone who finds your board can tap it with their smartphone — no app needed. Your contact info appears instantly. Coast Guard, lifeguards, fellow surfers, or someone at a pawn shop can all verify who the board belongs to in seconds.
Whether your board washes up on a beach, gets swiped from your car rack, or you're selling it years from now — RecVIN has you covered.
Leash snapped? Board washed ashore somewhere? Anyone who finds it can tap the NFC tag and reach you instantly. No awkward "lost surfboard" Facebook posts needed — and the Coast Guard can confirm you're safe without launching a search.
A RecVIN-tagged board is a marked board. Thieves can't remove the NFC chip without damaging the board. If your board shows up on Craigslist, a buyer can tap it and see it's registered to you. Stolen boards become unsellable.
Filing a homeowner's or renter's insurance claim for a stolen surfboard? RecVIN gives you timestamped proof of ownership — registration date, photos, serial info, and full equipment details. Exactly what adjusters need to process your claim.
A RecVIN-registered board comes with a verified history: original shaper, purchase date, ownership chain, and confirmation it's not stolen. Buyers pay more for boards they can trust. Think of it like a Carfax for your surfboard.
Most surfboard serial numbers are found on the stringer near the tail, or written on the foam blank near the fin boxes before glassing. Some shapers write it near the logo on the bottom. However, many surfboards — especially older or custom boards — have no serial number at all. RecVIN solves this by giving every board a unique, permanent Equipment VIN (EVIN) tied to an NFC chip that can be scanned by any smartphone.
RecVIN creates a permanent digital identity for your board. The NFC tag is either embedded under the fiberglass during manufacturing (RecVIN Pro) or applied as a sealed, tamper-evident sticker (RecVIN Retro). Anyone encountering your board can tap it with a smartphone to see it's registered and who owns it — making stolen boards significantly harder to sell and easier to recover. The Pro model sealed under glass is physically impossible to remove.
Yes. RecVIN provides a free lookup tool where anyone can tap a tagged board or enter its EVIN to check registration status. If the board has been reported stolen, this information appears immediately. This is a first-of-its-kind tool for the surfboard market — until now, there was no way to verify a used board's provenance before purchase.
Yes. RecVIN Retro can be applied to any existing surfboard — shortboards, longboards, fish, funboards, foamies, guns, and everything in between. The NFC signal passes through fiberglass, epoxy, polyester resin, vinyl wraps, and stickers with zero interference. It's waterproof, UV-resistant, and saltwater-safe.
RecVIN Retro works with all surfboard brands — from Pyzel, Channel Islands, Firewire, DHD, and Slater Designs to local custom shapers. RecVIN Pro (factory-embedded) is available for manufacturers interested in building digital identification directly into their production process. We're actively partnering with shapers who want to offer RecVIN-equipped boards to their customers.
No and no. RecVIN uses passive NFC technology — the chip is powered by the electromagnetic field from your phone when you tap it, just like a contactless credit card. No batteries, no charging, no maintenance. And scanning works in any smartphone's built-in browser — no app download required. Just tap and the owner info appears.
Join thousands of surfers who are protecting their quivers with RecVIN's NFC-powered identification system.