Arrive at your destination ding and fancy free.
There’s nothing worse than arriving on a surf trip, getting your boards from the airline, and seeing a giant ding in one of them. The waves are firing and you’re stuck doing a repairing a ding that wasn’t even caused by surfing. Give yourself ample time to pack your board bag and don’t rush the process. It’s no fun to arrive at your destination with broken surfboards. Airlines typically do not reimburse you for damages while traveling so make sure to pack your boards well! And of course, don’t forget to bring wax!
Things you need:
Pipe Insulation
Packaging Tape
Scissors
Scale
1. Before you book a flight, check out the airline’s surfboard policy. Surfline offers a great article with each airline’s surfboard fees and limitations. You should factor in the cost of surfboards with your airline ticket before you book. Some airlines limit the amount of surfboards, while others charge based on weight. Make sure you are clear on the guidelines before you book and travel. Personally, I love flying Singapore Airlines, LAN, and Qantas, because surfboards fly free if your bag weighs under 50lbs!
2. Choose the surfboards for your trip. Check the surf forecast and become knowledgeable about the waves in the area. I usually travel with two standard short boards and a step-up board. When surfing in the Maldives, I dinged my short board a few too many times on the reef, so the back-up board came in handy. I also broke two sets of fins. Make sure to bring ample fins and leash strings.
3. Once your surfboards are decided, the hardest part is over. It’s a good idea to scrape the old wax off so your board is clean and ready to go. Then remove your fins and put them in a secure place to bring on your trip. Then take your pipe insulation and cut a slit in it so you can wrap it around the rails of your board. Once it’s securely attached, use packaging tape to keep it in place. Do this for each surfboard. I like to label the insulation with a sharpie for each board to make packing the boards easier on the way home.
4. If you want, you can put bubble wrap on the deck of the surfboard for added protection. When traveling with surfboards, dings most commonly occur on the nose and tail of the board, so I usually put bubble wrap in these areas.
5. Once the surfboard is outfitted with piping insulation, I put the board in a day bag or sock. This adds extra cushioning. Also, once you reach the destination, its great to have a day bag for surf excursions by car or boat. Put all of your surfboards in a large travel bag. Dakine makes great ones; I personally prefer board bags with wheels to make traveling easier. You can purchase one at your local surf shop.
6. Once the board bag is packed, weigh it. The weighing your luggage is crucial for any trip. Make sure your bag corresponds to airline limitations, and if you have extra room in your boardbag, throw in towels, wetsuits, extra leashes, and clothes. Don’t pack anything sharp or heavy that could potentially ding your surfboards in transit. It doesn’t hurt to pack a small ding repair kit to fix dings on your surfboard.
