How am I, a lowly Internet surf guide, privy to such information? I myself have worked one of America’s largest shipping companies and watched the package carnage first hand and have listened to stories from friends (some have been actual baggage handlers) and can now give you tips to avoid almost certain surfboard destruction.
The fact is that your boards are in danger. Worse yet, the airlines will charge you anywhere from $50-$100 per board or more, yet they guarantee nothing. That cash is simply an inconvenience charge for the airline because surfboards are oddly shaped. I have argued and protested and at times avoided the charge, and I have attempted to pawn off several boards in one bag as one (although once I was forced to embarrassingly open up the bag to prove it. Not cool! These days, however, the traveling environment has drastically changed and pulling such antics has become a much more serious endeavor. So the best bet is to make sure your boards enter the cargo hold of death as safely packed as possible.
*Materials Needed*
Board bag (preferred but not essential)
Bedding (i.e. blankets, pillows, sleeping bag, Etc.)
Duct Tape (If you are a surfer without duct tape, take my advice and get some)
Traveling clothes (You know the kind that don’t need to be ironed)
Pre-activity: If you have removable fins, take them out. This will avoid one of the most common onboard surfboard disasters.
Step One
Using your trusty duct-tape, adhere your towels, pillows, and even your thicker clothing like sweaters and jeans to key “bump zones” on your board. These zones include your rails, tail, and nose. Of course, if your fins cannot be removed, tape tour pillows around them for extra padding.
For Extra Padding
For ultra-extra-super padding, go to your local shaper and ask for foam scraps left over after the blanks have been carved out. Then you have perfectly fitting strips protecting the rails, tail, etc.
Taking a Quiver?
If you are taking more than one board, be sure to stack them deck to bottom with cushioning between each one to keep them from damage and even from rubbing wax on the bottom of the top board.
Step Two
If you don’t have a board bag, then lay out your bedding (blankets, sleeping bag) and then set your padded board safely onto the bedding and nestle her gently. Now twist that baby up like a hand-rolled cigarette or a dry, cushiony burrito and apply duct tape liberally.
Obviously, if you have a board bag, simply place the pillowy mass into the bag and zip it up.
Other Tips
Be sure to pack your fins with your board in case your boards and luggage get separated. You can always get a new pair of baggies, but you want your boards ready to go when you arrive at your destination.
Carry along some soft racks or some rope to be sure that you can strap your boards on to any vehicle possible. Since trucks and jeeps are always more expensive to rent, an economy car might your only choice, but they don’t fit the girth of an unwieldy mass of pillows, blankets, surfboards, and clothes. Just strap them on top.
I hope this helps you on your next trip. Take it from me. I have lugged a surfboard or four to everywhere I traveled for over ten years, and this is the cheapest and easiest way to keep your most precious possession safe and sound.
