Airline Shipping with Fixed Fins

Anyone have them break or get damaged? Shipping a keeled fish via Delta. Maybe box styrofoam around each? Plus bubbles and either a bag or cardboard box of course. Any ideas?

Wedge a piece of 2-3 inch thick by 4inch tall styrofoam between the fins, wrap around the fins with strapping tape or lots of 4 inch wide cellophane (tightly). This protects from impacts from either direction. Of course, it doesn’t help a direct downward blow onto the fin (I don’t know that anything will completely protect a board from baggage handler abuse). Used this method for years prior to the advent of removable fins.

Hola!

Check this thread out for some great tips and info:

http://www.swaylocks.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=200927;search_string=travel%20tips;guest=1861523#200927

Good Luck!

Sami.

Hey 220grit,

here’s a tip if you haven’t done a device for your fins yet:

Set the tail of your fish deck-down into a shallow cardboard box. Make a notch in the box for the deck contour to fit in. (this set-up looks like one of those inter-office mailboxes; you know, the one that says “out” and the other says “in” and your board lies in the low spot with the tail in the box)

Cover your board with aluminum foil or with some clinging plastic wrap.

Get some Spray Foam from the hardware store. (The kind they spray for insulation inside of walls).

Spray the stuff all around the tail area, start at the lowest point and work your way up row-by-row until the fins are totally encased. (Be sure to give time for the foam to expand and get hard).

Use a serrated steak knife to carefully cut seams where needed and release your board.

There you have it! A custom foam block that totally protects, is light in weight, and is cheap. I usually do this for multiple boards, so I might lay the tail of the next board between the fins of the lower board. This too gets molded-in. The possibilities are endless…

…Good Luck!

You know, that’s brilliant! One modification: rather than wrap the board, why not put it in a trash bag? I shipped a TV once and they put it in a bag inside a box then sprayed that foam between the bag and the box.

I’ll second the brilliant…and add simply brilliant…what a great idea Plus one…have fun…

Easy Busy, man!

You can make a box using cardbox disposable in shops. You can make it just around the fins and tail or the hole board (heavier). Try to make two layers in both sides of the rails. It makes it very strong like a shield. Put your wetsuit in a plastic bag and insert it among the fins. Try the same to protect the nose and then it’s just to wear the boardbag. Bon voyage!!!

P.S. - I went from Brazil to New Zealand and Bali with this “sarcophagus” and didn’t have any trouble.

Quote:
Hey 220grit,

here’s a tip if you haven’t done a device for your fins yet:

Set the tail of your fish deck-down into a shallow cardboard box. Make a notch in the box for the deck contour to fit in. (this set-up looks like one of those inter-office mailboxes; you know, the one that says “out” and the other says “in” and your board lies in the low spot with the tail in the box)

Cover your board with aluminum foil or with some clinging plastic wrap.

Get some Spray Foam from the hardware store. (The kind they spray for insulation inside of walls).

Spray the stuff all around the tail area, start at the lowest point and work your way up row-by-row until the fins are totally encased. (Be sure to give time for the foam to expand and get hard).

Use a serrated steak knife to carefully cut seams where needed and release your board.

There you have it! A custom foam block that totally protects, is light in weight, and is cheap. I usually do this for multiple boards, so I might lay the tail of the next board between the fins of the lower board. This too gets molded-in. The possibilities are endless…

…Good Luck!

This has been my method of choice when packing two boards but for a single board I have been using a large block of floral foam just jam it down over the fins and it is really pretty tough, I usally wrap it in duct tape so it doesn’t chip away in the bag.