I travel extensively for work throughout the Caribbean and Central America and I’d love to take a board along, but the airline fees would kill me. I can easily rent a board in the more popular surf destinations, but I’m wondering if there is a functional design for a middle aged, competent surfer that will fit under the airline limit for checked luggage (62" long on American Airlines). I’ve seen a few posts for sectional surfboards but there don’t appear to be any recent developments in this concept and it doesn’t seem like there’s any momentum behind the idea. Then there’s the Mini Simmons/Bar of Soap design which might work, but my question would be if a 5’1" MS (allowing 1" for a board bag to stay under the 62" limit) will float a 5’10", 175 lb dude with decent ability and conditioning. Any hope or do I have to take up inflatable mat riding (or lose weight)?
I don't want to try and persuade you to abandon your search for a travel board but a quality surfmat is arguably the most versatile and certainly the most portable surf toy there is. And the fun factor is off the charts.
There's also the fact you can buy a quiver of mats for the price of a surfboard.
http://surfmatters.blogspot.com/
Good luck with your search and enjoy that nice warm water.
Like unclegrumpy says, mats are the ultimate bring anywhere surf equipment and are damn fast surfcraft. A pair of flippers is always good for bodysurfing, snorkeling, spearfishing, swimming to shore after your boat sinks into the bottom of the ocean… For me a good travel quiver would be my mat for the point breaks and a good bodyboard for slab reefs and sand pits (although I always end up bringing my 9’ log almost everywhere). If you must stand up, why not learn how to stand up on a boogie board like Danny Kim did in the 80’s and 90’s: http://bodyboardmuseum.com.au/tag/danny-kim/
Another more up to date example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saj542nSgwU
If you still don’t think bodyboards are cool, you can get a Blackball beater or shape a similar outline out of EPS/Epoxy Lam and add 4 fins, maybe 60" long X 23" wide with an 18" (tip to tip)half moon tail and a 12" (tip to tip) something like a bodyboard but exclusively for standing up.
A 5’1 minisimmons can easily float you. Don’t be scared of the length, the width and thickness will float you. Same size and I thought my 5’2x22x2 3/4 was still too much volume for me even being a bad paddler.
Thanks for the feedback on the mini simmons! That’s encouraging. We have the “blackball beater” niche for surfboards. I’m going to figure out my “board fee beater” niche.
i surf a 5’0" mini simmons easily and i’m 6’0" 180lbs. i say go for that!
Mini Simmons should rock at places like Cane Garden and Pavones, wonder how it would go at a place like Soup Bowls. Just thinking Caribbean and South America like you said. Anyone try a Simmons at a similar wave?
that korduroy video is stellar.
tom morey would be well informed
to see this.the next step would be
interchangeable tails and noses…
… ambrose…
Similar thread recently:
http://www2.swaylocks.com/forums/4-day-golf-bag-board-atempt
The concept is a good one–I just haven’t seen a practical solution yet that seems trustworthy. That korduroy video is one the right track, but a 3-piece minisimmons would be the jam, though.
All of the multipiece boards that I have seen rely on a “rod” or core-based system. Would a skin-loaded system make more sense?
The strength of the joint would not be as critical on a 5’ or shorter board (less leverage).
Forget the actual dimensions. I’ve never had a bag measured. The key is for the bag to be within the weight limit, and not look like a surfboard bag. All kitesurfers now travel with Golf bags. They are all over the dimensional limits, yet fly free. The whole kitesurf industry now builds over-sized bags, loosely shaped like golf bags, with GOLF embroidered on the bags. I’ve had friends fly with surfboard bags that had square ends, each end. Dakine used to make one. You may not always pull off the scam, but you will most of the time. Also be sure to sky cap check-in whenever possible. A 20$ tip can make you fly thru baggage check-in hassle free.
Before the golf bag trick was in production by the kite companies, I had taken my long rectangular travel bag to a hat embroidery company and had PRO GOLF put on the bag.
On my SUP paddle bag, I have Bass Pro Shop patches sewn on it. It flies free as a fishing rod.
Plarson, i think you are mistaken on the allowable board dims on American. That 62 inches is the total of the L,W,and H. Not the length of the board.i have built a few and posted here. PM me for pics if you want my bamboo skinned 5 fin mod fish. 6-2 by 21. Two piece board. Tip of the hat to the master Greg Griffin, after whom i modeled the shape. I have Rev 4 on the dwg board now. Schwas has posted a few of his too. Check the archieves.
All the best