ive done it before. its not that good, but i guess traveling with any surfboard is kind of a pain. ive completely made the switch to traditional logs, volan style. i have two weighing in at about 20 lbs each, maybe a little bit more.
have any of you traveled with traditional logs before? one is more of a small wave board while the other is for bigger, hollower surf, but its still related to the longboard and not the modern shorty.
i actually just want to hear that you have done it, just to reassure myself that all will be ok, for whatever reason.
hey took a ten foot cooperfish to matapalo in costa rica with a glass on fin arrived both ways no dings and fin still on, just pack it with all your cloth towls etc
If you can afford it, buy one the Santa Monica hard cases (with wheels). United Airlines knocked a 3’’ chunk out the rail of my Skip Frye (they paid to fix it). Alaska Air managed to ding my Pope-Bisect (fiberglass, not epoxy), They charge exta to handle the boards, then still throw them around and act like you’re the jerk for bringing your stuff on vacation.
I agree with Billy. I have a Santa Monica Surf Case. It’s been to many countries, and housed many different boards. If you have a log without a glass on fin, you’re in good shape. You can fit 2 if you try. It prevents rail bashes. Great investment.
Nothing will protect your boards from a forklift running it over.
No, I’m not partial to boards that weighty. But…I do travel a coupla times a year and bring two custom boards-one in the 7-6 to 8-6 range and one in the 9-0 to 9-6 range, both lighter EPS/epoxy types.
Re-read Soulstice’s reply re wheeled cases, a very important consideration.
Check with your airline re weight and length restrictions.
Pack the boards well. Read my still-true, years-old “Surfboard Prophylactic” thread (as BBA) in the archives.
With appropriate straps, car-mounting with or without racks is a non-issue.
To talk about a forklift running over your board i have a story.
About 2 months ago on a trip to CR i had 3 bags. At first American Airlines charges me 100 dollars a case to transport. Then when i get there 2 of the bags show up on time and without ding. Then i wait an hour to find that they have misplaced the other bag in Houston and therefore will be late.
I was with a group of people and i had the joy of teaching a group a dallas folk how to surf. Well we were waiting on this 3rd bag because it of course had the two 9"6 boards and 2 of the people i had the joy of teaching were well over 200 lbs.
Then i get the call from the airline that the boards have arrived and that I have to come pick them up from the airport because they cant at the minimum deliver them to the hotel that we are staying at. I pick them up from the airport (which is an hour away) and without looking in the bags return to the hotel.
I get back to the hotel, with the biguns waiting to go out on the boards and come to find that something had run over the boards. I look at the tracks and it looks like a tank had run over the boards. It was exactally a forklift with treads. I get back to the states to find out that the airlines has decided not to help with the replacement/repair of the destroyed boards.
I dont really know what to do besides pay the shaper for replicas of the 2 boards besides they are beyond repair.
I dont really know what to do besides pay the shaper for replicas of the 2 boards besides they are beyond repair.
perhaps this is the lawyer in me talking…but SUE THEM!!! all you’ve gotta do is file suit and they’ll settle because it just isn’t worth their time. 2 boards = $2,000. don’t let “the man” push you around. when an evil corporation gives you a shove…hit 'em back with a 4-iron.
United Airlines knocked a 3’’ chunk out the rail of my Skip Frye (they paid to fix it).
Lucky for you! here in Australia we have to sign a form saying the airline takes no responsobility for your boards. if you don’t sign it you cant take your boards…
I’ve just come back from flying domestically with 3 boards in 2 bags. on the way up the airline lady tried to pin me up for excess when I only had two boards. on the way back i had three and wet wetsuits and no questions were asks. It depends on the person you get though.
I’ve been travelling with 2 boards in a longboard cover and taping the excess bag around the tail. works ok.
My advice from someone who has travelled a couple of times with a longboard is, dont. unless you are going to a place that is a full on longboard wave like first point noosa, malibu etc. Get yourself a 7’0 - 7’6’ midlength or even better a 6’0’ keel fin/quad fin Fish which will do the same job as a midlength and will require less effort to drag through airports. it all depends on where your travelling to. if its indo or the south pacific islands then longboards are not needed. the swell in those sorts of countries is usually 3ft+ and because its all coral reef the waves have a heap of power even if it is only waist high. my advice would be take a mid range gun and a fish.
I am pickin up my 10-3 Santa Monica Surf Case this week. I figure flying standby to Africa I need a place to sleep if I get stuck in Germany. Lay the boards on the floor and wrap a leash around my neck and close the lid. Talk about getting locked in a barrell!!
Howzit sidestreet, On Kauai we figure if the worst chance for board damage is the 100 miles to Oahu. Don’t you just love Hawaiian Air, They lost one of my boards for 92 hours and if it would have been over 96 hours they have to replace it. Just figured one of the freight guys needed a new board and when he saw it wasn’t brand new he brought it back to the airport. Aloha,Kokua
several of you have mentioned the santa monica hard case. the concept is good, but they dont work for me. i travel with a variety of boards and those only house boards with a particular rocker and shape. if you want to travel with a log and a shorty, or a shorty and an egg, or any variation of surfboards, those cases will simply not work.