Are you heading off somewhere surfing this year and wondering how to take your precious surfboard along with you? Whether you are taking it camping in Cornwall or heading further afield on a plane, it is important when travelling with surfboards to make sure they arrive in one piece! Here are some top tips on how to pack your surfboard to try and protect it while you travel.
1. Purchase a travel Board Bag
The best thing you can do is buy yourself a really good heavy duty board bag with thick padding on the inside. Circle One travel bags are generous with space, but you should ideally buy a bag that is 15 to 20 cm longer than your board. This additional length leaves room for cushioning and packing other items around your surfboard.
2. Remove your fins
Always remove your fins before travelling so they don’t snap off in transit. It is simple on most surfboards to take your fins out with a fin key, and put them back in when you reach your destination.
3. Pack under the rocker of your surfboard
It’s important to pack under the nose area of your surfboard just in case pressure is applied to the board from above. It is the perfect place to put a towel or clothes in the space and ensure your surfboard is protected all around from bumps and handling.
4. Bubble Wrap
I like using Board Bubl or Flexi Hex for really good protection to cover my board or parts of it when travelling. It is lightweight and cushions impact well and both of these products are also recycled materials.
5. Grab yourself a day bag/surfboard sock
For extra protection put your surfboard in a board sock. The board sock (or day bag) will serve as an extra layer of protection and can be quite handy when traveling short distances once you have arrived at your destination.
6. Towels and wetsuit wrapping
Before you pop your board into your board bag, cover your board with your towels, clothes and wetsuit (if you’re taking one) . It will serve as an extra layer of protection, especially at the nose, tail and on the rails.
7. Mark as Fragile
Circle One Board Bags have large ‘FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE’ logos on them, make sure this is reiterated with the baggage handlers when checking the surfboard onto the flight. They are usually more than happy to offer you nice bright yellow stickers to make sure its obvious.
8. Make sure you check your surfboard before you leave the airport
If there is any damage in transit you can see when you get your surfboard back, it is important to tell the airline while you are still at the airport to register the damage. This can help if you need to claim damages later on travel insurance as they can prove that the damage was caused in transit on the aeroplane.
Do you have any tips for travelling with surfboards? Let us know in the comments.