bubble wrap top/bottom of deck, tape, pipe insulation for rails, and pad the nose and tail really well (they sell them - blocks) and make sure rocker is protected...you could do without the bubble wrap, but I am neurotic about packing my board.
I would double bag my board(s) in day bags then pack into a travel bag with towels, boardshorts, rashguards, etc in strategic places like nose and tail. That seems to work well but can make the total a little heavy.
United just messed up 1 board of mine, and it was pretty good packed in there. My recommendation? Buy a used one and then sell the board back to the shop when done. That is the only way to ensure the board won;'t be destroyed. Of course, I went from Kauai to San Fran for 3 days then to NY, so it was a long few days. But I used foam on rails, bubble wrap, the whole 9 yards. United still found a way to crack the board.
Last edited by surftb15; Apr 18, 2012 at 01:38 AM.
I just got back from Jaco and rented a nicer board than I own for $15/day. They had about 50 to choose from. Rent and save yourself the hassle and $$$. Plus you can exchange it for a different board if the first one doesn't suit you.
I have just used Pipe insulation on the rails in a board bag and have never had any major issues. It seems like the heavier- the bulkier the bag- the more it gets thrown around by the airplane ppl- so keep it light as well as packed well.
Second- dont ever bring your best board- unless you have many 'best' boards... your board will most likely either suffer from a ding somewhere along the way, theft or sun/heat damage. Bring a beater board or rent one...
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