board bag packing

If you MUST take four boards (I wouldn't) all you can really do with your glass-on board is tape blocks of styrofoam against the inside of your fins and stack it on top, deck out, with your next board underneath with the nose between the fins nice and snug. Bubble wrap the sh!t out of it, and stuff it into the biggest coffin bag you can find. Towels and blankets are too heavy.

There's supposed to be a new product out called the Swell Shell. It's a hard case with wheels that carries two boards. Two of those would be ideal.

 

Nothing worse than starting your trip with multiple rail dings after paying enough for another seat to get it to your location. What has been working for me is to take one board and wrap all sides with 3-pieces of the thickest pipe insulation from a home improvement store with 4 straps (the ones with the buckle not ratchet) and that will fit snug in a FCS double travel bag. Unless your going for a couple month long trip or there are four surfers that would be too many options for me. Just bring an all around fishy board and make traveling and deciding easier.

 

I don't know who your carrier is but 4 boards may be very expensive. Usually you can "sneak" 1 more board in the bag than they allow and it will usually get through. I use a collapseable cooler around the noses and its great for sodas on the trip and bubble wrap everywhere else-KEEP IT LIGHT (don't use towels) and put fins in your carry on not the board bag. I usually bring 2 or 3 boards and supplies for repairs (Sun Cure, fin boxes, leash plug, cloth, sand paper, microballoons). If its small, rent a longboard for a few hours rather than lugging it with you. Have a great trip.

 

My man said it right...styrafoam blocks for the glass fins, bubble wrap, duck tape and any towels, t-shirts, etc. 4 boards is quite a lot. Depending on who your flying with you can probably sneak one in a bag. Our bags aren't too heavy but then again all we do is walk on the plane with a backpack. Everything else is in the board bag wrapped around the boards. Gotta take care of you babies!!!! Catch some surf for us starving east coasters!!!!

 

Totally agree with the others, unless you have 4 surfers or an extended stay (months)- bringing more then one board is usually a burden. Bring the one board you are most comfortable riding and that you would not mind getting dinged. Lugging boards around the airport and everywhere else is a pain, plus storing them in a safe place while on the trip or while out surfing. Keeping them on your roof while surfing one of the four- they could get stolen, or inside the rental car- they will bake from the heat if your in the tropics. Speaking from experience, go as light as possible.

As far as packing them- this has served as a fail-proof way for traveling. I have tried bubble wrap, towels, foam, ect and its always a pain and never seems to work great. I use Pipe Insulation as mentioned above. You can buy them at your local hardware store and you can reuse them. I buy enough to cover all the rails, so if you have a 6ft board- you will need at least 12ft of pipe insulation. Then split the insulation open- long ways- and cover the rails of the board- including the tail and nose- so all your rails are continually covered with one layer of pipe insulation. Then, I will usually take masking tape and wrap it around the board every foot or so inorder to keep the insulation on the rails. And thats it- 10 min and your done, slip it in the bag and throw in a towel if you like for extra padding (not needed tho) and go to the airport. Since the pipe insulation makes the board have 'beefy rails'- the deck and the bottom are protected. Pipe insulation bro- works like a charm, have not had a ding since.

 

There is a product on the market, cant rember the name, but its super thick vynl like an air mattress material that you inflate that has 3 slots for a thruster. super durable, wont puncture from fins. I cant rember the name but they work great, puls it helps protect the tail. But like everyone else said if you can get by with one or at the most two boards do it. I have only flown sticks twice and have had boards punctured or screwed up every time. Flight out and Flight back. You use to be able to get the airlines to pay for the damage, enough to get your baord fees back, but they probably dont do that anymore.

 

Ya, a few years ago Continental out of Newark would pay for the ding repair, I believe you would have to go thru Eastern Lines surf shop

 

yea styrofoam pipe insulation on the rails is the way to go. cheap and easy, then throw your towels and shirts between the boards

 

Ya pipe insulator and two pool floatys work pretty good. What i did was used the pipe stuff on the rail, then i got two pool floates like the ones you lay on put one down then your board then another. Tape them together around the rails of your board. Insert board in to bag zip bag up half way then fill both pool floatys with air, as much as you possibly can. This worked well for me on my very first trip, i even tested it by throwing it off my 2nd floor deck. Worked great, and cheap. Good luck

 

you should put pillows all around so you got some extra pillows for your trip and it will make it light and the boards wont ding

 

and what ever you do dont listen to the kid that always brakes things

 

The last two years AA f-ed up my boards on the return flight from CR. I didn't realize it in time the first year but this year I saw the damage and filed a claim. After the runaround, finally got reimbursed for the repairs 6 months after the trip. I usually take three boards, my wife's longboard, a longboard for me, and either another longboard for the kids or a shortboard for me, on our 2 week trip in a soft case and I had the rails wrapped with pipe insulation. 2 years ago there was damage to the nose on 2 of the boards and this past summer there was damage to all three tails.

I have a hard case but it weighs a lot and I like to have something for the kids to use if I take one of the boards. I may try to get three in the hard case on our next trip or use something thicker on the nose and tail in the soft case. I like the idea of pool toys and may try pool noodles around the nose and tail.

Last time I checked, AA charges 150 each way and allows multiple boards in one bag as long as it weighs less than 70 lbs. It would cost about 240 to rent for two weeks. I'd rather take my own and pay a little extra.