Nothing is worse than traveling half way around the world and arriving at an empty, perfect surf break only to open your surfboard bag and discover that your favorite stick has been crushed, mangled, and dismembered by disgruntled airline baggage handlers. To avoid the heartbreak of a smashed tail, snapped nose, or broken fin, be sure to reference the following five tips prior to packing your board for your next surf trip.
Invest in Protection
As the first line of defense for your surfboard against dings, dents, and even worse damage, your surfboard bag is the last place to skimp. Look for a travel bag that has some decent padding, somewhere in the neighborhood of 10mm of foam. Also, pay close attention to the shape and dimensions of the board bag you are interested in buying – if the fit is off, your board won’t be as protected as it should be. If all you have is a day bag, which normally packs around 5mm of protection, you’ll want to incorporate additional padding (see below) before handing your bag over at the airport.
Add Extra Padding
Even with a well-padded travel bag, you can always do with a little more protection, especially if you’re traveling with multiple boards. This extra padding can be anything from bubble wrap, to cardboard, to your wetsuit, clothes, and towel. Be sure to distribute your additional padding materials between your boards, as well as along the rails and around the tail and nose.
Stack and Strap
You might not think it, but there is a right way and a wrong way to stack surfboards in a travel bag. The right way is by situating boards by size, largest on the bottom, second largest on top of that, and so on. All of the boards should face the same way to keep the nose of one board from jamming into the tail of another. Stacked boards should be securely strapped together, either by the straps included in most travel bags, or by using tape, string, rope, or anything else that won’t damage your boards.
Mind Your Fins
If you have a removable fin system, remove your fins! Leaving your fins in when packing your board is just plain lazy and is basically asking for a smashed box or broken fin. For those who have glassed-on fins, pick up a foam fin protector from your local surf shop. The high density foam will act as a shock absorber and keep your fins secure whether you have a single, twin, thruster, or quad.
Go Waxless
Given the previous packing your surfboard tip, if you simply toss your board(s) in your board bag without taking the time to remove the nasty, old wax, you’re going to arrive at your destination with your wetsuit, clothes, and towel matted with surf wax. Set your board out in the sun for a minute or two to get the built-up wax nice and soft, then have it with a wax comb. Or you can get a Pickle or other wax remover and make things a little easier on yourself.
