Packing your surfboard bag properly for travel can be the difference between a killer trip and one with no board to surf! It is very important to protect your board from potential damage while traveling and flying so that you don’t arrive at your destination with a broken stick.
First off you need to either borrow or buy a travel protected board bag and we recommend it be a few inches larger than the size of your board. This will allow you to add extra protection around and in your board bag to prevent from further damage. You have to think about what board bag will be most compatible with your travel needs and one that will be easy to transport from airports, cars and boats along your journey.
Second packing tip is to make sure you remove your boards fins (FCS, Future, Excel) and if they are glass-on fins make sure to put a foam fin box over them. Another important thing to remember before packing your travel board bag is to remove all old wax from your boards, this will save you from a mess of melting wax in your bag! Removing all the wax off your boards will also prepare you to put on a fresh coat of the proper temp wax when you arrive at your destination.
The third important tip we recommend is to protect the ding prone areas (nose, rails and tail) of your board with proper padding. This padding can include: bubble wrap, pipe insulation (for the rails), or even your extra clothing and beach towels. We recommend using clear packing tape to secure these ding prone areas with the protection of your choice. You can even slide your board in to a light board sock to secure your packing job and this will help to further protect your board.
The final step is to slide your protected board into your travel bag and if you have more room you can add any extra soft good items (clothes, wetsuits, towels, etc.) on the top and bottom of the bag. We also recommend you label the top and bottom of your travel bag with “Fragile†or “Top Loadâ€, this will let the flight crew know to be extra careful when handling your bag. We hope these travel tips will allow you to have a safe and hassle free surf trip!