Bringing your own board on a surf trip can be a hassle, especially if you’re travelling by plane. But surfing a new break can be confusing and challenging, so feeling the comfort and familiarity of your own surfboard helps when surfing a new wave for the first time.
If you don’t own a surfboard or can’t be bothered to bring your own, we provide beginner surfboards in all our Surf Tour destinations, and we can also help you to find rental boards in some locations. If that’s what you’ll need, make sure to let our team know as soon as possible so we can arrange that for you. But if you decide to bring your own board with you, here are some tips that can help prevent damage during your travels and have your board(s) arriving at your destination in one piece - it’s up to you how much effort you put into packing your surfboards, however we highly recommend putting in that little bit of extra effort to pack them safely.
Firstly remove all the wax on your board, this is because you will need to apply suitable wax for the climate you are travelling to when you get there. Removing wax is much easier when you soften it prior to scraping. To do this you can briefly lay your board face up in the sun or use a warm hair dryer.
Next remove your fins and leg rope so they don't get damaged whilst travelling. Make sure you wrap some rubber bands or tape around your set of fins when you remove them, so you don’t lose any while travelling. Also, if you can’t leave your screws in your board safely then put them in a small sealable bag and tape them to your set of fins.
You may also like to use pipe insulation (hollow soft foam tubing), or similar to protect the rails of your board. Simply cut a slit lengthways so you can wrap it around the rail of your board. Once it is in place, you can use packing tape to keep it there.
To help protect your board in transit, you can use bubble wrap. Focus on the nose and tail area the most and as added protection you can wrap your board with any towels you are taking or place your board in a board sock cover (material sock cover).
If you're packing more than one board, lay the largest board on the bottom with the other boards facing the same direction and with the rockers all running the same way. Place towels between each board to reduce any movement, and tape the boards together to reduce movement within the board bag.
Place your board/s in a firm fitting travel board bag. Most board bags come with straps attached inside the bag. This allows you to strap your boards securely together so there is limited movement between the boards. Do not place leg ropes, fins or anything sharp or hard in your board bag (put them in your luggage bag). These items can cause ding, dents and creases if they are pressed into your boards during travel.
Finally mark your board bag with a ‘fragile item’ label.
Got any questions? Ask your coach or get in touch with our team if you have any doubts about the best way to pack your surfboards or any other aspect of your Surf Getaway trip preparation. We’re looking forward to seeing you in the water soon!
