If you go on vacation is it better to fly with your board or rent when you get there?

This is what l do when l plan on going somewhere to surf. l call up some of the closest surf shops to where l will be staying, and make sure they're going to be able to rent me a decent board. l would strongly suggest you not flying with your board. The luggage dudes treat baggage like crap, and your board is bound to get some gnarly dings. Im pretty sure you cant carry on a surf board either, but even if you could, can you imagine having to lug that thing through the plane!

If you do a plane it is will get pretty, well. bad. Just rent one.

I've carried my board with me in the past but do not do it anymore. It costs about $80 each way (except for a Pope Bi-sec), & unless u have a shortbord & a good board shipping crate, it is a real pain. Usually the baggage handlers do not take special care & must be loading things on top of the board. It is even worse if u change planes & the boards get packed & unpacked again. Last time l brought a longboard back from Orange County to Maryland the nose got trashed inside a well packed crate.

If u surf contests it is a different story but l believe it is much better to just rent wherever u go. You might have a slight problem finding a good board similar to what u normally ride, but in most popular areas u can get close. l was recently in Hawaii & found a Greek Stylemaster just like what l normally ride, except it was a Surftek, for $20 a day. Do not rent from the surf schools on the beach though as they seldom have quality boards. l took another trip to Australia a few years back & it would have been a nightmare carrying boards if l had not been able to rent.

When flying, 8 times out of 10, my board(s) had been damaged. The airlines do not care about ur boards. l have never, not once, been reimbursed for any damages done, no matter how upset l was. Sitting in the baggage terminal, crying on the floor, my fav board absolutely smashed. They make u sign a waiver when u check in. Do not let them open ur bag if u can help it, I've had the unfortunate experience of having them charge me per board instead of per bag. Getting to ur destination with boards can really suck.

l have flown with my boards quite a few times & have not any significant problems (knock on wood). A lot of it is how u pack ur board though. l wrap my rails in that foam insulation tubing u can get from the hardware store & make a cap for my nose & tail out of cardboard. If l am taking wetsuits they get packed with my board to cushion the top & bottom. l usually come out of the deal with some small pressure dings but that is about all.

It can be costly to fly with them so research ur airlines before u book. Check their websites under the excess baggage section. They all charge something. Some r reasonable, some r not. Southwest charges $50 each way per bag, some airline charge up to $80 per board.

l think there is usually a break down of what it costs for each airline somewhere on Surfline, maybe in the travel section.

Mike P is right. I've taken my boards to Costa Rica, SoCal, and Spain before and have been fortunate, but not always so lucky. Rent a board, it will less stress and worry on you, less bulk to have to carry to and from the airports, and gives you the opportunity to try out some different board styles and lengths. Certain boards are not conducive for every locale. Just think, if something happens to your board, what are you going to do then? Good Luck Bro!

its a pain in theSS