Packing Board Bag

JeffRSpicoli

Nep status
Aug 9, 2019
572
695
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Just wondering if you guys add any extra protections when packing your boards?
-I have the Channel Island Triple board bag and am loading it up.
-advertised as a 3-4 boards bag, yeah right, 3 is a tight fit, forget 4 unless no added protection and will be a super tight squeeze.

Usually I add extra protection (board in a day bag or sock, some packing foam) this obviously limits space.

Generally do you just go ahead and trust that the travel bag will do its job?
 

LifeOnMars

Michael Peterson status
Jan 14, 2020
3,164
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maybe some extra foam padding, not bubble wrap. put it between the boards. tshirts and trunks around the tail and nose. I would just get a bigger bag, need at least 4-5 boards maybe 6 or 7 if a long or trip with variety of waves. took 6 boards to the ments last year and rode every one.
 

Sharkbiscuit

Duke status
Aug 6, 2003
26,272
19,099
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Jacksonville Beach
I use some foam and bubble wrap to protect certain areas. I do put fins, leashes, sun cure, sunscreen and toiletries, and a couple changes of clothes in the bag, but nothing like I used to where I'd load the boardbag up.
 

rowjimmytour

Tom Curren status
Feb 7, 2009
11,534
5,832
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Prolite rhino session two board bag: board(s), sock, and day bag. Tail section: sandals, dafins and rail sections beach towells.
 

JeffRSpicoli

Nep status
Aug 9, 2019
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Thanks guys, I got 3 in there and trust they will arrive damage free, really want 4, but that might compromise some protection. Agree with Life on Mars, bigger board bag, but I have found that my short term decisions making on buying board bags never seems to correlate to long term usage.
-told my local that they should rent board bags, seems like an obvious income stream as they already have way to many sitting in the shop.
 

JeffRSpicoli

Nep status
Aug 9, 2019
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I see people renting them on craigslist for ~$30 a week.
Thanks I checked craigslist I don't live in a very populated surf environment didn't find anything, bit the bullet and got the Creatures quad coffin with wheels, should easily be able to get 4 in there, as advertised, possibly 5.
 

santacruzin

Kelly Slater status
Oct 17, 2007
8,836
9,772
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valley purgatory
maybe some extra foam padding, not bubble wrap. put it between the boards. tshirts and trunks around the tail and nose. I would just get a bigger bag, need at least 4-5 boards maybe 6 or 7 if a long or trip with variety of waves. took 6 boards to the ments last year and rode every one.
6!!!! 6!!!!

what airline and how much did you pay? thanks!
 
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Icu812

Nep status
Jun 23, 2013
621
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WEST of 101
If you're traveling with anyone else a good plan is to swap a board with somebody. We got to Jakarta and there was a guy standing at the gate when we got off the plane with a sign with my name on it..uh oh, wtf? Turned out one of the board bags didn't make it. Got to the turnstile and it was like roulette waiting to see who's bag didn't make it. Turned out it was my buddy's. He surfed on other people's boards for a week out there, not the end of the world but still...they finally got his bag out there.
 
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JeffRSpicoli

Nep status
Aug 9, 2019
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Well I got 4 boards comfortably in the new Creatures bag: daybags, some plumbing insulation on the new or most valued/fragile. Couple of boards are Rusty Torsion Spring, so trusting that construction and just board socks for them, plus some clothes/rash guards.

Hopefully my Covid test comes back negative and I am on my way Friday, "Trip Roulette" as I see it.
 

PeterDj

Legend (inyourownmind)
Jul 11, 2018
467
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I hate it when TSA opens your board bag and shuffles things around. Make sure to tape the foam around your boards. Don't make it too heavy because the baggage packers just chuck your bag and if it's too heavy they might screw up their throw and it gets packed crooked, then some other suit cases break your boards.
 

JeffRSpicoli

Nep status
Aug 9, 2019
572
695
93
I hate it when TSA opens your board bag and shuffles things around. Make sure to tape the foam around your boards. Don't make it too heavy because the baggage packers just chuck your bag and if it's too heavy they might screw up their throw and it gets packed crooked, then some other suit cases break your boards.
Agree on the TSA stuff, I just got approved for pre-check, so sick of taking my shoes off and getting date raped by TSA, maybe they will go lightly on rummaging through the board bag if there is some pre-check indicator.?

And shxt man I hear yeah on the "too heavy" my buddy just said the same thing, but I don't think I can get it any lighter than it is, unless that is if I remove some of the protection, crap! It's just a nut hair above 70lbs.
-new most sacred board is on the bottom but inside a CI sock and a padded FCS day bag with some added padding, maybe I will move it from the bottom to the middle.
-I've packed and repacked like a dozen times now, haaa...

Results are in PCR negative!!!
 

GromsDad

Duke status
Jan 21, 2014
54,171
16,181
113
West of the Atlantic. East of the ICW.
When I use the big coffin bag I buy a sheet of Dow insulation board and split it in two and trace out the outline of the largest board and cut the two pieces of foam to be slightly bigger than the biggest board. One for the bottom and one for the top. Then I use warehouse shrink wrap to shrink wrap the boards and the foam so they all become one. I use bubblewrap to support the noses when I shrinkwrap everything together to make it as hard as possible to break the nose off of a board. My goal is to have all of the boards and the foam act as one solid unit. Once the boards are in the bag I pack bubblewrap around the nose and tail. The coffin bag has straps on the side to tighten up the board bag so the boards don't move inside the bag and I feel it is important to really sinch these down.

All that being said, my last two trips American Airlines changed its board bag policy so that a board bag that fits a certain size and weight counts as just a regular piece of luggage. It is either $30 or $35 per bag instead of the old $150 each way for the coffin bag. Because of that I have not used the coffin the last two times, instead using two slightly oversized day bags that each fit two boards shrink wrapped together. Again, my goal is to make the two boards act as one and I use bubblewrap to support the noses of the boards when I shrinkwrap so that they become one solid unit. I pack the shrinkwrap for the return trip.

Knock on wood, with my strategy I've only had very minor board rash one time and that was with Spirit Airlines. TSA has mangled my packing system a couple of times and thanks to TSA one time we arrived missing one FCS fin.

 

LifeOnMars

Michael Peterson status
Jan 14, 2020
3,164
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6!!!! 6!!!!

what airline and how much did you pay? thanks!
qatar to indo (extra $50 for overweight up to 32kg) then batik inside the country (200k rupiah per board) told them 4 at the desk, no weight limit. my advice is to not fly garuda, they may be "free" but they will try and fuk you for carrying "too many", had it happen to me and a few others I know on previous trips.
 

santacruzin

Kelly Slater status
Oct 17, 2007
8,836
9,772
113
valley purgatory
qatar to indo (extra $50 for overweight up to 32kg) then batik inside the country (200k rupiah per board) told them 4 at the desk, no weight limit. my advice is to not fly garuda, they may be "free" but they will try and fuk you for carrying "too many", had it happen to me and a few others I know on previous trips.
Only downside with Batik is you may die!!

What were the 6 boards?

oh one more tip for this thread. Buy a hanging scale like you use for fish.Used one to pre weigh my bags on last trip/