Flying a wakeboard

Does anyone have any experience with flying their board on a plane. It looks like it can go under recreational equipment. I'm wondering if i should take my bindings and put them in my luggage or leave them on.I don't have a bag and was wondering what anyone else uses for protection. I don't know how bad things will get beat up.

Buy a board bag and fill it with clothes or something else to protect it from the abuse you know it will see.

yah i went to florida with my board but i had a bag but they dont beat it up bad. i got my board bag for 30 bucks

where at did you buy a $30 bag?

Chase, when you check it in and they ask you what's in the bag, tell them it's waterski equipment, if you say a wakeboard some airports will want to charge you an extra $50.00 to $75.00 bucks.

its the hyperlite bag i dont remember what its called but i got it at my local malibu store. look on buywake.com or wakeside.com and under luggage or something and look for the cheapest one.

You can always connect the destination tag to the binding and throw it on the conveyer belt without a bag like Parks does.

I got the liquid force bag with wheels. I took off the bindings and layed them down so they fit better then packed my clothes in the same bag to protect it. Worked like a charm! Oh and at check in i just told them it was a wakeboard i didn't have any problems.

Haha Nick. Okay, I checked the airline and they do accept snowboards for no fee. My biggest thing is what to put it in considering I don't have a bag and I dont have time to get one. No pro shops near me in Ohio. I leave on friday. So I'm looking for some kind of alternative this time.

We have checked boards numerous times. Lots of variation in agents, coming home from Worlds in Dallas last year agent had a tape measure out trying to make the bag exceed the "free" size. He dug through all kinds of policy manuals looking for a way to charge for waterski bag. Another boarder in the next line over with the same CWB bag wasn't even ask a question.

glad this subject finally came up. i have a rant.

Flown quite a bit with my board (in a LF bag, no wheels.) For a while, they were accepting "wakeboard" for the answer to "what is this, golf clubs?" They didn't understand what that was but would accept as "similar to a snowboard." However, after a while I started getting, "oh its like a surf board." "no maam / sir it is not. surf boards are way bigger." Last couple of times I have tried to convince them but been charged. So i took it a step further and wrote continental. Their website says they will allow for free: snowboards, golf clubs, etc. Charge for: wakeboards, surf boards, windsurfers. We all know what a wakeboard more closely resembles in size and weight - snowboard - and is way lighter than golf clubs. No response from continental. but if they get enough requests maybe they will change the policy.

until then, i take my roam along too and say snowboard. when they question why i am going to bahamas with a snowboard i say to sell to a buddy or something. and the roam definitely looks like a snowboard, so it works a bit better.

Put it in a large pipe.

OK I found the original email I sent to continental. I resent it today since I never got a response:

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I was recently charged $95.00 for transporting a wakeboard, my only piece of checked luggage from IAH to LAX. I have flown with it before many times and not been charged, although many times the ticketing agents have been confused as to the process. I checked the continental website, and see that the policy is for a wakeboard to be charged. However, due to the fact I and many of my fellow sport participants travel with our boards on a somewhat regular basis, I thought I would note some inconsistencies on your policy and request the information be reviewed.

Items that are free to transport: boogie board, skim board, golf bag, waterskis, snowboard, snow skis

Items that are charged: wakeboard, surf board, kiteboard

Surf boards and kite boards (and their support equipment) can be quite big, but wakeboards and generally smaller and lighter than many of the free items such as golf clubs, snow skis and snowboards. I travel with a snowboard a lot too and I can tell you for certain that my wakeboard bag is smaller and lighter than my snowboard bag when the proper equipment is packed. Based on this information, I am asking for reasoning as to why a wakeboard is charged. If supporting information on the above items is required, such as typical bag dimensions and weight, I will certainly collect the information.

I am requesting that this information be reviewed and it be considered that the policy be changed. Additionally, if the policy is indeed changed, I would like to be notified and I would like my most recent $95 charge refunded if possible. I will print out the website of the new policy and take with me to check in so as to reduce confusion.

Thank you for your consideration. I would like a response and assurance that the policy setter is reviewing this information and not just a customer service "thanks we'll look into it" and this email is sent to never-never land. ;-)

Thanks again.

Andrew Davis

Ref: http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/travel/baggage/sports.aspx

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That link at the end is where the policy is stated. To say they are waterskis i guess is not totally untrue..... maybe thats the way to get around it.

Either way, snowskis, waterskis, snowboard and golf clubs are free, why not wakeboards? Cause the dude at continental who wrote the policy has no idea what a wakeboard actually looks like and weighs. Let's help em out by sending emails to the airlines.....

Curb side check in.

They work on tips...hint hint.

Chase,

If you don't put your board in a bag and pad it don't plan on being able to ride it for long. I have had mine it a bag with towels and vest wrapped around it and they still jacked it up. Now I use foam and wrap the edges in that. So far no damage. Before then almost always they would break the tips or sides.

Just call it a snowboard when you check it in. I have yet to fly with my wakeboard but my snowboard has no problems. But yes a board bag is a must. And I'd do what sbt3 said...

UPS it to your destination.

I put mine in a board bag, wrap the life jacket around the ceneter of the board, between the bindings, this protects the bottom center, then I put pipe insulation around the rest of the edges, $3 at any hardware store, at my bag has come out looking beat up but no problems with the board. Oh, I also put a beach towel in the bottom for extra padding, the bindings will pad the top. Seemed to work for me.

Try this NSI bag called the deceiver!
Airlines like Golfers! They know what golf clubs are and the checked bag fee is small if they even charge you. When you tell them wakeboard, surfboard or windsurfer the really do not know what to do with it and just freak and jak the price.

I got beastie Hyperlite board bag several years ago and put my board, bindings and all my clothes, pretty much everything but my laptop in that board bag. Used clothes to pad, worked really well no damage.

Fly Southwest. Never have had problem with being charged. However I do agree with curbside check in. When we went to Florida last year for an extended time we had our bags cramed full (overweight) had three bags and gave the guy $7 and the bags never even came within 15 feet of the scale. Definately buy a board bag. We travel more than most (think around 18 times last year)but our roller bag is lucky to make it a year from the airports. The LF bags are padded DEFINATELY BUY A BAG. Have it shipped NEXT DAY AIR its worth it.

Also had the same problem with Continental about 4 years ago. My flight cost $165, transporting the board was $90 EACH WAY. So it cost more to send the board than it did to send myself.

Have never flown continental again, and I fly average of once a month for pleasure, not even business.

However, that was the only time I tried to take the board, so I haven't tried other airlines

i had the same trouble with continental....they charged me 95$ to take my board one way...i told them it was a snowboard on the way back...either way my dad called after i got back and complained and got 45$ of his 90$ back.....just say its a snowboard is my advice....no matter what airline

Thanks everyone, I just bought a bag yesterday and have my curb side tips ready. Leaving for Hawaii today. i wanted to tell them snowboard cuz thats what it most likely resembles, but snowboarding in hawaii, i dont evern wanna hafta conivince them. one pilot jsut told me 'waterski equipment" will do the job.

Scott that bag is a pretty cool idea i havnet seen that before. pry expensive

Well to Hawaii for the week!

It's like rolling dice. On one trip curb side checking with tip on the way out. No problem. No curb side available on the way back. Big problem. My buddies thought it would be better to put all the boards in one bag (4 of them, no bindings so only about 35 lbs). The airline wanted $240, which was triple charge because only two allowed in a bag. I managed to get them to accept the $80 charge because my buddies were at the gate already and I said they'd have to call them back to get more than a single charge from me.

I tried to convince them it was waterski equipment, but no go. They kept insisting it was surfboards. The airlines are like Nazis. You do what they say or your bag goes in the trash.

Flier Beware!

Yah, curbside check in is where its at, just have that 5 spot ready and visual that way they wont question you. Maybe we should look into a golf patch with velcro attachment, that might be enough if you bag is packed enough to look round.

Southwest is the way to go. I fly often with my boards, and have never been questioned.

just say it's a bomb

Chase,
Every time I go home to Hawaii and tell them it's a snowboard, they have never said anything, on any airlines.

Have a good time on your vacation.

Aloha

Hey man I work for continental (now eveyones gonna hate me) and I wouldn't even recommend taking it with you on a plane. Unless you are checked in by someone cool, you're gonna get some jacka$$ that doesnt even know what a wakeboard is, and after 20 minutes of trying to figure out what to do, they'll charge a ridiculous amount of money and you'll have wasted a bunch of time. Plus it's 50/50 it'll get screwed up. My advice :Fed-Ex

i took mine to cancun from columbia and only had an edge protector that i secured with another buckle around the middle. i even checked it and was charged nothing, got alot of strange looks but it came back damage free

Read the luggage agreement carefully is my recommendation. Different airlines charge differently. I know AA charges for wakeboards also. Even in a board bag I've had boards damaged. Mostly the corners that need the extra protection.

Skiing made me board,
Lyle
Chrome Dome

I remove my bindings, take them apart (transits) so they fit in my bag. I then find a cardboard box that is the same size as the wakeboard when flattened. I cut it to length and tape it up with packing tape. No problems no damage, no grief at all. I travel every week and take my board a lot. If anyone asks, I tell them it's a painting

I've never paid to transport my wakeboard, golf clubs, or snowboard on southwest. I have a bag for each, -- pad it with towels or your lifejacket -- I've done it a lot and have never had problems.