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Forums > Kitesurfing General

flying with kite gear and board

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Created by shifty46 > 9 months ago, 22 Nov 2010
shifty46
SA, 11 posts
22 Nov 2010 4:47PM
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Hi boys and Girls does anyone have any tips on flying with airlines with all your kite gear and board.Thinking it might cost a bit in weight thanks for any help

SlicerDicer
179 posts
22 Nov 2010 2:35PM
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I have a 133cm twintip and a 180cm directional so basic idea? I am DOOOOOOOOOMED to pay high fees. I got a nice dakine bag if you want pics to hold all my kite gear.

Pay the fees go kite

Edit: pic of my human sarcophagus


Transition_Surf
SA, 286 posts
22 Nov 2010 5:16PM
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There are a few ways.... The Mystic Ammo Box is good as you can split it up to avoid the 32kg per bag rule.

However I've travelled overseas with just one kite bag and a few kites. The expandable bags work well and fits in two kites and a TT.

Hope this helps

AndreC
WA, 512 posts
22 Nov 2010 3:10PM
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Try the bag that looks like a golf club bag most airlines let golf gear go for free...or carve the insides outa one yourself stuff all your gear in there...make sure you pose as rich golf pro and pick up a cute air matress while you are at it!

Weta
WA, 893 posts
22 Nov 2010 3:16PM
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Use the search function this topic has been flogged to death in the past

SlicerDicer
179 posts
22 Nov 2010 3:30PM
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AndreC said...

Try the bag that looks like a golf club bag most airlines let golf gear go for free...or carve the insides outa one yourself stuff all your gear in there...make sure you pose as rich golf pro and pick up a cute air matress while you are at it!


My directional board wont fit in one :/ I already tried all routes... I wanted the mystic golf bag or naish...

Burls
209 posts
22 Nov 2010 3:54PM
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> Do your research! Pick the airline with the best policies regarding sports equipment, weigh your gear and calculate what you'll be paying for each kilo you are over the limit, so you're prepared when you are checking in and don't have to do a last-minute re-pack.
> Make sure your gear is dry when you fly - wet gear adds a huge amount of weight.
> 'Golf bag' if you can, it has worked for me (Depends on the airline though).
> Here's a guideline of the baggage policies of the airlines of the world: www.oceansource.net/
> If you are flying on a regional or small aircraft on any of your flights, be very careful of the baggage limits which can be lower than 'usual'.
> Some airlines seem to have issues if your bag is longer than 160 cms, so if you've got a directional board, there's some more research to do.
> Some airlines encourage you to pre-pay your baggage, but don't allow sports gear to be pre-paid. So if you pay for all of your luggage and kite gear in advance, you could be wasting your money. (In my case, this little piece of information was not published anywhere on the website, not even in the baggage conditions page which I reviewed when making the booking! )
> Some airlines / destinations have a limit to the number of bags each passenger can check in, so if you show up to the check in counter with say two boards and separate kite bags, you may have a problem.
> If you're heading out of Aus and returning again, make sure your gear is clean and free of dirt / sand - I've had my gear checked by customs when entering Aus.



Thecopterdr
QLD, 98 posts
22 Nov 2010 8:52PM
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If you are flying around the south pacific then go with Virgin blue, They have a policy where 5kgs of your allocated 20kgs of normal check in baggage will go toward your sporting gear allowance, you can then take sporting equipment of up to 32kgs providing its all in one bag. If you find 15kgs for normal baggage not enough then you can just stick all your heavy stuff in with your kite gear. I took a Naish kite bag that has wheels and managed to get 2 boards, 3 kites and all the other goodies needed.

shifty46
SA, 11 posts
24 Nov 2010 3:29PM
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thanks guys for all the info a big help to hear your stories. Time to go shopping to a buy a new bag.
cheers again

kitebjorn
NSW, 4 posts
24 Nov 2010 4:23PM
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I use a snowboard travelling bag. You can easily fit a board, kite, harness, wetsuit and a bar into one of those. And/or more than one kite.

Airlines are used to handling these kinds of bags. For flights to the USA, the extra bag fee is typically a third of a normal bag. They also won't ask you to open and show what's inside a snowboard bag.

Sometimes, the golf bag approach fails in America, because a golf travel bag can only contain one golf bag and nothing else. It's rare, but when it happens, they make you pay the oversized fee.

AKSonline
WA, 925 posts
Site Sponsor
24 Nov 2010 3:44PM
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Hi Guys,

The ION Split Bag can be seperated into two seperated bags or zipped together to make one. The ION Golf bag is excellent too but wont fit a directional unless it is small.

Nice bags!

The other alternative is to travel extra light like I do. I remove all fins and straps etc from the twinny and surfy and also the spreader bar from the harness so it packs flat and doesn't damage the boards and carry them as part of my carry on luggage.

Take your kites out of their bags and leave the bags behind. Lay the two kites out on the ground and remove ALL air from struts etc. Lay the smaller one over the bigger one, then wrap your boards in a beach towel and then roll the kites around the boards, this acts as padding and saves heaps of space. Take only one bar and lines that can be used for both kites, borrow or buy a pump once you get to where you are going.

You should be able to travel for heaps less weight if you only take what you NEED rather than what you THINK you need.

Cheers,

DM



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"flying with kite gear and board" started by shifty46