Hey people,
Got a family trip to Fiji in August. I need to "sneak" my board and a couple of kites in.
So I need a board back of some description.
Any ideas?
PS it will be a TT.
I have heard that golf bags are good?
Couple of kite brands make decent travel bags, alternatively check out some wakeboard brands like jet pilot or liquid force, you can fit two kites and two boards in easily.
Hey Plums, I have a couple of travel bags that I have used. The Dakine Club Wagon is a golf style bag with wheels, easily holds a TT up to 150 and a couple of kites. Had it quite a few years now and still going strong. When I got my Flydoor though it did not fit so had to get a custom board bag from Surfaids in Byron - they did an awesome job, very well made, still going strong after 6 years and many plane flights, still lots of life left. Enjoy Fiji.
Select to expand quotePlummet said...
[br]Hey people,
Got a family trip to Fiji in August. I need to "sneak" my board and a couple of kites in.
So I need a board back of some description.
Any ideas?
PS it will be a TT.
I have heard that golf bags are good?
Sheep skin lined?
Have a 2010 North 160cm bag that fits my 170x50 Flydoor... just. Also have a Naish 140cm "golf" bag that just fits a 142cm long board...
Can get 2 boards, 3 kites, 2 bars, wetsuit and pump in either bag... problem is the weight! The bigger bag is almost 7kg IIRC and the smaller nearly 5! There's goes a big portion of your allowance.
If you just want the board in the bag, "day bags" are much lighter and probably give enough protection for a TT...
There are plenty of different deceiver bags around... bit dodgy I think but I've never had a hard time with fees. "Golf" is the usual ruse by I think Epic does bags with "medical equipment" printed on them 
Going over in August as well, was thinking of one of these: www.curvesurf.com.au/products/surfboard-bag-surfboard-coffin-double-triple-surfboard-bag-australia-overstayer
Anyone tried one with kite gear?
yea I have a jet pilot wake bag..fits enough to make you happy for trip.
Whats the go with golf bag for kite gear ? Is it a free pass for planes ?
Cheers Billy.
I had a Mystic double gear bag and although it fitted heaps in it weighed 8 kgs by itself . Its great that they come with wheels and handles and compartments etc but make sure you get a relatively light one otherwise you have no allowance left for clothes....
Select to expand quotefingerbone said...
Whats the go with golf bag for kite gear ? Is it a free pass for planes ?
Cheers Billy.
Also super interested on this point
I traveled internationally for 3 years with a Cabrinha/NP Golf bag and never paid a dollar. I always just said it was golf gear. My biggest tip is to travel with major airlines, and it does help to be a loyalty member to a particular flight group like Star Alliance, OneWorld, etc... Just pack a small carry on for clothes and check the 'golf' bag. Simples!
Select to expand quoteKPSS Used said..
I traveled internationally for 3 years with a Cabrinha/NP Golf bag and never paid a dollar. I always just said it was golf gear. My biggest tip is to travel with major airlines, and it does help to be a loyalty member to a particular flight group like Star Alliance, OneWorld, etc... Just pack a small carry on for clothes and check the 'golf' bag. Simples!
still dont get why golf bag??? do you not have to pay to send golf stuff around the world or something??
For those questioning the golf bag on airlines - yes, they're a privileged lot the golfers. They get to take their toys everywhere as part of the 'sports gear' allowance. Same with cycling gear.
Dont even try argue that we too are sportsmen and need similar allowances - the rules are the rules.
there used to be a blanket concession for golf clubs to travel free to encourage businessmen etc to fly with there clubs. This has been rolled back by a lot of airlines now or expanded to include other sports equipment - the golf bag was born to take advantage of this loophole.
There advantage can be an awsome discount to nothing depending on the carrier.
Have found it is best to travel with one bag under there weight limit and travel with your clothes in your carry on as Steve said and there will be no issues
Select to expand quoteTrapped said..
fingerbone said...
Whats the go with golf bag for kite gear ? Is it a free pass for planes ?
Cheers Billy.
Also super interested on this point
Select to expand quotethe truth said..
there used to be a blanket concession for golf clubs to travel free to encourage businessmen etc to fly with there clubs. This has been rolled back by a lot of airlines now or expanded to include other sports equipment - the golf bag was born to take advantage of this loophole.
There advantage can be an awsome discount to nothing depending on the carrier.
Have found it is best to travel with one bag under there weight limit and travel with your clothes in your carry on as Steve said and there will be no issues
This.
Be aware that there are often also size limitations on check-in bags, and declaring them as "sporting goods" can often be more helpful than just trying to BS your way through it with golf bags.
Check out the policy of the airline you're using first, print out the policy and take it with you to the check-in counter, especially if you're flying out of New Zealand cos there are some completely retarded nazi douche-bags working the counters there.
Some airlines are pretty good - Singapore is great - and some even let you take surfboards for free...
Yes Plummet - have Ozone bag but only used once to New Caledonia took TT (133), 2 kites and all other kit easily, has straps to hold/compress everything down and good padding for the board - remove your fins for sure. The whole lot weighed just on 20kg from memory. My one is older than what is on the website now and also has a shoulder harness so you can carry the whole thing on your back, used this a couple of times but probably overkill. Ozone also makes compression bags for kites as well which might be handy, have not used or seen these other than on the website.
The double compartment Mystic board bag is excellent. It's true that it's heavy on it's own, but i got around this by separating the compartments once full and sharing the baggage limit with another traveller. Together, packed to the rim, with two boards, three kites, wetsuits and some clothes came to around 35kg, but separated came to under 20 each, which was perfect. Unfortunately though one of the two compartments has wheels, so you have to drag the other one around or get a trolley. However, the bag is very tough and gives good protection for your gear, with lockable zips.
Select to expand quoteKamikuza said
Check out the policy of the airline you're using first, print out the policy and take it with you to the check-in counter, especially if you're flying out of New Zealand cos there are some completely retarded nazi douche-bags working the counters there.
Correct. I had to take off fins, handle and straps to convert my TT into a "snowboard". United Airlines takes snowboards for free but anything with "surf" will incur a 100$ fee per leg. I had to show the lady at the check-in their own policy on my phone before she waived the fee.
Hay Plummet....dont forget to take your TT fins off....I dont think you will damage them however they will cut through your bag...
I took mine off going to Cairns but left them on comming home ....now had to fix 2 x fin holes in bag..
Yeah, the sport we do is "kiteboarding", never "kitesurfing" or they'll instantly try to hit you with surfboard fees... and if they don't know what kiteboarding is, say something vague like "It's like wake boarding" which usually is free to carry gear too...
Whats the go with bali days via virgin? Silver status has lapsed and they're telling me 130 bucks to take a board there and back thanks very much. I remember when virgin used to be best airline for sporting gear.....not now. No sporting allowance and rip off price for extra gear.
Whats everyone else doing? Flying another airline
Oh and to stay on topic, I just use twintip bag, take off hardware, lay harness flat with twin tip, everything else in my suitcase. All your clothes protecting your kites from bag throwers
North Bag seems good, I can fit 2 boards hardware removed and stowed in side pockets, 10m+12m & boots + straps + harness + 2 bars. and its got roller wheels
I have heard also that it can * be to your advantage * that you actually put in 1 or 2 real golf clubs, this way it does validate that it is indeed a golf bag.
Sounds crazy, but then the nice check in people can't actually tell you that there are no golf clubs. As well, most brands of bag will have * Golf * written on the side of their bag!
Just put toy plastic ones in... they are still golf clubs 
.I just tell them I'm carrying beach tents... get some weird looks.
Virgin count any sporting equipment (even gold clubs) as an additional bag these days....bit of research tells me flying to bali from aus, garuda give complimentary sporting good allowance. Only problem is whenever I hear garuda I think of aircraft ploughing into earth so probably not worth it 
i used a ozone board bag when I went to fiji. One twintip. 10m + 13m +17m plus bars and harness. was just under 23kg. I took the pump in my normal luggage.
Select to expand quoteKamikuza said... Trapped said..
fingerbone said...
Whats the go with golf bag for kite gear ? Is it a free pass for planes ?
Cheers Billy.
Also super interested on this point
the truth said..
there used to be a blanket concession for golf clubs to travel free to encourage businessmen etc to fly with there clubs. This has been rolled back by a lot of airlines now or expanded to include other sports equipment - the golf bag was born to take advantage of this loophole.
There advantage can be an awsome discount to nothing depending on the carrier.
Have found it is best to travel with one bag under there weight limit and travel with your clothes in your carry on as Steve said and there will be no issues
This.
Be aware that there are often also size limitations on check-in bags, and declaring them as "sporting goods" can often be more helpful than just trying to BS your way through it with golf bags.
Check out the policy of the airline you're using first, print out the policy and take it with you to the check-in counter, especially if you're flying out of New Zealand cos there are some completely retarded nazi douche-bags working the counters there.
Some airlines are pretty good - Singapore is great - and some even let you take surfboards for free...
Very good tip about printing out the airline policy and taking it with you
The fact you can then show them what you have read and state your interpretation and think you are doing the right thing will often be in your favor when coming up with a BS storey to save on excess, also if you are definitely over, always buy the extra luggage if it is an option, helps show you are trying to do the right thing.
Also at least going to the trouble of reading the baggage policy will help you be prepared with a plan
I'm flying to LAX (and onwards) in December with Fiji Airways. They want $130AUD for an additional bag, each way! F. Me. $260 to take my kites + TT on holidays.
Good tips in this thread though, I might buy a set of those scales this weekend and weigh up what I'm going to come in at. Another one I heard is to wear your heavy hiking boots, jacket and anything else that weighs a ton (harness??) into check-in, then just take them off and put them all in a spare big plastic bag once you get through security.
Maybe I could even wear a kite like a wrap around dress, "do you really want me to take this off sir? I'm not wearing anything else"
Be careful of the triple overheads in fiji, they are pretty gnarly man
I'm sure you can handle them though
