Surfing Trips Can Be Challenging - Travel Tips for Protecting and Shipping a Wooden Surfboard

Traveling with a surfboard can be a hassle and expensive but most surfers want to surf those exotic waves on their own surfboard. Before you start your journey you will want to take time to make sure you know the extra costs and have all the logistics in place well in advance of your surfing mecca.

Some surfers choose to ship their surfboard in advance using a major shipper such a UPS or FedEx but this generally only works if the destination is a major surfing resort. The UPS Store will probably be more helpful than the UPS shipping office as far as packing the surfboard and shipping it for you. You should research whether or not to insure your surfboard and also make sure that surfboards are insurable since some specialty items are not covered by standard shipping insurance.

The other method for traveling with your surfboard is to take it as carry-on-luggage on the aircraft. With baggage fees going up higher and higher by the day you can expect to pay extra for checking a surfboard. United's Airline's Surfboard Shipping Policy. You should probably still have a backup plan even when checking your wooden surfboard at the airport as luggage because the airline could accidentally damage your surfboard or your surfboard could get lost on the way to your surfing destination. Airlines usually leave larger luggage behind if they have issues with space or weight on the airplane so your chances of having a lost surfboard are higher than having a lost bag even though you paid more to ship it. When you get to your destination you will still need to travel with you surfboard in a cab or rental car so be prepared an pack some bungy chords or twine and plan ahead.

If you ship your surfboard or take it on the airline you will need to obtain a good surfboard travel bag. More than a board sock is needed to properly protect your surfboard while traveling. A high quality bag can be obtained for a little over $100 and will save you time and money when considering the investment you have made into your surfboard and your surf trip.

View the original article here

Building Hollow Wooden Surfboards - Use Caution and Remember the Silent Killer of Expansion

Hollow surfboards should be constructed with a proper vent to prevent damage from thermal expansion and contraction. It may be surprising but the air inside a surfboard will expand and contract significantly with changes in temperature. If the surfboard is not vented the air will expand so much that fractures will occur in the structure of the hollow board and water will leak in and damage the board. This quiet damage will occur while the surfboard is sitting in the sun or on the beach or during transporting to the beach for surfing. You may not even be aware that this thermal expansion has caused damage to the hollow wooden surfboard but over time it will be discovered when your wooden surfboard becomes waterlogged.

When building a wooden surfboard one should remember to properly vent your hand crafted board to prevent this damage from occurring. The vent can be simple and still be effective at its task of allowing air to pass in and out of the hollow space inside the surfboard. Some vents are one-way valves that only air to go out and do not allow water to pass into the board. These can be more expensive and can fail eventually. Another more simple method is to insert a screw into the surfboard that passes all the way through the skin and into the hollow area. This screw can have a head that is easy to turn with bare fingers and no tools required. These thumb screw can be removed while the board is not in the water to prevent thermal expansion. When you are building wooden surfboards take the time to install a vent to protect your surfboard from thermal damage.

This article has been viewed 4 time(s).
Article Submitted On: January 30, 2011

View the original article here