Idiot’s Guide to Packing & Shipping a Surfboard
Most surfers are quite particular about their surfboards. If you were one such surfer, it would be great to travel with your board to whichever location you wish on earth. However, it can be quite a challenge if you have never shipped your surfboard before. The good thing is that if you use a reliable company such as golf overnight.com, your shipment should arrive in one piece.
Always Use Some Protective Material
The surface of the material should not be compromised during shipping. Otherwise, it might not give the same response that you expect during surfing. To do this, you should look for a packing material that can cover the whole surface of the board. After that, ensure you have some strong packing tape to hold everything in place.
Find the Right Shipping Box
A surfboard box can be found at places where you would find other kinds of shipping boxes. However, that can be hard to find sometimes. It is especially so if your surfboard is huge. In such a case, you may have to purchase two small shipping boxes and join them using tape. If all options fail, you will have to use the box that the surfboard came in. if you already discarded yours, you should consider visiting a store that sells surfboards and ask them if they have any empty boxes.
Remove any Detachable Parts
Most modern surfboards come with detachable parts called fins. These parts need to be removed and packed separately. If they are not removed, it could lead to damage during transportation. However, some parts may not be detachable. In such an instance, you will have to purchase a piece of foam and carve notches into it to protect them during transportation. Doing so is quite easy. Besides that, some companies actually manufacture pieces of foam that are designed to protect the jutting pieces.
Pad the Board
After covering the board in a protective material, such as thick nylon paper, you will need to pad it against physical impact. One of the options that you have is a padded board bag. However, not everyone has such a bag. To pad your board, you can use bubble wrap. Use a generous amount of it to ensure that the board is protected throughout the journey. Additionally, foam sheets are another great material for protecting your board during shipping.
Use Extra Padding for the Front and Back Tips
A surfboard’s most sensitive parts are its front and back tips. It is essential that you use as much padding as you can to protect these tips. Even a slight bump could cause them to break or bend out of shape. You should use a good amount of packing tape to ensure that the padding material you use does not fall off during shipping.
Ensure that the Board is Tightly in Place
Once your board has been protected with enough layers of padding, you will need to place it in a cardboard box. It is important that the board does not have any space to move during shipping. To do this, you can use packing peanuts or bubble wrap. Stuff as much of this padding material into every crevice as possible. It is thus essential that you avoid using a box that has too much space. Otherwise, the stacking strength will be less. The result is that your surfboard could still shift around during shipping, leading to some breakage.
Use Bumpers for Extra Protection
Bumpers are small bars made of Styrofoam that are placed at the nose and tail of the shipping box. Styrofoam is an extremely lightweight material. Consequently, there is little chance that it will have an impact on your shipping cost. However, it will play a huge role in ensuring that any slight bumps that your board suffers do not lead to any damage. It is quite good at absorbing shocks. The bumpers should be cut in a way that they fit tightly at both ends without shifting up and down or sideways.
Ensure that it Rides Rail Up
A surfboard is designed with a slight curvature. If the rails are placed facing down, it increases the chances that a lot of pressure will be placed at the tips of the board. It thus increases the chances of your board crumbling in transit.
To avoid this problem, you will have to label your box appropriately. Ensure that you print a huge sign saying fragile. It should also indicate which side should be up. That way, the guys doing the shipping will know how to handle your package.
Seal the Box
Ensure that you use a good amount of packing tape. Use at least three layers of packing tape just to be sure. You should ensure that every possible opening is sealed with the tape so that the packing material does not fall out during shipping.
If you use a good company such as sportsovernight.com and adhere to these guidelines, your surfboard should be quite secure during shipping.