Any professional surfer will tell you that his/her surfboard is source of joy. They can never go on holiday or travel around without a surfboard. Surfboards can be expensive to purchase and surfers look to take care of their current boards for as long as possible.
Owing to their design and size, surfboards can be quite hectic to move around with. There are very many types of surfboard. Each comes with its own design and shape. Some have detachable parts while others don’t. When shipping or planning to ship a surfboard, the biggest concern is normally the size and fragility of the material used in the manufacture of the surfboards. The material is light and susceptible to scratches. Any compromise to the structure of the surfboard can be detrimental. A little scratch can easily lead to a line of weakness which will culminate into a crack or a possible breakage. Surfing in such a compromised surfboard is highly prohibited as it is a risk to you as a surfer. You therefore need to ensure that at every stage of shipping the surfboard, it is well and truly protected from any form of damage.
If you want to safely move a surfboard, there are two options. You can choose to pack it yourself and then ship it on your own or delegate the duties to a shipping company to do the moving for you. Let’s explore the two options and you will choose the one that suits you best;
Option 1. DIY packing and shipping
Detach all the removable parts
If the surfboard has any removable parts, you need to detach them even before you start packing. Each part should be on its own. Shipping a surfboard with all its detachable parts intact will be increasing the chances of breakages.
Wrap each individual part in form sheet
After detaching any detachable parts, wrap each individual part in form sheet or in a protective layer of your choice. You want the parts padded as heavily as possible so that any pressure on the package will be absorbed by the padding. After wrapping each individual padded part, place it in a box preferably the original surfboard bag it came in. Before placing the padded parts in the bag, create protective layers using clothing or cotton. Cloth is preferred because it is easily accessible and will not scratch the surfboard.
Place the surfboard in the padded box/bag and fill up the spaces
After carefully wrapping each individual part in sheet form or clothing and padding the inside of the carrying box/bag, place the individual parts in the padded area. Place the individual parts in a way such that no sharp point lies directly on another part of the surfboard. Even when wrapped, sharp edges will still scratch and scour the surface of the surfboard and this will make the board rough and ugly. After carefully placing the surfboard in the box, fill up any spaces using clothing or any soft material that you can access. Filling up the spaces reduces the movement when the surfboard is in transit and increases the stacking strength required to make the whole package compact. Make sure you add clothing to the top and bottom parts before closing the box.
Tape the box well
You need good quality tape for this. To fasten the box and safeguards the contents, you will need high quality masking tape that can withstand pressure without snapping or losing its adhesiveness. Apply as much tape as you can to the top and bottom of the box and make sure the contents are not moving inside after you are done taping. Clearly label the contents of the box using a marker. Only then, will the package be ready for shipping.
Shipping
Depending on the distance you are moving the surfboard, you can choose to use a pickup truck or your car. If you are using your car or a truck to ship the surfboard, you will need enough room at the back. An open pickup truck would be the ideal means of shipping the surfboard. Fasten the box using belt or rope to ensure that the box does not move when the truck starts moving.
Option 2: Delegate the shipping to a shipping company
If you are mindful of your surfboard and can’t afford to take risks with it, then this is surely the best option. Best because you are letting the experts do the work for you. These are companies that specialize in shipping and delivering not just surfboards but other sports equipment. My best option in the US would be shipping your surfboard with RunRed Shipping. They will make sure the board arrives on time and will offer a guarantee in case of anything. They don’t charge that much as well. Give them a call and they will give you more information on the shipping.