DIY Hard SUP case? (like the Santa Monica Surfcase)

[surfafrica]

Hi all,

Just wondering if any of you have come up with a DIY hard SUP case for airline travel?  ...something like the Santa Monica Surfcase?

http://www.surfcase.com/longboard-case/

[surfafrica]

I have to pack up a board for a flight.  I plan to use foam and bubble wrap, and wrap the rails in pipe insulation.  Probably will try to find a good cardboard box (might be tough).  Any other tips or suggestions?  (I don't have a board bag)   

Here's an older start to a packing job for a longboard (next step would be some bubble wrap).

[Off-Shore]

Wo... that looks.. well... padded! I have just posted the below piece on another thread, but it looks like you are on the right track and if you took what you have and wrapped in cardboard and then plastifilm-wrap (with the same material they plastifilm-wrap suitcases at the airport with), I think you'd have a good solid solution. The issue is having to repeat the process on the way back I guess, so maybe take some spare tape and a box cutter with you.. If you are going to do often, get the board bag.

This is what I do between Hong Kong and Bali
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I travel from Hong Kong to Bali with my SB 9' x 33' x 4.1" once a year. I take the fins out (of course) and just zip inside a standard padded board bag made to fit the board size, and have had no issues. Is a one stop flight. The last two times have been on different airlines (a regular one and a budget one) and neither times have I had any damage. I actually bought this board in Bali as I just got fed up either missing the good rentals as other people had them out, or having to settle for boards that were either too small, too long, too narrow or too beat up..  There is nothing like going to a sweet spot and having your own baby with you. 

What's fun about Bali is on arrival in the old airport everything (including your checked in luggage) had to go through an X-ray machine. Yep, on ARRIVAL. I think the X-ray machine was 36" wide.. so my SB just fitted through it.. Otherwise they may have had to rip off the deck pad to check for drugs or something..

I have other friends who wrap their boards in bubble wrap and THEN put inside their board bags. I've also seen people tape up the ends so the zips don't undo in transit and the board peak out and get dinged.

[Dwight (DW)]

This works. Thrown in a board bag.

http://ncpaddlesurfer.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-we-traveled.html

[lunchbox]

This works. Thrown in a board bag.

Simple and elegant. Genius!

[eastbound]

SA

mentioned on another thread--i am two bagging to nicaragua.

was planning to build something like shown, but realized i can put my 8'11" in its 9 ft bag, and then put that inside my 9'6" bag. i might tape a piece of styrofoam on nose and tail, but feel like a doubled bag shd be sufficient.

be wary of that crappy brown packing tape in your pics--pita to get that crap off--i plan to use 3m blue painter's tape--pulls off clean

[surfafrica]

This works. Thrown in a board bag.

http://ncpaddlesurfer.blogspot.com/2012/03/how-we-traveled.html

That is great!  Thanks.

[surfafrica]

Here's my DIY hard case.  I used styrofoam insulation, pool noodles, packing tape and velcro.  The bottom is put together with tape.  The top is fastened by tape on one side and velcro on the other so it hinges to allow quick in/out access.  I'll throw it in a light weight board bag for travel.

[SpaceCoastPaul]

Nice. Did you place any support beneath the fin box or is the board resting on its fins?

[Zooport]

Unless they are glassed in, I think you remove the fins and put them in your suitcase.   At least, that's what I always have done.

[skibike]

Great tips and I followed this scenario packing my board. Only thing is I was using a board bag that only had roughly 2 inches of additional play on the sides so I could not afford the extra width from the noodles.

So used pipe insulation around the rails and then styrofoam on top. Pipe insulation is thinner and I just manged to stuff it in the bag.  Thew paddle in as well and thrust in a fat pool noodle to act as a buffer for the paddle.

[magentawave]

This is great stuff!