Buying surfboards overseas

[Chamberess]

I am considering this on my trip to Hawaii, but i'm not sure if it'll work out any cheaper or if i will run into probs bringing it back on my jetstar flight.

Anyone had a horror story when buying a board o/s?

[Juan Hung-Lo]

Friend used to take a used board with him that he would buy cheap before going and then give to a kid when leaving to come home

[Jersey]

If you are indeed on the level and intend surfing there in summer, then there are plenty of places to hire. I rarely took mine from the mainland over there, but that was due to check in and out times. The hire boards aren't great but they are better than you get at Manly etc. Save yourself the risk of damage or loss in TX and just hire one.

[smw1]

Depending on where you go, Hawaii is one of the best places in the world to pick up quality second hand boards for reasonable prices.

Travelling with any board is a tricky business. Recently Jetstar managed to put a 2" x 2" compression in the nose of one of my boards during a flight back from the Sunshine Coast. It was wrapped in bubble wrap, surrounded by towels and strapped down inside a 10mm FCS coffin bag. When I got over being upset, I was almost tempted to write to Jetstar and congratulate them on the achievement as I have no idea how they managed it.

SMW1

[Slowman]

Depending on where you go, Hawaii is one of the best places in the world to pick up quality second hand boards for reasonable prices.

Travelling with any board is a tricky business. Recently Jetstar managed to put a 2" x 2" compression in the nose of one of my boards during a flight back from the Sunshine Coast. It was wrapped in bubble wrap, surrounded by towels and strapped down inside a 10mm FCS coffin bag. When I got over being upset, I was almost tempted to write to Jetstar and congratulate them on the achievement as I have no idea how they managed it.

SMW1

One of the guys in my club works as a baggage handler and he said he works with some real stupid fugwits that like to jump on the boards and ride them on the conveyor belt and pretend they are surfing them, he of course tells them to wake up and give themselves an uppercut. Then there is the fact that sometimes they just plain ignore the "top load" request printed on most board travel covers and pile other shit on top. I remember once in Hawaii actually watching my board getting thrown about by the luggage handlers at Honolulu airport and watching it get dropped - at least I knew how I got the rails fractured but that was a long time ago, the covers are heaps better today.

As far as cost goes, I got stung $155 excess just a fortnight or so ago. With the board and my luggage total weight was 30kg and because I didn't carry on like a pork chop they only charged me for 5kg excess, yes it would have cost me $310 if they wanted to be nasty. So on those numbers it might be better to line up a 2nd hand board at your destination if you can't get your total luggage weight down to 23kg. For economy they will let you go to 23kg without charging excess, but once you exceed that they will, if they chose, charge you for any excess over 20kg. If you fly business class you have up to 30kg allowance. As airfares become more competitive and fuel prices rise more and more airlines are getting stricter on their weight limits. Swings and roundabouts.

Unfortunately I was heading over for a wedding so had to take a suit and formal shoes and some other good clothes and carry some stuff over for my wife whom I was meeting over there.

[Chamberess]

For my flight to Hawaii it's with jetstar.

I get 2 bags up to 32kg EACH!

FARK YEAH! I kinda know i am gonna spend up big and already have my eyes on some 6-cell maglites (they are a rip off here) which anyone who owns one knows they weight alot

Glad for the feedback.Think i am going to just get a 2nd hand board and avoid the nitemare.

Apparently you need special locks when flying to america or they cut them open?

[smw1]

I get 2 bags up to 32kg EACH!

I strongly recommend you double-check that before packing that much - huge allowances like that are normally reserved for First Class passengers (does Jetstar have first class?!)

As a general rule of thumb for long-haul economy class, most airlines give you about 30kg total, but are pretty relaxed on hand-carry weight unless you're pushing it on checked-in baggage also.

ps - surely in Hawaii you'll just need a couple of bikinis and some board wax anyway

[Chamberess]

smw1> just called jetstar before i posted that to confirm.special rule for all US flights.guess they take into account all the fat b*stards flying over.

and yes you got it spot on i'm taking just a couple bikinis,boardwax and a few toiletries and the rest i will get over there.I call it bogan baggage

[bro]

Thats b ollucks that you are allowed 64kg in weight per person, if you are it is the only airline in the world that allows that kind of weight, check again Miss

[Chamberess]

For those who are hard of hearing i quote from my itinerary:

Despite the above each passenger travelling on a jetsaver,jetflex, or international star class to or from the united states may check up to 2 pieces of baggage for carriage in the aircraft at no additional charge.no single item may exceed 32kg in weight

[smw1]

For those who are hard of hearing i quote from my itinerary:

Despite the above each passenger travelling on a jetsaver,jetflex, or international star class to or from the united states may check up to 2 pieces of baggage for carriage in the aircraft at no additional charge.no single item may exceed 32kg in weight

That simply means that you may use up your allowance with one, or two separate pieces of baggage. However, any one item can not be over 32kg.

It doesn't mean you can take 64kg, sorry.

SMW1

[Slowman]

...
Apparently you need special locks when flying to america or they cut them open?

That's right, the TSA (Transit Secaurity Admin = Totally Stupid Arseholes), will just tear through anything that is locked without any concern for how much damage they do. I have taken bikes in a bike case (the bike case itself was worth $750) and I wrote the combination on the lock but the stupid cnuts still broke open the locks anyway.

Most are very fuggin' thick and each one of the doofus's will shout different instructions at you from what the last guy just told you to do. Then the next yells at you that you can't do what the last guy just told you to do. eg. take your shoes off and carry them, next guy screams you have to put them through the x-ray machine. My advice don't put up with their shit, there is nothing you can do about the luggage but sure as hell you don't have to take their bullshit abuse, I give it back to them and tell them none of them know what they are doing because they all want me to do something different and if they have a problem with what I am doing to take it up with the other dipstick.

I travel to the US a bit through work and I remember the first couple of times standing there just dumb and copping it but after a few times through the same nonsense routine I could see most of them have less intelligence than dogshit, so I give it right back to them now. I get angry everytime I think about some of the stupid things these fugwits have done to my luggage. Now I know why people go off the deep end and go crazy with a gun. I need to take a pill

For what it's worth here's their website http://www.tsa.gov/ from memory they have something about special locks on there - they also have a claim form for damage they cause but if you aren't a US citizen expect to get the runaround until you leave

[Chamberess]

Wrong, sir! Wrong! Under section 37B of the contract signed by him, it states quite clearly that all offers shall become null and void if - and you can read it for yourself in this photostatic copy - "I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses herein and herein contained," et cetera, et cetera...”Fax mentis incendium gloria cultum," et cetera, et cetera...”Memo bis punitor delicatum!" It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal! You stole fizzy lifting drinks. You bumped into the ceiling which now has to be washed and sterilized, so you get nothing! You lose! Good day sir!

[Shaunm]

My 2nd last OS trip, my bags had been opened on the way back here. Locks were not broken, they have keys that open almost anything. Last trip I got the glad wrap option, which supposedly meant the luggage would not be opened until I'd cleared customs. Like the NSW Police when they exercise a search warrant, if they need to force entry no liability held for any damage, go try claiming on insurance or start civil action. If they wanna gain access to your bags or suspect your board is filled with eccy's they can bust it open and be they wrong or right you tough titties.

CCC why would you take a board somewhere like that? If you want to get wet hire one, or if yo're their for more than 3 weeks and you want to surf numerous times buy and resell 2nd hand form the surf shop. Depending which Island you're on you'll drop about $100US on the deal.

[bro]

Thats too funny

Not having a go at you Miss you are obviously not a seasoned traveller ...YET.

Have a good trip

PS make sure those waikki Beach Boys put wax on the hire boards, the punters have no idea and can't understand why they can't even lie on the thing and the Beach Boys could care less. I asked them for wax and got a blank stare!

[Jersey]

You forgot to mention the soap trick they use on nonsurfers. Be careful they dont offer you a bar of wrapped soap instead of wax there girl. I'm being serious here.