All tips for shipping surfboards

It's tempting to buy a brand new, virgin board of the latest generation, fresh from the shop. Or removing the protective film from a sail for the first time. But these magical moments with the latest material come at a price.

Bargain hunting

If you can do without these moments, you can often find good equipment on the second-hand market and save a lot of money. There is something for every need: complete sailing pallets or boards from the current year, which are swapped by professionals or semi-pros at the change of season and have sometimes barely seen the water. Right down to the worn-out, worn-out cucumber that will hopefully only change hands for decorative purposes. Neos, harnesses, masts, forks and all kinds of accessories are also on offer. Anyone looking for a second-hand bargain should keep an eye out for surf flea markets, which are mainly held at the start of the season. At many spots, equipment also changes hands via posters in cars or notices on a kind of "notice board". The advantage of buying directly: you can immediately scrutinise the object of your desire, possibly test ride it, negotiate eye to eye - and take the new purchase home with you.

However, online marketplaces offer a much larger selection. The marketplaces with the largest selection include the classifieds section on www.dailydose.de , ebay or Classifieds , Surf SnB as well as the constantly growing Facebook groups "Surf Equipment", "Surf Equipment Kids" and "Surfer Classifieds", or "Kite and Windsurf Used Market". However, finding the right board or sail there requires a bit of luck, because unlike dailydose.de or the ebay variants, you can't search specifically for brands or models. In addition, both buyers and sellers need a little trust to send money and material on their journey. Tip: When paying with Paypal, online purchases are protected and you can get your money back if the worst comes to the worst.

To be on the safe side, sellers should document the condition of the board with a few photos immediately before dispatch. If the board arrives broken at the recipient's address afterwards, you can quickly disprove any suspicion of fraud.

Large, bulky & fragile - shipping becomes a nightmare

Once both sides have agreed, the question arises as to how the object of desire should change hands. While small items such as fins, harnesses, extensions and foils can be sent in normal parcels, boards, sails, masts and forks are generally considered bulky goods. The market for shipping surf equipment has become thin in recent years, and many well-known parcel services no longer take our treasures. The weight is not a problem, but rather the packing dimensions and fragility. "We have discontinued surfboard shipping as a separate special rate because the fragility has repeatedly led to problems," said a spokeswoman for the shipper iloxx when asked by surf. However, shipping as normal bulky goods on a pallet is still possible. Hermes also removed "sports and special shipping" from its programme in January 2019.

We asked various providers and platforms for prices for the dispatch of surfing equipment. We specified various dimensions in order to represent average equipment: A wave board, a large freeride board, a foil stump and the approximate dimensions of a generously packed 6.5 mm sail and a 430 mm mast.

We have added a few centimetres to the dimensions to allow for the necessary padding. If you enquire yourself, the exact dimensions of the packaged board are important, as a few centimetres can sometimes make a big difference. Shipping providers often use the so-called "girth" as a basis. This is calculated as follows: 2 x width + 2 x height + 1 x the longest side.

To ensure that the good piece arrives intact, you should put some effort into the packaging of your board:

• Wrap the bare board with bubble wrap. The environmentally friendly cardboard packaging from Flexi-Hex (e.g. via Amazon) is even better.
• Protect the front, rear and edges with cardboard
• Wrap the fins in cardboard and glue them to the deck
• Possibly cardboard on deck and bottom
• Board box (ask at the surf shop) or put the board in an old board bag.
• Some shipping companies also require grip options on the outside of the packaging for the deliverer.

How to find the cheapest shipping provider

We make it easier for you to find a suitable shipper with the help of the table below. There you will find prices and everything you need to know about board shipping.Please note: Prices may vary, not least depending on the value of the goods. Some of the providers listed only act as intermediaries and commission a haulage company, where prices are then recalculated on a daily basis. Depending on the provider, express shipping, collection, insurance or other options can be added.

Keep your eyes open when accepting

Strictly speaking, the buyer must report any transport damage directly upon acceptance, as otherwise no claims can be made against the shipping company or parcel service. However, as there is probably no employee of a shipping company or parcel service anywhere in the world who will watch you unpack the board for ten minutes, this is easier said than done. In any case, if the packaging is obviously damaged, you should do a quick check before confirming acceptance.