Travel guide: How to pack your windsurfing equipment safely for the flight

Rule number one: Don't put any edgy parts in the bag without padding. On the surf test trip, the fins come with the board, but well packed in cardboard. Nevertheless, a fin screw once got loose and somehow made it under the board to "impressively" immortalise itself in the laminate. When travelling privately, fins are even better kept in the travel bag.

Packing parts such as harness hooks, foot straps, mast foot and extension and harness ropes separately also reduces the weight of the board bag on the scales, where every gram counts. The weight limit usually only allows for one board, two sails, two masts and a boom. "You really shouldn't exceed 32 kilos," advises Oliver Hilf from Surf & Action. "More is not allowed. I aim for around 28 kilos if possible. If the bags are at the limit, the loaders get a neck, and then I'm afraid such a thing is more likely to fall off somewhere." In the worst case scenario, in a nosedive onto the nose or tail - this is where the most frequent damage occurs during air transport.

• Windsurfing holidays: Hire equipment or take it with you?

Airbags made from cardboard

With some cardboard, however, you can glue together an effective airbag, as shown in the pictures above. Rule 2 comes into play here: Brown adhesive tape is perhaps good for DHL parcels, but usually leaves very nasty adhesive residue on the board and on bags when you peel it off. Sturdy (paper) masking tape is much better.

The pack professionals at board manufacturer Cobra also protect the edge all round with cardboard. If you let this protrude at the front, it also creates a nice bumper for the tip of the board. You should keep an eye on the overall length. "Over 2.40 metres - that's my magic limit - you can't even register a bag with Turkish Airlines, for example," says travel pro Oliver. Inflatable roof bars can be strapped or taped to the front of the board when inflated and therefore weigh less than a gram.

Good belts, bad belts

Would you use your € 300 Neo as a work surface when changing tyres? If not, then it is also not recommended as padding for the fork, for example. The harness, on the other hand, is solid and hip harnesses (without a hook plate!) often fit perfectly around the stern in the bag.

When packing, you can start by placing unnecessary intermediate layers of the bag under the board - or two masts next to each other in the padded cover. The sails are then placed on the board and the boom on top. A swivelling head piece is advantageous, but should definitely not press on the board or the sails. Often underestimated: If possible, strap everything well in the bag so that all parts and padding stay where they are. Long straps can then be used to wrap the board bag around the outside, starting from the front carrying handle, like a roll and tie it up as a short, tight sausage. This gives the material a firm hold, the loaders additional carrying options and makes the bag look smaller - which is not a disadvantage at check-in.

Bags for surf luggage: six double board bags put to the test