how is the best way to travel with kayak on a plan i mean do i put all my kit in my boat and bung it on that way or do i put my boat on empty and put all my kit in a bag or sumthing?? any help much appreciated!!!

There are a few different methods but the one I use the most is putting some of your equipment, Paddles, lifejacket and helmet into the boat so that it is on your 20Kg limit. Toape up the cockpit with a plastic bag. Then put everything else into a small rucksack and compress it so that it will fit in as hand luggage. Carry any cameras additionally and wear a bum bag as for some reason they don't seem to count.

If you are going to a warm country and are taking a playboat it's not much of a problem.

Some airlines can get a bit shirty, noteably KLM and all american airlines.

If anybody asks anything answer yes and keep using the term \"bulky luggage\" and \"I phoned up and they said it would fit onto the plane fine\".

Oh and don't pay any extra if your under the weight limit.

If you have a 30kg weight limit or are flying with Quatar then you won't have a problem if you put all your gear in the boat and then tape up the opening.

When I fly with my boat, I do one of 2 things...
1) If I have a stack of stuff, I bung everything in my boat, put my deck on upside down (tunnel down), tape a piece of cardboard to it (so that they don't puncture my deck), and check the whole thing on. The advantage to this is that it's secure - ie you know if someone's tampered with your luggage, and means that if you also check on a paddle bag, you only have 2 pieces of luggage, as some airlines only allow you 2 pieces of luggage. I also stuff some stuff in my paddle bag too. The big disadvantage is that it's horrible to try and lug it around through airports as the cockpit is taped up, and if you put it on a trolley, you can't get it through the doors. I usually do this when I fly internationally.

2) I tape/clip stuff into my boat and leave the deck off. I carabiner a sling around my centre pillar, then clip stuff to it, or pack stuff in dry bags, and clip them to my boat, or duct tape stuff into my boat. Advantage - this lets me carry my boat conventionally, but opens you to people stealing stuff out of it (or putting stuff into it). I usually do this when I fly domestically.


The other thing I do, if luggage is tight, is to wear as much of my clothing as I possibly can onto the plane - put your helmet and PFD on as you check on (take your knife off obviously), and wear - thermals, 2 pairs of shorts, long pants, tshirt, long sleeved shirt, fleece, raincoat and as much of your gear as you can. A plastic bag in your hand luggage bag will hold it all as soon as you get on the plane. I know it sounds silly, but at over $50 a kilo excess baggage fees, I just go with it.

Hope this helps.

steff

Oh the Baggage trolleys! Absolutely useless for trying to transport a kayak. As soon as I get into the airport I drag the thing anywhere I want to go. Normally I don't drag my boat but the floors of airports are so nice and shiny that it works a treat even if you have your boat in a bag!

neilnt wrote:

... Oh and don't pay any extra if your under the weight limit....

How do you avoid paying the specific sports equipment charge?
I came across some new airline regulations that demand payment for sports equipment. I ended up paying 20$ each way. I even heard that guys flying with hokey sticks had the same story - ! It does probably depend on the airline...

And an other thing - if there is more then one kayak, you can try packing gear into the kayaks except for one or two of them. You say then that all kayaks are the same weight, that they are awkward to weigh (not enough space - too long, too wide) - so you only give them the empty one to weigh .

It depends most on which airline you fly with, and what their policy is on oversize luggage and sports equipment is.

Sports equipment is usually extra to your luggage allowance. Skis, snowboard and windsurfers to name but a few things that they will take no problem for a small extra charge (I think 20U$ is very small).

Oversize Luggage is, on the other hand, in your allowance. Oversize luggage is the biggest thing they will take, if they have space for it in the hold. Generally you don't have to pay extra for oversize luggage if it is still within your weight limit.

So it depends a lot on how much stuff you turn up at the airport with. Or more accurately how much stuff it looks like you have. Compress stuff down, pack and repack to get it so that your other bags are as small as possible. A boat bag tends to help make playboats look small and friendly.

The next thing is that not everybody who works at the airport knows what the airline's policy is on oversize luggage and sports equipment! So acting like it's the most normal thing in the world to fly with a 2.5m long plastic suitcase starts everything off well. Flying with a playboat is way easier than a creeker. Be nice!!! \"I've flown with your airline before and it was never a problem\", or \"I spoke to Mrs. smith at your head office / enquires department and she said I could take one piece of luggage up to 3.5m long as long as it was under my 20kg allowance\". These are phrases that tend to work (maybe phone up enquires and ask before you fly but don't tell them your name just incase they do want some cash). Fly from the biggest airport that is near you as a lot of the staff there wouldn't even blink if you wanted to fly with your pet elephant. They have so many people with much bigger problems to sort out, a bit of plastic to be put on a plane isn't that much of a big deal. Small airports are like small towns they like to ask lots of questions as nothing interesting ever happens. Oh and the planes are smaller.

If you turn up at the airport with your kayak extra to 20kg of luggage that you want to check then you will get charged lots and be very lucky to get away with a 20U$ bill by calling it a surf board.

Hope this helps a bit with the stress & joy of travels with a kayak. Happy Christmas.