Repair & Ride
After traveling all the way around the world with 2 stand up paddleboards, I have a bit of insight into board repair. There are two main products that you need in your gear baggie to get your board back out in the water in the least amount of time. You didn't travel all that way just to sit on the beach and sulk at a broken board did you?
The possibilities are endless when it comes to board damage abroad. I’ve heard horror stories of SUP paddles being cut in half (for drug inspection, of course), boards broken in half, buckled, or with noses and tails missing, or worst of all – completely lost! No matter how hard we try to protect our precious babies, the evil airline luggage carriers and TSA’s the world over will unite to mistreat what we love. How do you forgive and forget, or at the very least, repair and ride?
THE BAG
Most people take the first step in protecting their board and buy a great protective bag. Other people go above and beyond to pack the entire board with foam and bubble wrap before putting it into its super-protective bag. Others may not buy packing material, but use clothes and other soft objects. For surfboards that may work, but sometimes the handlers are annoyed with the increased weight or bulky padding and throw those bags around even more! If they think it is safe they are more liberal. If it feels fragile, it has more of a chance of being treated as such.
For SUPs, you don’t want to add on any more weight because it will cost more than the astronomical amount you are already paying. Most luggage handlers have a harder time tossing around SUPs, which is an advantage over the surfboards. I’ve watched out of the airplane window as many picked up my hefty parcel and placed it into the plane. However, I’ve also gazed in horror as I saw a small man grab the back end of the bag and pull it off the truck until the front crashed to the ground where he proceeded to drag it across the tarmac like a child dragging a stuffed toy. Luckily, my boards were tough and the bag was amazing. Even incidents like this were no match for the Torque – ProLite combination. Invest in a good bag!