Hi guys,
I'm having a friend pack a sailboard for me for freight from Perth to Sydney. I'm trying to make it as simple as possible. I thought bubble wrap might be enough but transdirect have told me the board needs to be flat packed in a carton. Is this a standard rule or do you think another company might be more flexible?
thanks
Almost all freight companies want a cardboard box.
Get one at your local wind or surf shop.
Or make a box from supermarket boxes.
It's not a matter of carriers being more flexible. It's a matter of protecting your board from the rigors of transport.
New boards are typically packaged as follows:
- flexible foam sheet and or bubble wrap all over the board
- carboard folded over and taped to nose, tail and rails
- the whole lot placed in a strong cardboard carton
- fragile and do not use forklift stickers all over the outside of the carton
You should do the same. Sailboard shops will have left over suitably sized carboard cartons. You can buy the bubble wrap from Office Works
Agree with John. Man I'd never send a board with anything less than that. Even better, if you need a bag also get the seller to pack it in a board bag as even with all that factory packaging they still use the damn forklift (for no reason at all) and stab it....
Photo it really well, and insure
Bike boxes - you might need two to make the right size are easy to get from bike shops. These might be free.
Wrap rails in cardboard and also on deck. then bubblewrap and finally in the box.
Good luck
As the others have said package it well.Pack it so it will survive being dropped or thrown..make sure you have do not forklift and fragile on it.
Select to expand quotesboardcrazy said..
As the others have said package it well.Pack it so it will survive being deliberately dropped from great height and thrown around against other objects as if they actually hate the customer ..make sure you have do not forklift and fragile on it.
Fixed it for ya 
Yes it might be possible to not use bubble wrap.
if it's worth shipping it worth doing it right.
Have sent and received a few (maybe 6), by e-go. Don't think they require a box. If I can't find a suitable box I have stuffed a board bag with carboard or camping mats. I do wonder if they get better treatment when the loader can see it is a board, and not just a non-descript box.
I know others have issues with them, but so far I have been happy.
I did receive one board with a small hole, but I could not see any marks on the packaging. Also sender did not reply to my enquiry about it, so I wonder if it may have been there prior to sending.
Select to expand quoteJohn340 said..
It's not a matter of carriers being more flexible. It's a matter of protecting your board from the rigors of transport.
New boards are typically packaged as follows:
- flexible foam sheet and or bubble wrap all over the board
- carboard folded over and taped to nose, tail and rails
- the whole lot placed in a strong cardboard carton
- fragile and do not use forklift stickers all over the outside of the carton
You should do the same. Sailboard shops will have left over suitably sized carboard cartons. You can buy the bubble wrap from Office Works
New boards coming from Asia in a shipping container don't get handled like a board going cross country in Aus. Into the container and then container delivered to shop and unloaded by hand. I know Surf FX on Gold Coast will take board out of box, reinforce with extra cardboard/ packaging before putting back in box to on-freight the board straight to a customer within Aus.
I packed this today. 1m x 215. I used 2 board boxes from 80wide boards.( curtosy of revolution Boardsports) .Overlapped the two boxes to make it wide enough and welded them together with packing tape. One layer of big bubble wrap all over and multiple layers front and back. An old board bag down each rail for good measure. The top, bottom and both ends have a double layer of cardboard due to the overlapping boxes. Finally after 3 rolls of packing tape I put on some tie downs to hold it together and pick it up with.
No amount of packaging can withstand an idiot on a fork lift though.
I'm in North Perth and just took delivery of a board in a mammoth box like Swindy's. You are welcome to it if its not too late. All the bubble wrap is stuffed inside.
Select to expand quoteremery said..
I'm in North Perth and just took delivery of a board in a mammoth box like Swindy's. You are welcome to it if its not too late. All the bubble wrap is stuffed inside.
Thanks that's very kind. The board only cost $250 and my friend in Perth has done about as much fart-arseing around as he is prepared to do. l've booked it in with e-Go and hopefully they'll take the bubble wrapped board and it gets to Sydney ok.
Select to expand quoteremery said..
I'm in North Perth and just took delivery of a board in a mammoth box like Swindy's. You are welcome to it if its not too late. All the bubble wrap is stuffed inside.
Rob, I'll have your packing materials, I need to send a windfoil board over east
i received a board by freight that actually had tire tracks across it, along with general misused, dragged/thrown look to the box. i photo'd hell out of it before opening, fully expecting destruction inside but all was 100% ok. this was a new board, packaged as described above.
another new board, also packaged same way arrived with only minor tears and mushing of the box but the board was damaged by punctures in couple places. i'd guess it was caused from being stacked on pointy corners of other cargo, then more cargo loaded on top or similar. it was my impression that another layer of cardboard over the flatter surfaces of the board would have made all the difference in spreading loads since the punctures to the box did not look all that deep.
but in any case - fully expect that box will be grasped however is convenient, kicked, dragged, thrown, and stacked with heavy dissimilar size/shape cargo. id estimate that the less transfers from truck-to-warehouse-to-plane-to-warehouse-to-truck etc, the better the odds of safe transport
Select to expand quoteJohn340 said..
It's not a matter of carriers being more flexible. It's a matter of protecting your board from the rigors of transport.
New boards are typically packaged as follows:
- flexible foam sheet and or bubble wrap all over the board
- carboard folded over and taped to nose, tail and rails
- the whole lot placed in a strong cardboard carton
- fragile and do not use forklift stickers all over the outside of the carton
You should do the same. Sailboard shops will have left over suitably sized carboard cartons. You can buy the bubble wrap from Office Works
Windtech freight as above, but double boxed, very reassuring and all mine arrived in perfect condition, but freight companies can demolish anything .... insurance ......
If it was a Witchcraft board , no worries , just send it as it is .
Sorry , couldn't help myself 
I had a Foil board delivered from Windgenuity to Perth. Perfectly packed and no damage to the box. It came with Australia Post in under a week for $120. I was astounded!
Select to expand quoteImax1 said..
If it was a Witchcraft board , no worries , just send it as it is .
Sorry , couldn't help myself
No you have to bubblewrap it so it doesn't damage the truck.
E-GO have advised me they don't send surfboards or sailboards. Nobody contacted me, they just left the package uncollected. I had to contact them through their website and ask what happened. It wasn't in a carton I just had friend bubble wrap it.
I suppose if packed in box they don't know what it is and they take it?
Select to expand quoteBarryDazz said..
E-GO have advised me they don't send surfboards or sailboards. Nobody contacted me, they just left the package uncollected. I had to contact them through their website and ask what happened. It wasn't in a carton I just had friend bubble wrap it.
I suppose if packed in box they don't know what it is and they take it?
That's interesting I've sent heaps of boards in a box .I stated what it was on the connote.
They obviously know it won't survive the trip packed as it is..
One problem Swindy, you marked in big letters "NO FORKS". So now the forkies will use KNIVES or SPOONS.
Select to expand quoteka43 said..
One problem Swindy, you marked in big letters "NO FORKS". So now the forkies will use KNIVES or SPOONS.
Well just checked the tracking and it departed Adelaide for Melbourne and it's still listed item 1/1 so at least it's not in 2 pieces.
fork it ,thats well packed swindy ,your selling your foil board and coming back to fin surfing ?
Select to expand quoteTardy said..
fork it ,thats well packed swindy ,your selling your foil board and coming back to fin surfing ?
No, just given up any thoughts of racing on the foil.
WA is open mate, get over here quick. 
Now ya talking ....need a wind fix ....might have to pack a board ...I will take the plug out for the aircraft ...
