I’ve shipped surfcraft as far away as Australia and Germany, as well as to both coasts of the USA. I’ve never had a board arrive damaged.. I’ve done enough shipping of surfcraft to think that I’ve finally got it down. Here is a brief tutorial on how I pack boards so that they arrive in perfect condition.
I use a a heavy duty cardboard carton specifically made for surfboards from Fiberglass Hawaii. This carton comes in a 10’ x 24” x 7’ size, with two end pieces. It can be cut to fit. The carton is also available at FoamEZ, Fiberglass Supply and other surfboard supply stores. I use 1” EPS foam insulation from Lowes or Home Depot. It comes in an 8’ x 4’ sheet. I assemble it all with a hot glue gun.
First I cut the box to length, which is the length of the board, plus 6” (1” foam and 2” end cap for each end). I glue a 5-1/2” x 23” piece of foam to each end cap.
Then, I insert one end cap into the carton and glue into place. I use an ample amount of glue.
I cut two pieces of foam the length of the board and 23” wide. Then I cut two more pieces of foam the length of the board and 4” wide. I insert the 4 foam sheets into the carton so that the board is surrounded by foam.
This is a 46″ belly board head down to San Diego, CA. I finish by gluing the final end cap into place.
