The reason I worked to keep the size and weight of my gear down to normal checked baggage requirements (as I mentioned in my previous post: Kiteboarding Pack List ) is that the airlines I’ve booked with so far (Delta and Avianca) have specific fees for kiteboarding equipment. For Delta, a standard checked bag costs $25 (for the first bag, $40 for the second), whereas kiteboarding equipment costs $150. For Avianca, one checked bag is complementary, but there is a $100 fee for a kiteboarding bag. That means that so far, I’ve saved $225 by being able to pack into a normal checked bag. There was only one way to accomplish this – buy a splitboard. The price tag was a hefty $1,000, so we’ll see if it pays off in the long run. Not all airlines are charging for kiting equipment yet, but it’s starting to get on their radar. That means that more and more probably will, and I’ll have to book several more flights before I’m heading home. As for the performance costs of a riding a splitboard, so far they seem very minor, but I’ll write a thorough review once I’ve spent more time on it.
Kiteboarding Pack List
Just in case any wayward kiteboarders happen upon this blog and are curious what kit I put together to travel with, here’s the list:
Kite – 2014 Blade Trigger – 9m
Kite – 2015 Blade Trigger – 12m
Bar – Blade Unibar 3rd gen – 50cm
Board – Nobile NHL futurism splitboard – 138cm
Harness – Dakine C-1
Leashes – 1 full length and 1 short, both Blade
Kite bag – 1 Blade kite bag (I used one for both kites)
Patch kit – I just brought what came with both kites.
Pump – 1 pump and hose
Wetsuit – HyperFlex Cyclone 2 – 4/3mm – full length
Luggage – Penguin 32in rolling duffle
My goal was to get a complete kit in a standard checked bag – to avoid the kiteboard specific sports equipment fees that many airlines are starting to charge. So far so good, all told the final weight was 48 lbs. That’s two whole pounds to spare! The Nobile splitboard fits nicely in the bottom of the rolling duffle with very little room to spare. Obviously, this kit isn’t perfect for all conditions, but I’m not entirely sure where all I’ll end up before heading home, so I’m trying to give myself the biggest range possible and stay within the checked luggage requirements of 50 lbs. and 62 linear inches, which is the standard at the time I’m writing this. I’ll write more updates about how it works out and any adjustments I have to or would like to make. Stay tuned.