Shipping a windsurf board?

Shirin · Joined: 11 Oct 2007 Posts: 14 Location: San Francisco

Just couple of days ago, I've got a board delivered from Gorge to my office in Oakland for $90.00 by Fedex ground. no shipping damage

Board dim. JP freestyle wave 77 lit

Approximate Dim with packaging :

Length 97.00
Width 25.00
Depth 12.00

Weight 14.00 lb

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Size matters.
DHL won't even ship a board this size (it's a 114-liter JP Freeride 272), and the other carriers levy a huge surcharge due to its combined length/girth. They would not ship your JP Freestyle as packaged.

\m/

madspaniard · Joined: 23 May 2005 Posts: 380

you should ask any of the Gorge shops how they ship their big boars, I doubt they pay more than $125/board

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

I did. Big Winds said $175 is CHEAP, that I should jump on it. And that was before we even talked size.

\m/

madspaniard · Joined: 23 May 2005 Posts: 380

wow! makes you appreciate when you buy a board from one of those shops and they tell you shipping is included

erik · Joined: 10 Apr 2000 Posts: 18

I ended up using UPS. To ship from CA to SC.

Go online and keep making the numbers smaller until you get rid off this error:
Package exceeds the maximum size total constraints of 165 inches (length + girth, where girth is 2 x width plus 2 x height). (RAV: 1050)

Print shipping labels, schedule home pickup and have cute girlfriend distract driver. I ended up paying about $155 .....

and then they adjusted it and charged me an extra $130. Still have to contact them and complain since the driver did accept the package and I was only a few inches off.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

I'm sure shops get better rates than I could, but, yes ... even their shipping costs must be significant.

I laughed out loud when the DHL weiner suggested I break the shipment into two packages. I explained that that would affect its value.

\m/

Epenrose · Joined: 05 Nov 1997 Posts: 402

This is actually my business.

Problem with boards are that they always dim out. You have to calculate the dim. weight.

Example: Board weighing 35 lbs packaged. l - 89" w - 40" H - 15"

To calculate dim weight you do the following domestically: L X W X H = 53,400. Then divide this by 194 (166 int'l) and it equals 275.25 lbs dim weight. You pay on whichever is higher. In this it case actual weight is 35 lbs, dim is 275, you'll be rated and charged on 275.

If your board actually weighed 275 lbs rate wouldn't change. You may want to check for water though!

As a reference if you have a friend in the shipping business rates would be as follows. Much better to pick up at an actual terminal. LA - SF on a 8' board, around $80 with fuel. SF - NYC - $140.

I use yellow freight for this type of shipment, you'll have to get a friend as retail rates are expensive to the average joe.

ntupman · Joined: 14 Mar 2008 Posts: 8

Just bought a new board and I had it shipped. I opened the box up at the depot and there was a ding the size of a penny. I figure I could fix it myself.
While filling with marine tex i had some time just to stare at the board (stoked on my new purchase ... my first "new board"). I found another damage part of hairline cracks along the rail for about a foot. When i picked up the board in the spot just outside the cracks you could hear air seeping out as if whatever impact in shipping had cracked the d-ram and made some space Internally (delam)? waiting on the shipper for more info any advice or experience with this?

surfdog55 · Joined: 02 Apr 2001 Posts: 63

Just received a board from Open Ocean. Brian will only use Delta airfreight because of his past success. It's the second one he has sent me with no worries. Portland to SF $79 collect. Picked it up at Delta Airfreight away from the passenger terminal at their will call, so no problem with parking. L8r JT