Cheapest way to fly windsurfing gear to Maui

Jeffwind · Joined: 26 Nov 2017 Posts: 1

Which airline ( Hawaiian, United, Alaska)flys your gear from SFO to Maui the cheapest??

NOVAAN · Joined: 28 Sep 1994 Posts: 1555

I did that 3 times and it's a big hassle. Last time I went, I rented gear. So much easier and you have the correct gear for the conditions. That said my longest stay was 10 days.

NOVAAN · Joined: 28 Sep 1994 Posts: 1555

I did that 3 times and it's a big hassle. Last time I went, I rented gear. So much easier and you have the correct gear for the conditions. That said my longest stay was 10 days.

flaherty · Joined: 01 May 1997 Posts: 438

I use American from Boston. Two bags 150 each way. 3 sails in one bag, board in the other. I like using my own stuff. Getting there may be a bit of a hassle, as they are not used to it. But last year they only charged me 50 for each, saying oversized bags. leaving from Maui is easy, I wave a 20, and usually a potter will show up, and handle the whole deal.

kevinkan · Joined: 07 Jun 2001 Posts: 1662 Location: San Francisco

cheapest is generally Alaska.... they waive the overweight/oversize restrictions for sports equipment and they specify that windsurfing equipment can have x number of bags and they just charge you the standard bag rate of $35 or $40 I think. If you have an Alaska credit card, you get a free checked bag per passenger on the reservation. I've flown with wing gear several times to Maui, and it's been super easy and free to take my gear. windsurf gear would be a bit more hassle (two bags), but I think it would work out the same.

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20942

What NOVAAN said. Whether I spend a week or 90 days there, I take little more than a duffel bag containing my harness, helmet, shaver, some spare undies, and an extra T shirt and pair of shorts. Makes life SOOOO simple, and my equipment is not at risk of damage, arrival after I've returned home, or complete loss. They have Walmart and Costco, so anything I forget is easily covered. Wasn't it Bill Clinton who said, "It's a vacation, stupid"? Or think Gene Simmons.

I reserve an appropriate board and two rigs, sail size TBD with each day's forecast. i.e., I pretty much keep the average size sail, and swap the second sail for a size bigger or smaller when appropriate.

No, I can't recommend a size. One 30-day stay blew 3.0 to 4.7 every day (so I kept the 4.2). Another stay saw mostly 4.7 to 6.0. But you'll quickly see a pattern unfold, after which you'll need to swap sails less often.