Inflatable Stand up Paddle Boards (iSUP) are incredibly portable while travelling anywhere.
They are designed to be transported, rolled, packed, durable and manageable. This means your adventures are endless! Here are a few tips after my last experience taking my Red Paddle iSUP from the UK to Spain.
Insurance
Do some research. Your travel insurance may not cover your board. In my case, it didn’t. My insurance would cover my clothes in my suitcase but not single item cover over a certain value. I covered my board and myself with travel insurance specialising in sports equipment. I used Holiday Safe.
Transport
Do not panic. Do not do what I did and worry whether you need to declare your board to go on the aeroplane! ISUPs fit in as hold luggage. No need to send it through as a special or oversized luggage. You don’t need to tell them whats in it. But do so if they ask!
Check the weight limit of the airline you are using (I flew jet2, meaning the allowance was 20kg).
Having a wheelie bag that also has rucksack straps is amazing. I could distribute the weight of the board when carrying it up and down stairs. I could also wheel the bag through long airport routes.
Packing the board
If you have a iSUP that came with a travel bag this makes it easier. If not you will need a large duffel bag to fit the board and pump into.
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Role the board up. Remove all the air and roll the board around the pump. This will mean the pump is snug within your board. Use a bungee strap or rope to hold the board together, like a sushi role!
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Disconnect your 3 piece paddle and place in the bag (in the designated slots, if you have them).
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Padding. ISUP’s are pretty tough but you still want to protect them. Use some of your holiday clothes and a towel to pad out vulnerable areas once everything is inside the bag. Vulnerable areas tend to be the sides on the board and the ends of the poles for your paddle.
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Remove the fin (if you do not have a removable fin, make sure this is well protected). I packed the fin in my hard suitcase with my clothing as this is the most delicate part of my whole board.
Make sure you do your measurements of the bag to make sure it fits the airline requirements – as some vary.
Also weigh the bag before checking in. You don’t want a shock at the airport that your luggage is overweight. I found my Red Paddle 11.3 Sport weighed 17kg when packed up in the roll bag and I was super happy with that.
The whole purpose of an iSUP is so it is compact and can go with you anywhere. Once you get to your destination; have fun.
Let me know about your iSUP abroad experiences.
Ness
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Ness' bit of everything 
Jet2 were really great when we went to Majorca with our SUPs this March, we’re off to Croatia in October and taking our inflatables again with us. Great post!
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