Flying Monofin

[Erik]

What I'm looking for are suggestions on flying a monofin when you're travelling somewhere. Did you build a case for it? Could it 'carry-on"? If not, did it count as 1 bag, in the 2 bag allowance that most flights give....or did you pay extra, on top of your baggage allowance. My last one was small and fit in a bag, but this new one will not.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated, thanks,
Erik Y.

 

[efattah]

No easy solution

I was forced to build a box for my monofin when they wouldn't let me take it on the plane, and it counted like an extra suitcase. I check it in as 'fragile sports equipment', but that's a misleading term, because each trip the box took an incredible beating, and after 3 trips the box is almost destroyed. I have heard that Herbert would give the airline 'no choice' but to let him take it on board. Steph just put her fin in the bag and checked it in, and hoped that the flexibility of the fin would let it survive crushing, and it did.


Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

 

[laminar]

Erik,

Do you have a fin bag? I added a cardboard sleeve for the outer edge and corners of my fin to prevent them from being split or delaminated. And I prayed during the whole flight.

I'll do it again on the trip down to Vancouver on MOnday.

Pete

 

[Erik]

I don't have a fin bag, I was going to look into getting one made in town here, but I think it might be expensive.....any suggestions for a good bag, and where online to but it?
Good luck on your first day back in the water Pete.
Erik Y.

 

[Lynn]

monobag

Waterway; 41 USD (+ 15 USD shipping fee to Ca.) might be an option?

It's a bag for max. 6 monofins so there's plenty of room for reinforcing the thing if you're only carrying 1 or 2 monos.

www.finswimworld.com

Other companies may have similar bags too. You could have a look at the Finis website or www.mat-mas.com

Hope this helps...

Lynn

 

[Octo]

Eric,

I put mine in the middle of my (checked) suit case sandwiched between my clothes. Cheap, simple, no worries, no damage.

 

[efattah]

Not an option

My monofin is far too huge for any suitcase!


Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

 

[Longfins]

With a monofin bag, I would get some 1/2"-3/4" thick plywood and cut it into 2 piece inserts to fit the front and the back triangle-ish form of the bag. With the monofin in the middle, STUFF the remaining space with styrofoam peanuts. (so you get bag/plywood/peanuts/monofin(s)/peanuts/plywood/bag sandwich) This should make the whole bag stiff enough to be check-able.

I just bought a Waterway fin - plus a bag - to try out the dolphin lifestyle, so I'll make a trip to Home Despot to get some plywood soon enough.

Hope that helps,

Peter S.

 

[Erik]

Excellent idea Peter!
Erik Y.

 

[fjohnson]

Before I built a box for travelling with the pure carbons I looked at gun cases... how about an archery (bow) case for the monofins? I'm not sure if they are large enough.. but they seem to have near the same shape. I've never seen a mono up close so can't tell you for sure.

Fred

 

[Lynn]

archery case

Hello,

I'm afraid that a mono won't fit in a standard or compound bow case, not even in a large crossbow case...
When packing a bow the stabilisators are always taken off, and with a crossbow you take the 'wings' off before packing it so bowcases are always a lot smaller than the complete fitted (ready-to-shoot) bows.

(As a kid I always trailed to the local archery club w/ my dad...picking the poor archers' brains. )


Lynn

 

[Uli]

flying with a monofin

I "flew" my monofin twice: Frankfurt to London and back again. I have a soft bag for it and the guys at the check-in adviced me to try and take it on board (in addition to one piece of hand luggage). The first time I was even given an exemption tag.

So both times they let my monofin and me board the plane. The fin (Waterway Competitor) did even fit into the overhead compartment, but only with slightly bending it.:duh :head
(within the limits of reversability, though )

The trouble is: you cannot count on that. If the guys have a bad day, you have to check it in and hope that it will survive the usual crunching.

(When I first read the header of the post, I hoped to find a new technique that evolved from dolphin to flying fish )

Pfiat eich
Uli