Flying / Traveling with your freediving fins

[roy_nexus_6]

How do most of you travel with the freediving fins ? When you fly, do you "check them in" with the rest of your luggage, or do you manage to take them aboard the airplane as a "carry on" item ? Any tips for packing the fins ?

All advice is appreciated.

 

[Alison]

Hi Roy
There are three way's to do this, get a suitcase or rucksack that is long enough to hold them and have them in your main luggage, have them in a good fin bag and if the check in staff allow them as hand luggage, take them onboard with you and then ask one of the cabin crew for help stowing them they will always help you with that (even if they have to be stowed in the crew area), or if the check in staff wont allow them onboard they will check them in as excess bagage issuing seperat lables for them (make sure your name and destination details are on a lable of your own), there probably wont be any excess baggage charge for this. But for individual airline info, try giving them a call telling them the size and weight of the fins/bag and they will be able to advise you better

 

[MattHolt]

I usually carry my monos in a fin bag, use sections of foam pipe lagging to protect the edges and use towels, wetsuits and clothes to pad out either side. Ive never had any problems with them going in the hold with normal luggage. Oh and ive written FRAGILE in big letters all over the bag just in case.

My stereos are indestructable so I dont usually bother much with packing these.

Matt

 

[DeepThought]

I seperate the blades from the foot pockets (have Omer milleniums), put the blades in the back part inside my backpack, which has a rigid back support system, and treat the foot pockets just as another pair of shoes (throw then in as well).
The blades are a bit longer than the backsupport, but it doesn't really matter.
If they get a bit of a curve (very slight) from that treatment, I just lay them on a flat surface (floor) for a day or so and they straighten up again.
Worked for atleast 8 flights I think.

 

[roy_nexus_6]

Allison, Matt, Michael

Thank you for the tips!

Just got my brand spanking new BW's from the Special Fins.com

Your advice should help in keeping them "healthy" for a while.

Thanks for taking the time to reply!



PS.
Juri from specialfins.com, has helped me with selecting the proper fins. Great service from what looks like a great company.

 

[Roland]

With sporasubs I can separate the foot pockets from the blades and they fit into a large suitcase.

Mono's and other bifins I always take with me as hand luggage. After some experimenting I found out that it is the easiest to use no finbag, which makes them look smaller / easier to stow away. In some big airplanes they fit into the overhead lockers. Just put them in on top of the other luggage after everyone else has put his stuff in there. On smaller planes ask the crew to put them behind a chair and once they even took tem into the cockpit.

Sometimes the "odd sized luggage" in which category things like golf bags, surfboards and monofins fall gets treated rough, which means you take a risk when you check them in like that.

Watch over them at all times.
Once a eager lady at the x-ray machine wanted to fold the monofins so they would fit into the hand luggage x-ray machine. Can you imagine that?

 

[GregWoods]

I'm necromancing an old post here, but it's still a valid question in 2019, and this page still comes up in google searches.

I've been looking around for an airline compatible bag that fits the following requirements...

1) Can fit freediving fins, so 900mm long is probably a minimum
2) Doesn't need to be checked as "Sports Equipment" - which is double the cost of a normal suitcase - which means height x width x depth is less than 161inches (varies per airline. Easyjet is 275cm)
3) Is big enough to hold clothes, shoes and other holiday stuff
3) Is preferably wheeled
4) Doesn't cost a fortune

And I have come up with a solution... at least for the UK and certain other countries
A cricket bag. Yes, cricket, the 4 day long game played in the 4 corners of the old British Empire.

Check out this one... 920 x 330 x 280mm and wheeled. 85 litre capacity (medium sized suitcase I think)

Cricket-Hockey.com | Hockey Shop Online | Specialist Cricket Shops

Explore a wide range of high-quality cricket and hockey equipment, apparel, and accessories. Find your winning edge with our expertly curated selection. Shop now for top-notch gear and elevate your game!

www.cricket-hockey.com

And only £30
There may be alternatives that are slightly longer, but it's a good place to start looking

I haven't bought one yet, so it may need some plywood and foam pipe insulation reinforcement, but I was so excited about this find, I had to share!

 

[marco15499]

I use a snowboard bag and I tape one fin to the other for extra support. Never a problem.

Tip: Declare your gear as "Fishing gear". They usually don't charge you any extra for that.

 

[JayStarzZ]

Last couple of times I traveled with mine, I had them in my beuchat mundial dive bag, which is an awesome bag btw:

(this is the older one, they have a newer version I believe), and then fit that into a hard plastic "rifle case" (I guess I'm over protective ) which was checked luggage.
Next time I'll probably just wrap up the bag & check that with fins inside. . everyone (at least here in the states) makes a huge deal out of just the rifle case Don't really feel like dealing with that drama

 

[HLanger1955]

Last couple of times I traveled with mine, I had them in my beuchat mundial dive bag, which is an awesome bag btw:

View attachment 54787

(this is the older one, they have a newer version I believe), and then fit that into a hard plastic "rifle case" (I guess I'm over protective ) which was checked luggage.
Next time I'll probably just wrap up the bag & check that with fins inside. . everyone (at least here in the states) makes a huge deal out of just the rifle case Don't really feel like dealing with that drama

I adopted the same solution having the same fin bag. Putting my Cressi Gara 3000 inside together with some cloths wokrs really fine. And I avoid lengthy discussion at the check-in which can be really nasty when using a low-.cost carrier