Travelling with carbon fins. Best bags/storage?

[SubSub]

The thread I could find on this topic was from 2007, so I'll be so rude as to make a new one!


Like we all know the airlines and ground staff are not very careful when handling / loading luggage.

I'm not worried for all my other stuff, but I can't imagine it being good for carbon fins to have a few hundred kilos stacked on top, being tossed around etc.

I've been looking around for a bag that is good for travelling, but cant really find anything in between a the flimsy soft bags made for local transport (i.e. back and forth to the wet) or a huge and super rigid Sporttube case or such.

Is there something in between? Is there a sneaky tweak / workaround that you can spill? How do you guys transport your precious fins when flying?

All tips and all input is appreciated!

 

[Nathan Vinski]

I think I responded to a recent thread about this, but anyway..

Basically you need to get a luggage thats long enough to fit your fins. Cressi makes a big bag for this, but I prefer using my +90L hiking pack because it has an obvious up/down orientation (foot pockets go up). For the fins them selves, they go in a sheath made of folded 3-5mm corrugated plastic and taped in place with electric or duct tape.. This goes in the centre of your bag surrounded by all of your soft things like wetsuits, towels, and clothes.

In any case I've check-luggaged fins in the hiking pack 4 times, and when I came to Dahab in January I had 3 pairs of fins in the Cressi bag. 2 pairs were carbon and 1 of the carbon pairs wasn't put in a plastic sheath..

I think as long as the fins don't touch the wall of what ever you are putting them in they can handle quite a bit.. If you compare with how much they bend under water then a bag being tossed on top doesn't seem so bad, as long as you protect them from impacts with your t-shirts.

 

[Spencer Vivian]

I usually put mine in my sporttube with my guns in a neoprene cover to prevent scratches.

 

[hteas]

When I travel, I take my old fiberglass blades. They're tougher. I did take carbon fins once. I carried them on board and asked the flight attendant to keep them with the coats. It was not a problem.