Advice needed: Airline travel with a water ski

[Shannon]

I will be travelling overseas with my slalom water ski next month. I have a soft-sided bag for it, but wonder if others find this adequate for checked baggage on an airline? Or do I need to get a hard-sided case? Any other advice that I need for air travel with a ski? Thanks in advance for your help.

[Keith_Menard]

I wrapped mine in bubble wrap and then put it in a snowboard bag with my vest. I stopped at Perf Ski on the way home...got one of those sleeves with the fin protector...put that in the snowboard bag with my vest...no issue.

[gjohnson]

Buy a sport tube. Performance sells them.

[bigskieridaho]

Sport tube.

[The_MS]

Sport tube or nothing.

[aupatking]

Hard sided Sport-Tube. The size 2 will easily fit one ski, if you either have soft boots or releasable boots so you can pack it blank. The 3 will fit anything you can pack. Still I put it in a neo-sleeve and wrap my vest around it.

[Sivota]

Flown many times using a long snowboard bag. The Radar travel bag looks good. Currently we use a Reflex bag. It takes up to a 67" ski with enough room further to protect the tips. We put pipe insulation round the edges and then fill any space with impacts, clothing, towels etc. No problems so far - transatlantic and European flights ...

[Shannon]

Thanks so much everyone.

[OldboyII]

I travel with sportube-1 and extra bag. Blank ski with rtp and almost all ski things - in tube. Front boot and other stuff - in the bag.

Last year friend arrived to holidays with a ski broken in two pieces in soft padded bag. She was a bit upset....

 

[Chef23]

I have traveled many times (but not internationally) with a Dakine snowboard bag and my slalom ski. I put a fin protector on the ski, wrap some towels around it and put it in the bag I take to the lake. Then I pack my vest and anything else soft around that in the snowboard bag.

 

I have done this many times with no issues. I expect a Sporttube provides more protection but I also wonder if baggage handlers treat hard cases more roughly.

 

I have traveled many times with golf clubs in a soft sided Club Glove bag and haven't had issues with my clubs either. I am nervous each time I travel with either though.

[DanE]

@OldboyII If they managed to snap a ski in half I highly doubt a sporttube would have made a difference. Probably still a broken ski...and a broken sporttube

[dhofert]

I have only traveled one time with my ski. Padded radar bag with a fin protector and a towel wrapped from boot forward. There and back no problem with Southwest.

[The_MS]

Your paying how much to fly? How much to ski when you get there? What is your ski worth? How much fun will you have without your ski?

I got 28 years in the baggage business so do yourself a favor and get a solid case.

The TSA will be the ones you need to watch. They never put anything back in place and love to put the bags in places that surely will have issues with finding its way to the plane.

[DanE]

Fwiw I own a sporttube 3. Got tired of the airlines repeatedly bending the wheelaxle out of shape. Just use my padded Masterline deluxe slalom roller instead.

[DaveD]

You might want to check the airlines policy on damage coverage. A long time ago, One airline told me they would not cover damage to sporting equipment not in a hard case. Haven't flown with my ski since so I have no idea what the deal is now.

[jhughes]

Never had a problem with the soft Dakine bag exactly how @Chef23 described. Dozens of flights. I'd rather have that than a rigid case.

[DanE]

@DaveD Last time i bothered to check no coverage from the airline hard case or not, can't remember which though.

[Killer]

Pretty sure it's MCO they take the oversize on an elevator. Makes me nervous every time I watch my ski go wherever they take it...

 

I have used soft cases in the past and I think mostly, if you can pack the ski well they work just fine, and frankly they are easier for TSA to inspect than a sportube. Ski is obviously not as well protected though, yet I don't think that is an issue MOST of the time.

 

One of the biggest reasons I use a sport tube is because for most airlines they will only cover damage IF your gear is in a hard case.

[jjackkrash]

In college I used a big PVC pipe, two end caps, and screwed on a roller wheel and a handle. It worked great and I managed to fit two jumpers and slalom ski in it. I'd probably just buy a hard case now, though.

[UWSkier]

@Chef23 do you happen to know which bag you have and do you think it could hold a 70 inch ski? Looking to do more flying with my gear and debating something like that vs something like a Radar wheelie bag.

[Chef23]

@UWSkier I am not certain which bag I have but I think it is either 180 or 185cm long. It holds a 68.5 inch ski easily. I would think it would hold a 70 inch ski.

 

This bag is 190cm which would definitely hold a 70 inch ski. https://www.evo.com/ski-bags/dakine-fall-line-roller-bag?image=115930/516549/dakine-fall-line-ski-roller-bag-black.jpg&pt_source=googleads&pt_medium=cpc&pt_campaign=GSC_Bags&pt_adgroup=PLA_Bags&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9rrY4biN3AIVhIrICh3JbwINEAQYAiABEgJL-PD_BwE

[harddock]

Dakine ski bags are the same as snowboard just longer. Master line had a3 event that you could move an apartment with. Sport tube splits in half and everytime TSA gets a looky your lucky you get everything back!

[andjules]

+1 for soft waterski bag inside soft alpine/snowboard bag

cheap alpine ski bag (fits towel, rope, shorty, vest)

Took this setup to Florida, Portugal, Spain & Thailand. No issues.

[BlueSki]

@harddock, If you put your gear in a snowboard bag that fits in the Sport Tube, you will likely have better luck having everything repacked in the bag and case.

[UWSkier]

I found this bag online and after reading tons of great reviews, decided to give it a shot for my next trip. I'll be flying with this a week from today. Looking forward to it! Unfortunate name, but great product that's very well-thought-out. I posted a series of short videos to demonstrate how it works on my IG.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl8rk8-gSfz

 

 

[Sivota]

Update on 5 July post above. We used the Reflex bag and the snowboard bag London to Washington Dulles/JFK to London. TSA opened the bags on our return flight. No damage and both skis fine.

[Shannon]

Thanks to all who provided advice. I bought a sport tube, with a TSA lock, and although TSA opened it both on the way out and the way back, and although JetBlue lost it for two days (!), the ski came back fine. Just a word of info: TSA is required to check oversize bags going in and out of the country, and this process may take up to 5 hours at a busy airport like JFK. So if you need your ski to arrive with you, you need to book long layovers.

[OldboyII]

I travel both with Tube and padded soft bag (50/50) depending on car transfer. If I share smaller one it is hard to find place for tube. So far so good.

But I feel a little paranoid when travel with soft bag - always inspecting the ski and always suspect that there may be invisible cracks in the ski :/

 

One of my ski companions got Goode broken into two parts in soft padded bag. Holiday was lost.

[Keith_Menard]

 

[UWSkier]

I just flew cross country twice in the past two weeks with my ski and all my gear in the bag I posted about in the videos above. Aside from TSA opening it both ways and messing with my padding scheme on the way there by moving stuff around, it worked flawlessly! I highly recommend the douchebag (what happens when you let internet polls name your company... boaty mcboatface anyone?). https://douchebags.com/the-douchebag

 

One 69.5" ski with bindings and all my gear fit just fine. I imagine I could get two skis in there if I staggered the boots appropriately or removed the boots from one of them and placed them lower in the bag.

[DonT]

it seems like this has been discussed a bit - but I'm going to pile on anyway - maybe it will be me my first Panda. Going to Waterski Costa Rica in Feb, with 2 skis, Radars with Profile & Lyric Bindings. Sportube 2 or 3? Easy to remove bindings if needed.

[BuoyChaser]

Series 3, originally designed for snowboards is best. http://www.sportube.com/

[BuoyChaser]

@UWSkier the challenge with soft sided bags is that if the zipper blows out or does not get zipped all the way or gets opened by accident (ie zipper pull catches on other luggage) because it is a “soft case” the airline policies do not require them to insure it. So the damage is on you!!! I’ve learned that along with many others the hard way.

[The_MS]

I would take the advise of all the soft side bag fans. They have all had success so that is the way to go

[thager]

@ms You Funny!

[LOTW]

She'd be tight for 2 in a series 2, 1 ski and some gear.

[UWSkier]

@BuoyChaser The nice thing about the DB bag is that there's no way for the zipper pull to open once it's closed up. The zippers are nestled under some of the most robust velcro you'll ever find on a bag.

 

I've heard far too many horror stories about SportTubes being opened and not closed appropriately.

[harddock]

We have used both types. Sport tube a little trickier to pack and if TSA opens up nothing put back where it belonged. Da Kine ski/snowboard bag is soft and will fold up quick when it doesn't fit good in rental car . Especially if your carrying 2

[RAWSki]

Another vote for a Dakane bag. We fit two skis (in neoprene socks) and all our gear without removing bindings. TSA usually opens but doesn't do a lot more than that.

The biggest problem comes when checking in-- Delta's baggage system doesn't have "WaterSkis" in their list of items. So the agents often take a while trying to decide what to classify the bag's contents.

[Chef23]

@RAWSki I have told the check in folks they are snow skis before.

[BuoyChaser]

Absolutely say they are SKIS and you are good, no difference water or snow LOL . . . they never open them at ticket counter to check.

[UWSkier]

It's not the airlines that are the problem in my experience. TSA opens my ski bag every single time. Can tell by the little note they leave and the disheveled appearance of my neatly-packed items.

[Killer]

I had an issue one of the first times I traveled with my sportube 3. The case was open on the belt at MCO arrivals because they didn't put the clevis pin in, fortunately nothing was missing.

 

Since then I put a bungee cord and carabiner on the female end of the tube with a small D ring through one of the holes on the male end. Pretty much fool proof and never an issue since. Now i have both the carabiner holding the case together and the pin (also now tied on with string so it wont be lost).

 

One key with the tube is to not have any loose items in it so TSA can pack it back easily. Most of them are used to these types of tubes for a variety of items, not just skis. I pack the ski, with vest, rope, gloves, bungee'd around the ski and a small bag with other stuff inside the tube.

 

When I get to the rental car, the ski comes out and the tube slides into itself, taking up little space and all my gear goes into the 1/2 tube

 

its always a "ski" never a waterski. As has been stated without a hardcase, you can't claim any damage with most airlines.

[The_MS]

@Killer hits it right and I can only add to give the airline and TSA a minimum of an hour to get your bag processed. Depending on what airport you may be able to watch the TSA search it. If you are in a large airport like MSP they have trace detectors machines that the ski tube fits in. If it’s don’t smell like fert or explosives it will go on without having to open and search.

[Justin_C]

Old thread, I know but I'm going to Florida in May and was planning on dropping the almost 300 on a sportube until I got reading this. A lot of people are suggesting the Dakine style bag. Is this the sort of thing that you guys are using?

 

Athletico Maverick Padded Snowboard Bag 180cm (Black) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B074FV9XFX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xegICbHQ28CPZ

[UWSkier]

Whatever you get, make sure it has wheels. You'll regret it if you don't.

 

I love my Db bag (videos earlier in this thread). Used it a bunch of times. Ribcage construction is a good compromise between hard case and floppy bag.

[DonT]

I can only speak to my experience last month flying SLC to Costa Rica. We put two skis, plus jackets, handles, gloves into a sport tube 3 and it worked out great. Having worked my college days as a ramp rat at O'hare, I know the abuse bags get. It worked out great. For a slightly cheaper option you can go to backcountry.com and get the orange version for about $230. Just make sure you use a bungee cord from the end to the "locking" hole in addition to a travel lock. Those locks are not very strong.

[Steven_Haines]

Try moosejaw.com

I think that I got the series 3 sportube. Holds 2 skis. I think I paid under $200 for it.

[Steven_Haines]

Correction, it’s the series 2 for $199.95 with free 2 day shipping

[NikolG]

Be careful in Denver with jump skis. They put them vertically on the oversized carousel! They took out a chunk of drywall and fortunately we rescued them before the big snap!