Flying with a Kayak

Flying with your kayak whether on holiday, to work or on a mission can prove quite challenging! There is plenty of advice with tricks and blags on how to get your kayak on a plane. Believe me, I have used all sorts of words to describe my unusual piece of sports baggage such as surf ski, surf boards or wind surfers. However, now the airlines are more wary of carrying big pieces of baggage in the hold, so with over 22 years experience of travelling with a kayak around the world here are my top tips for getting your whitewater kayak to your destination….

Choose your airline carefully

A little time spent looking online at an airline company’s policy with regards to oversize baggage or more importantly sports equipment, will soon tell you whether they are “friendly” in terms of transporting your kayak in the hold of the aircraft you are sitting in! For instance, I have used Air France for the past 5 years as their sports equipment policy is outstanding! There is information online as to the size and weight of equipment they will accept in the hold of the plane.

Pre-book your equipment onto your flight

This is now extremely important as there needs to be enough room in the hold for your whitewater kayak (you can find the size of your kayak by looking on the manufacturers website). By pre-booking it gives the airline company enough time to organise what can and cannot be taken on your flight. What do I mean by this? Our personal baggage is not the only pieces of items in the hold of the plane, air freight is a huge business and of course every spare piece of space in the hold of the aircraft has its worth! Some 19 years ago we were flying out of Innsbruck, Austria on a twin propeller plane to Frankfurt before continuing our journey. We had pre-booked the 2 kayaks but when we went to check in the parent company forgot to tell the airline we were bringing them! As we had written confirmation there were absolutely no arguments or problems for us and our kayaks, instead the airline left all the post that day as they could not fit everything in!! So always pre-book your equipment!! Air France, for instance, now gives you peace of mind with a printed confirmation that your sports equipment will be transported!

Pack it correctly

There is nothing worse for an airline looking at your kayak with a gaping hole in the cockpit with loose straps and pieces of shiny equipment that could fall out or be damaged! I have previously made my own kayak bags out of sail cloth and covered the kayak with a single duvet cover or bed sheet, secured by a lot of duct tape. Now we have a Kayak School our kayaks get delivered in plastic, so it is very carefully cut/prised open so that we can re-use that plastic cover when we fly. As we fly to India a lot, there are plenty of people, nomads or roadside workers who are happy to receive a sheet of plastic to weather proof their temporary shelters! I also now have bespoke bags made up in India or Peru that are perfect to travel and transport my kayak with!

Do not overfill it

Once you have found out the airlines policy you can work out what, if any, weight allowance you have to put in your pfd, helmet, spraydeck etc. Also I would suggest taking a split paddle as this can easily be put in your kayak to transport. A lot of airline companies have baggage piece allowances so your paddles could end up costing you, also remember tip number 3 - pack it correctly. Check-in are not so keen on kayaks with the paddle taped to the side, it screams problems from a broken to even lost paddle!

Ease of Carrying & Tags

If you are using plastic or a duvet cover, make sure to have the front and rear grab handles free. This makes it easier to carry to the check-in desk, across to the oversize baggage stand and of course for the baggage handlers to carry it. The security/pin bar in-front of the cockpit should also be free as this is a great place for the check-in team to attach the tag so that your kayak goes smoothly to its destination.

Have your straps handy

I make sure my Peak UK 5m straps are at the top of my bag if my kayak is packed in plastic or inside the gap where the water bottle is usually stored if I have a bespoke bag. It makes Flying with a Kayak life a lot easier when you arrive at your destination as you can quickly strap your kayak down on the roof rack to your vehicle as the rivers are calling!

This is for sure not the holy grail in flying with a kayak but hopefully it will give you an insight into making it smoother, more efficient and most importantly the acceptance of your piece of sporting equipment and of course there is no better site at the baggage pick up of a delivered whitewater kayak!

I hope this offers some insight into the complexities of flying with a kayak? Good luck and enjoy your paddling!