Best way to ship w/surf board?

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1206butler
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Joined: 07/21/2014 - 11:33
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Best way to ship w/surf board?

Hi, can anyone recommend a fairly painless way of shipping a board (US domestic). It is slightly over the size limit for Fedex/UPS. Just wondered if anyone has experience of shipping boards at a sensible price. Many thanks, Simon.

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Randy
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Joined: 05/05/2002 - 10:38
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Re: Best way to ship w/surf board?

Boards are tough unless you are a business and know how to work with shippers. Here are a couple sort of off the wall ideas you might look into.

1.) I've read from a credible source (the Board Lady) that you can send boards very economically on Amtrak. That was many years ago, so whether still true, I don't know.

2.) Uship.com is sort of the ebay of independent shippers (and there is a reality show about some of the shippers called Shipping Wars I think.) Basically you tell them what you have where it should go and they bid on it. Likely that would be more inclined to include your board with a much larger deal so long as it is not too far out of the way.

3.) I once got a longboard shipped to me via FedEx ground for a very reasonable price (about $150 as I recall.) The sender managed to have it worked out where he took the board to his closest Fedex terminal and I picked it up at the terminal. The Atlanta FedEx terminal is fairly close to the airports so you might look into that if that is seems enough painless to you.

4.) I met buyers half way a couple times. Worked out fine - about 100 miles or so each time. Depends on the buyer. I once met a seller in a destination I was already going to so that's possible as well. Another time I met a buyer as he was driving through the area on the way home from vacation.

What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.

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webguy
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Re: Best way to ship w/surf board?

My "guy" uses this company: https://www.forwardair.com/ to ship toys to me - I pick them up from their terminal near Hartsfield/Jackson. Similar to Randy's Fedex ground it sounds like. Use lots of bubble wrap and cardboard boxes from Home Depot.

There's a reason that used boards are cheap and all the good stuff you want is 1500 miles away. Cray 2

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1206butler
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Joined: 07/21/2014 - 11:33
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Re: Best way to ship w/surf board?

Forward Air and Fedex both sound good, airport to airport. I'll check those out. I tried UShip and did get at least one workable reply from a guy with a trailer (Triple S Transport) who would take it down to Marathon key, FL for $150 (he was scheduled to drive down to Miami anyway).
Thanks very much for the info! Smile

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webguy
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Re: Best way to ship w/surf board?

$150 may be a reasonable quote for some place out of the way like Marathon. Of course, wait a few weeks and you'll be wanting to deliver it yourself. (cold and all) Biggrin

It can cost $75 to ship a sail or boom.

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1206butler
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Randy
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Re: Best way to ship w/surf board?

Free shipping doesn't seem to have hit the windsurfing world. Where is Amazon Prime when we really need it?

What happens in a black hole stays in a black hole.

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1206butler