Kitesurfing Travel

Do you like kitesurfing and traveling, but can’t seem to find a reliable way to combine the two? Read on, Magellan. We have a solution.

The board.

Let’s start with “compact” surf shapes, like the North Pro CSC or the North Whip CSC. These are kite surfboards that typically have a shorter overall length and width, combined with more parallel rails and a blunted tip. They’ve been marketed as being good for strapless airs and freestyle, but they are also really fun for traditional, down-the-line kitesurfing. These boards are great for carving drawn-out bottom turns and tight snaps in the pocket, while the parallel rails and flatter rocker-line help you drive back upwind with ease.

Let’s pack down your kites.

My favorite kite compression bags are the ones that Dakine makes. They’re made from lightweight nylon and are available in multi-sized sets of 4. The Extra Large compression bag holds my North Juice 15M, and the lLarge holds my North Neo 12M. My Neo 9M fits in the Medium bag, while my Neo 7M fits in the Small one. The Dakine kite compression bags feature drawstring closure, four compression straps, and a messenger-style sling for carrying.

These bags are actually incredibly useful for me - they compact my overall kite sizes way down. I estimate at least a 50% reduction in packed size, no joke. I figured that out when I realized I could put my 15M, 12M and 9M all inside the standard 15M bag that came with my kite. Yes, all three fit nicely in one standard-size manufacturer’s kite bag that comes with your kite. Whether you’re day tripping or hopping a plane, saving space is always a good thing.

Next, they reduce the weight of each of my packed kites. It’s not a huge amount, but when trying to keep the ticketing agent at the airport from slapping me with fees, it makes all the difference in the world. Try picking up and estimating the weight of three of your standard kite bags that came with your kites. Then think about picking up three nylon drawstring style laundry bags. Much lighter indeed.

Camouflage was a benefit that I hadn’t figured into the equation when I first switched over to using compression bags. We know that in certain areas of the world, people understand the value of your kite gear and will potentially steal it. Yes, your prominently branded kite bag screams “steal me” in certain locations. Not that someone wouldn’t go through the trouble to smash your car window and grab a nylon Dakine branded bag, but it might just be smelly laundry and deemed a no-go by a would-be thief. True that.

Let’s put it all together.

The final piece is the travel bag. Many brands are making “Golf Bags” that will hold boards, kites, and accessories for airline travel. Traveling with these kinds of bags has always been easy for the jet-setting twin-tipper. Just remove your fins and footstraps, and sandwich your boards together. Throw in your kites and accessories and go. It’s that easy.

With compact surf shapes like the North Pro CSC and Whip CSC, you can now do the same exact thing with your surfboards. Fins off. Boards in. Go! Using a travel bag like the ION Gearbag TEC 2/4 Golf Bag, you can actually fit your compact surfboard, three kites and accessories and hop a plane to destinations abroad. I do recommend packing clothing or other soft goods around your compact surfboard to avoid damage during airline travel. Beyond that however, traveling with a surfboard, as described here, can be really easy.

Now the only thing you have to consider is, “where do I want to go?”

I hope you’ve found this to be helpful, my friend. Cheers to your next adventure!

Good winds,

Aaron Johnson