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Surfers just might be better off buying their board in Costa Rica
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Dec. 2, 2005
The high season is here. That means tourists will soon be coming in droves to see Costa Rica's nature, wildlife, volcanoes and beaches. A good portion of those coming to see the beach will be toting surf boards, but some airlines are a bit more finicky about allowing huge boards on planes.
The most economic method to surf here is to buy a board and sell it when you leave. Delta and American Airlines charge $100 extra each way for boards, bags included. It's possible to find a board in good shape for much cheaper than the cost of flying one down here. An added benefit is that boards bought down here don't get beat up on the plane and a surfer can sell the board when they are done with it and get some money back. But for those who would rather deal with airline restrictions and fees instead of going without their favorite boards, here are the rules:
Delta Airlines doesn't allow any baggage over 80 inches long according to the company's Web site. Longboarders must find another airline or buy a
board down here. Unfortunately, long boards at reasonable prices can be difficult to come by. Delta's policy is that anything over 62 inches costs an extra $100 dollars each way. This means that all but the youngsters who can still float on a 5-foot board can expect to pay $100 each way. Boards must be checked in a case designed to protect them or the passenger must sign a limited release tag which says that the company will not be responsible when your board gets trashed – which it will if you don't have the proper packaging.
American and Continental both have larger bag restrictions – 115 inches. But American's over-sized package price matches that of Delta. Continental's is $20 cheaper.
Sometimes airlines have baggage embargoes during high seasons. Continental has an embargo against oversized baggage in much of Latin America but Costa Rica is exempt. Surfers can still bring their boards here. However, Continental has a policy that each passenger may only take one board bag with a maximum of two boards.
