Shipping a snowboard

February 23, 2010 4:53 PM

How do I ship a snowboard across the country?

I need to ship a snowboard to someone. What is the most economical way to do this? Has anyone packed their own board and how did you do it? Thanks!

posted by Kimpossible to Shopping (5 answers total)

Oh lordy I first read this as "how do I snowboard across the country" and was prepared to remark on the dumbest question in the history of askme. But yeah that question makes a lot more sense and I just read it like an idiot. Here's an answer from another snowboarding thread from some other website. Hope it helps:

"DHL, UPS, or FEDEX are your best bets. You will get a tracking number and some insurance with them included with the cost of shipping. When I have had to ship boards in the past I have gone to shipping centers and had them take care of everything. The cost to for packaging is pretty cheap and its easier to just have them do it. If you decide to package it on your own keep in mind that weight and size of the package are both taken in to account when you are quoted on the price for shipping."
posted by Lacking Subtlety at 5:18 PM on February 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

Definitely lacking subtlety there.

But yeah, all of the major shipping companies, like UPS and DHL ship oblong stuff all the time. I'd call up one of their locations and ask for specifics.
posted by dfriedman at 6:03 PM on February 23, 2010

I managed a snowboard shop for a bunch of years. We used UPS and never had a problem. I'd box and ship the bindings separately though.
posted by blaneyphoto at 7:56 PM on February 23, 2010

Get the box from the snowboard shop, not from the UPS/FedEx/DHL store. A friend did this a couple weeks ago and here's what he was quoted:

UPS store snowboard box: $35 (I'm not kidding)
Local snowboard shop box: $4

Shipping was fairly expensive, I think $40, but that'll all depend on size and weight once you have things packed up. 2nd the idea of taking off the bindings and shipping separately.
posted by pkingdesign at 10:46 PM on February 23, 2010

Backcountry.com/Dogfunk.com ship them in double-ply snug cardboard sleeves that have about 6" extra length at top of bottom of board that is then folded over and taped back to itself to protect the ends.
posted by Señor Pantalones at 5:15 AM on February 25, 2010