Shipping my kayak to florida.

I am considering shipping my kayak to Florida this fall. I visit Florida a time or two each winter. I would like to ship it to some friends of mine and then have it there to use whenever I go down.

What are my options?

Thanks

Jim

Forward Air probably the cheapest way
And since you get to pack it yourself you can make sure it is as safe as possible. I’d still definitely insure it though. Bring a camera when you pick it up to document any damages and make sure they are noted on the invoice before you sign.



Or you could just buy a new kayak in Florida…

Buy one there
or get a folding kayak. If your boat is not plastic, avoid Forward Air. They break boats. Lots of them.

It is plastic…
… and I’ve been beating the hell out of it for 5 years. I am just curious if shipping it down is cheaper than renting one for a week or so once I get there.

Also, is ground transportation an option?

Jim

Reasonale week long kayak rental
$200-250.



Shipping with Forward Air fraught with issues–see bowler1’s recent post.



Folder is a good option, esp if you plan to go places other than FL.



If you plan to stay in FL often and have a friend’s place to store it, esp since you are talking about a beater plastic yak, I would peruse eBay and Pnet and Craigslist and simply buy one locally just before you get there. Putting the $250 (and likely more) shipping or rental fee towards the boat itself is mooney well spent.



Enjoy FLorida.

Consider the Consequences
Florida is where old boats go to die. And other things too.



When I was in college a good friend’s father kept his old sun-dried plastic canoe at my house. In exchange he let me occasionally use it. Of course I was the one who happenned to be using it when it split open and was totalled. Then this comfortable retired guy had the nerve to make me replace it on my college income.



I hope you and your friends in Florida have an understanding of all the possible consequences before you send your old beat up plastic kayak down to sunny Florida to take up space, become a potential safety liability, and eventually dry up in the sun. From my perspective you are not doing them any favors.

I give up
All I wanted was shipping options.

Thanks anyway.

shipping kayaks
I shipped my brand new poly Tempest 165 from Easely, S.C. to Tampa, Florida via Forward Air Frieght for $100. Had great service and no problems at all.



Terry

Thank you.
That’s what I wanted to know.

Where in Florida?
I have a couple. I would be glad to loan you one while you are here.

Check with local clubs …
to see if anyone is headed that way. Pay them to haul it for you. Gas money for them and peace of mind for you.



Or take up the poster’s kind offer to borrow one. :^)

Crate and ship Foward Air is very
EZ, inexpensive and no hassles with ‘kayak’ shipping companys.



Gotta crate it though, call me if you want to go over making a nice crate. Takes all of an hour to do.

share the basics here…
…I’m interested. Another question - do they charge based on cubic footage, weight or whichever produces the most revenue? Just curious…thanks!

They’ll typically go dimensional weight
Less often by actual weight. A kayak can make for a BIG box but not weigh much (relatively speaking, in freight terms) - and takes up as much space and requires same handling as heavier items. Makes sense they charge the higher of the two.



Crating can significantly increase the calculated dimensional weight - so it comes down to what sort of kayak you’re shipping and what shape you want it in on the other end.



I’d crate a composite worth say $2000 or more. Plastic kayak? Probably not. Lots of bubble wrap and a poly tarp well taped should do it. I sent a composite 18+’ kayak like that from FL to CA and it made it fine, but it was a nervous couple days. I also made sure it was insured and the receiver new to unpack and check before accepting.



Crating to get the kayak there in one piece beats insurance claim fight/payout to repair/replace (always do that too anyway), but could be overkill for lower value and more crush/impact resistant poly kayaks.



Crating a used poly kayak, insuring, and shipping can get you back to it making sense to just buy a used one in FL pretty quickly (the other posters were not being quite the jerks it may have seemed).

Shipping Kayak
Definitely make sure there is insurance included in your charges. If you can drop it off at the carriers dock and have your friends pick it up, you would save money. You might also consider using their special services. Our company’s time critical services actually cost less because it offers a discount to an average person that doesn’t have an account. Use lots of bubble wrap; they travel better as top freight instead of crated. I’ve seen plenty of crates crushed because a dock person thinks they can stack something heavy on it. The crate will add weight/cost to the shipment.


that’s not what he was asking for
please keep replies strictly confined to what the original poster was asking about









this is the internet after all

Thanks for the info.
When the time comes, I’ll wrap it in bubble wrap and take it to the airport.

One more option…
I just had a kayak shipped from Wisconsin to Montana via Roadway Express. They send it to the terminal nearest your final destination and then you pick it up there. The same bombproof packing suggestions would hold here, of course. Bubble wrap, cardboard, more bubble wrap and a final thick cardboard outer wrap. I wouldn’t send a composite boat this way, however. They explain it well at www.roadway.com. Great luck!