Seeing the person ask about renting kayaks in the Bahamas made me wonder if anyone has sent their kayak through the mail in advance to their destination for vacation or have had it put on the plane w/them in cargo?
If so, how much did it cost? Any drawbacks? I was just thinking how I take my snorkel gear w/me, because it’s fits me better and is better than what I rent and costs less if you use it every day. Of course a kayak is big, but it may be more cost effective to bring it to where you will be for the same reasons I take my snorkel gear???
Also, I’m refering to regular kayaks, not inflatables or folding ones.
-Capri
It’s very airline dependent
Airlines servicing Islands may be more flexible.
Hawaiian airlines will take surfboards and windsurfer boards, SUP boards up to about 11-12 ft in length. From the US they charge $80 each way. If your kayak can be disguised as a surfboard it will fly. I recently flew with waveskis that are 8 ft long with no problem, they were in carry bags so they looked like paddle boards.
If you have a seakayak check into folding kayaks, these are real seakayaks are are quite expensive but very nice boats, and very much like original Inuit boats. Tsunamichuck can give you some good advice.
I’d rent.
Shipping from Georgia to Alabama cost me $90. And unless you crate it up, I wouldn’t trust the shippers to be careful. Renting a boat will likely be cheaper than 1-way shipping if you’re going very far.
Jim