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WINDSURF TRAVEL HACKS: LENNART NUEBAUER

Fresh after rocking the windsurf world with his mind blowing shifty forwards in Gran Canaria, Lennart Neubauer is the man of the moment. In the latest episode of our Windsurf Travel Hacks series, he takes us through his check-in routine and shows exactly how he gets from A to B when travelling with his windsurf gear.

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LENNART NEUBAUER

My top travel hacks:

LN: “Always register windsurf equipment in advance by calling the airline. Be at the airport at least 2 / 2.5 hours before departure.

Make sure to check the airlines windsurf baggage policies! Some airlines example KLM and Ethiopian are stricter with checking weight etc.

Always be friendly and patient at check in, there’s a chance they have never seen windsurf equipment before.

Avoid booking with multiple airlines, as you will get charger for both airlines meaning you pay the windsurf gear twice.

A bonus hack: If you know you’re overweight, but the board bag on the scale at the airport and lift it slightly with your heel. Don’t forget to play it cool :)”

BOOKING

LN: “I usually look for flights on Sky Scanner and then end up booking directly on the airlines website. That way, in case of delay or cancelled flight I can talk to the airline directly instead of dealing with a third-party company.”

PACKING

LN: “I always pack my board bag in a specific way. If it’s only one, I’ll put the board on the bottom, following with the sails, then the mast and at last the boom. You want to have the boom as far away from the board as possible, as it’s quite easy to damage the board with the boom head. If you want it extra light, leave out the sail bags, weighing a couple hundred grams each, that can quickly save a kilo. The harness you can put at the nose or tail of the board for extra protection.”

ONBOARD

LN: “For long haul flights, I always have a pillow, noise cancelling headphones and a lot of water with me. Top tip here. Put the pillow on the table in front for good sleeping position (reminds me of school). Also, I usually wear warm clothes as I easily get sick from the airplanes AC.”

SEATS

LN: “I almost always choose / buy seats at the aisle. I’m quite tall so I like stretching out my legs from time to time. Sitting at the window can be nice for a better sleeping position, but a bit annoying if you want get out from time to time, especially on a long haul flight. Try to avoid getting sandwiched in the middle at all costs.”

CHECK IN

LN: “For the sweet talk, it’s good to be respectful and not too pushy at first, especially if you have time. If asked how much it weighs, never say the real weight, if you know you’re overweight. If the limit is 32kg and your bag is 35, say it weighs 28. Some airports for example in Athens, Greece don’t weigh the bags, they just ask how much it weighs. Avoid saying the exactly 32kg, so they think your unaware of the limit, so at 28 for example they won’t get suspicious… it is all about mind games.”

TROLLEYS

LN: “For trolleys, I just load everything on to one trolley and proceed to say excuse me and sorry for about 100 times till I get to the check in counter!”