it’s very nerve-racking for surfers when checking in because we have no power, the person checking you in has it all. they can tell you to pay what ever they want and if you don’t pay, your surfboards don’t get on the airplane. i know surfers who paid up to $4,000 just for their board bag. anyway, i had 2 big bags with 5 boards in each. each one weighted 25KG or 50lbs. 
and when you see the airport staff smile when they see your surfboards, you know you’re in trouble. they are thinking “wow, we’re going to make a lot of money today!!!” so they get out their tape measure and measure every inch. then they take those numbers back to the counter, enter it into some kind of formula, and determine the outrageous price. luckily in my lifetime, i paid anywhere from $0 to $400. but i’ve had friends that paid into the thousands, including my own nephews. 
Japan Airlines is probably the most expensive airlines to take on surfboards. they charge $200 for 2 boards in a bag. and if the bag is big, they will measure and charge you more. so i’m guessing each of my bags would have cost me over a thousand dollars. BUT, i was on JL 720 which was also a Hawaiian Air code charge flight. so to be smart, i booked my ticket through Hawaiian Air so i go by their rules. and Hawaiian Air’s rules are $150 per each board bag up to 25KG. that means you can put as many surfboards as you desire. when i told the airport staff that, they weren’t very happy. there smiles turned into disappointment. i got away with $300 for 10 surfboards. so before you take your dream surf trip, make sure you do your research. sometimes you might find a cheap ticket, but after the surfboard charge, it could be a lot more. other than that, good luck…
