How Much Does It Cost to Ship a Surfboard? | Parrot Surf Shop

The definitive guide · Parrot Surf & Skate · Mount Pleasant, SC

How Surfboard Shipping Works —
and why the big ones cost more

Every surfboard is "oversized" to a shipping carrier, and once a board passes 8 feet it can't ride a normal delivery truck at all. Here's exactly what you'll pay before you check out — no surprises after you order.

Shop surfboards See the rate tiers ↓
Why it matters

Boards aren't like the rest of your cart

A wax bar ships in an envelope. A surfboard is up to nine feet of fragile fiberglass, and carriers price it accordingly. Four things drive what you pay.

Surfboards are "oversized" by default
Almost any board trips a carrier's length and additional-handling surcharge. That cost is real and it's baked into every board's shipping rate.
8 feet is the hard line
UPS and FedEx cap parcel length at 96 inches (8'). A board that long or longer can't go ground — it has to move as freight on a pallet, quoted per order.
Where you are changes the price
We ship from Charleston, SC. The East Coast is cheapest; the West Coast, Midwest, Hawaii, and Alaska cost more the farther the board travels.
In-store pickup is always free
Local to the Lowcountry? Reserve online and grab your board at 811 Coleman Blvd — zero shipping, and you can inspect it on the spot.
The rate tiers

What your board costs to ship

Shipping is set by the board's length, because length is what decides how the carrier can move it. Find your board's size, then read across to your region. These are our current flat rates — the price you see at checkout is the price you pay.

The rule of thumb: 8'0" and under ships flat-rate on a regular truck. Anything over 8'0" ships as freight on a pallet, quoted per order — it is not a flat rate.
Board length East Coast & SE West / Central U.S. Hawaii & Alaska
5'9" & under $125 $200 $350
5'10" – 5'11" $225 $225 $350
6'0" – 8'0" $250 $300 $475
Over 8'0"
longboards, mini-mals, SUPs 		Freight quote Freight quote Freight quote
Regions: East Coast & SE = the eastern seaboard and Southeast states · West / Central U.S. = the West Coast, Mountain, and Midwest states · Hawaii & Alaska are quoted higher for distance. Rates are per board and shown at checkout by your address.
Ordering a board over 8'0"? These ship by freight, so there's no flat online rate — we confirm the exact freight cost and delivery details with you before anything ships. No board goes out until you've okayed the quote.
Parcel vs. freight

Two very different deliveries

A board 8' and under arrives like any other package. A board over 8' arrives like a piece of furniture. Knowing which you're getting sets the right expectation.

8'0" and under — flat-rate parcel
  • Ships UPS/FedEx ground in a padded board box
  • Left at your door like a normal delivery (signature over $500)
  • Flat rate you see at checkout — that's the final cost
  • Typically a few business days within the region
Over 8'0" — LTL freight
  • Moves on a pallet aboard a freight truck (LTL = less-than-truckload)
  • Curbside / appointment delivery — the driver won't carry it inside
  • Cost is quoted per order, not a flat website rate
  • Longer transit; inspect and note any damage before you sign
01
Buy local, skip it entirely
In the Charleston area, choose in-store pickup at checkout. Free, immediate, and you inspect the board yourself.
02
Give a reachable phone number
Freight carriers call to schedule the drop-off. A good number means no missed-delivery fees or reschedules.
03
Be there for a freight delivery
Someone should receive a board over 8', check it over, and note any damage on the delivery slip before signing.
04
Ask us before you order
Not sure what a big board will run to your zip? Call the shop and we'll price the freight before you check out.
Talk to a real surfer: Call Parrot Surf & Skate at 843.884.1035 and we'll walk you through shipping on any board before you buy.
By board type

Which boards ship which way

A quick map from what you're riding to how it gets to you. Exact rates are in the table above.

Most orders
Shortboards & fish
Roughly 5'9" – 6' · flat-rate parcel

The bulk of what ships out the door. Padded board box, flat checkout rate, doorstep delivery. The oversize surcharge is already built into the rate you see.

Ships as: standard parcel, flat rate by region.
Shop surfboards →
In between
Funboards & mid-lengths
Roughly 6' – 8' · flat-rate parcel

Still ships parcel ground, but it's a bigger box near the carrier limit, so the flat rate steps up. Doorstep delivery, no follow-up needed.

Freight only
Longboards, mini-mals & SUPs
Over 8' · LTL freight quote

Past the 8' parcel limit, so these move as palletized freight. We quote the exact cost and confirm delivery with you before shipping — or pick it up in-store for free.

FAQ

Common questions

Because they travel completely differently. A board 8' and under rides a normal delivery truck as an oversized parcel at a flat rate. A board over 8' exceeds the carrier's 96-inch length limit, so it can't go parcel at all — it has to ship as freight (LTL) on a pallet, which is far more expensive to move. It's not a markup; it's a different shipping method entirely.
8 feet. UPS and FedEx cap parcel length at 96 inches (8'). Boards 8'0" and under ship at our flat regional rates; anything longer — most longboards, mini-mals, and SUPs — ships as palletized LTL freight, quoted per order rather than at a flat website rate.
For boards 8'0" and under, yes — the rate shown at checkout is the real, final shipping cost, with no surprise charges after. Boards over 8' ship by freight and are quoted per order instead of charged a flat rate online; if you order one, we confirm the exact freight cost with you before it ships, and nothing goes out until you approve it.
Yes, and it's free. If you're in the Charleston / Lowcountry area, choose in-store pickup at checkout and collect your board at Parrot Surf & Skate, 811 Coleman Blvd, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464. You also get to inspect it before you take it home.
A freight (LTL) board arrives on a pallet by freight truck. The carrier calls ahead to schedule an appointment, and delivery is curbside — the driver won't bring it inside. Have someone available to receive it, inspect it, and note any damage on the delivery slip before signing.
Yes. Boards 8'0" and under ship to Hawaii and Alaska at a flat $350 (up to 5'11") or $475 (6'0"–8'0"). Boards over 8' are quoted individually. Call the shop at 843.884.1035 if you'd like the freight priced for your address before you order.
Inspect every board at delivery. On a freight shipment, note any visible damage on the delivery slip before you sign — that protects your claim. Then contact us right away at 843.884.1035. Fiberglass boards can pick up minor pressure dings in transit; anything beyond that, we'll make right.

Know before you buy

Questions on shipping a specific board to your zip? Call the shop and we'll price it before you check out — or pick it up in Mount Pleasant for free.

Shop surfboards →