British Airways on Tuesday installed new restrictions that ban
surfboards and other large sports equipment including kayaks, canoes,
windsurfing equipment, vaulting poles, javelins, and hang gliders.

“Some items are simply not suitable for airport baggage systems to
handle or travel in the aircraft hold due to size and weight
restrictions, as well as customer demand,” British Airways said in a
statement.

British Airways recommends that passengers now use freight companies to ship their bulky gear

Skis and golf clubs are still permitted in the BA baggage, as well as bicycles and bowling balls.

The ban has led many groups to organize in protesting the ban.

“It came out of the blue,” Duncan Scott, chairman of the British Surfing Association told CNN.

Scott pointed out that skis and golf clubs are heavier and bulkier than
surfboards, which are especially slim and light for their size. He said
most surfboards weigh no more than 5 kg (11 lbs.).

“They say there's handling difficulties, but as you can see, I'm
holding this with two fingers,” Scott said, holding his own surfboard,
which was just under six feet tall.

The Royal Yachting Association, which governs windsurfing, also complained about the ban and is circulating its own petition.

“We just hope we can speak to BA and just learn to understand why
they have made the decision,” Yachting Association spokeswoman Amanda
Van Santen said. “Hopefully we can come to some amicable reasoning and
way forward.”

While windsurfing equipment is often much larger than a
surfboard, Van Santen said it's easy to pack it neatly away and that
the board and mast together weigh no more than 26 kg (57 lbs).

Both Scott and Van Santen agreed that using freight to carry their gear
would likely cost hundreds of extra dollars and sometimes take days
longer for the equipment to arrive.

Scott told CNN that British Airways is underestimating the number of surfers who use the
airline to reach far-flung shores, and he predicted those passengers
would now turn to low-cost airlines which don't ban large equipment.

“I think BA's about to get shore-dumped, which is when it all comes down on top of you and leaves you with a mouthful of sand.”