Catching a wave after your flight? If you’re planning to bring your own surfboard to your destination, you could face some hefty checked bag fees that usually can’t be avoided, even with an airline-branded credit card that offers free checked baggage.

If you plan to bring a surfboard on a plane, here's what you need to know.

Most surfer-friendly airlines

The best airlines for surfers are American Airlines and Alaska Airlines because they consider surfboards a normal piece of checked luggage. That means you won’t have to pay oversized baggage fees, as long as your board bag isn’t too heavy.

Hawaiian Airlines and United Airlines also have cheap rates when you fly between certain destinations. It’s also more cost effective to buddy up and bundle two surfboards together in one case, so you can fly two surfboards for the price of one on the airlines that allow the practice.

Airline surfboard fees, broken down

Here are surfboard policies by airline.

American Airlines

The American Airlines surfboard fee is straightforward. Surfers only pay standard checked bag fees for surfboards that are less than 50 pounds. That’s $45 if the surfboard is your only checked item.

If you’re flying with fellow wave riders and can cram two surfboards into one bag, you’ll only pay one checked bag fee to transport both boards.

Alaska Airlines

It may be called Alaska Airlines, but this carrier has flights to Hawaii and other West Coast destinations that are known for their great waves. You can take a surfboard or paddleboard case with up to two boards inside for the same price as a normal piece of checked luggage.

The Alaska Airlines surfboard fee $30 for the first checked item, which makes flying Alaska one of the most budget-friendly ways to travel with your surfboard. If you have the Alaska Airlines Visa® credit card, your free checked bag perk will waive the fee to check your surfboard. The maximum dimensions for the surfboards vary by aircraft, so check on its website before you go.

Delta Air Lines

The Delta Air Lines surfboard fee requires wave riders to shell out at least $150 to fly with your surfboards. Other fees may apply as well if your bag is over 70 pounds, and boards are limited to 115 inches in length.