Families, allow me to describe the details of costs and each step necessary for kayaks to arrive to Chile. Then you will be presented with economical options so you can best decide how to get your child’s boat to Chile.
Pucon Kayak Hostel has built Chile’s best whitewater kayak fleet for rent. Read how PKH extends the kayak fleet to New River Academy students.
What Are the Costs and Efforts of Shipping a Kayak Internationally?
Shipping kayaks costs dramatically more than flying with one as a checked bag. Kayakers flying with a kayak as a checked bag might be more common than most realize?
1. Shipping boat via Freight Forward Company- This summer I was assigned to write this article for Colorado Kayak Supply. Shipping via a freight forwarder often costs more than the kayak. NOT AN OPTION. Read more, “Have you ever wondered what it costs to ship kayaks internationally? “
2. Flying with a play boat- This is the easiest and most economical option. New River has a 100% success rate with students. While our chosen airline American Airlines has red listed “kayaks” we’ll illustrate how play boats meet the dimensional allowance listed by the airline for luggage. We’ll use this fact and train your child how to package and fly with a play boat. Consider it a large piece of luggage.
Dimensional length allowed by American Airlines is 126”.
Play boat: h+w+l; 14” + 24” + 72” = 110”
***Agents rarely pull out the measuring tape.
Expected Flight Costs: $150- $250. We’ve seen $400 and $600 costs on itineraries with multiple carriers. Be happy to be charged anything less than $250.
*** Do not ask airline if they allow kayaks. The answer is, “No.” Rather, we’ll teach you what every nomadic kayaker has learnt with the evolution of kayaking and airline protocol. Then you can choose an option you are comfortable making to fly with kayak, rent or buy in Chile.
3. Flying with a creek boat- This is what serious “nomad or pro-kayakers” choose. It’s doable but riskier. A creek boat is clearly above the allowed dimensional allowance of 126”. (h+w+l; 14”h +26”w + 102”l = 142”)
Still savvy nomadic kayakers successfully fly with their creek boat thanks to persuasion skills, knowledge of the system and the point that agents rarely use measuring tape.
Expected Flight Costs: $150- $250
Suggested Colorado Kayak Supply Online article, “How much baggage will airlines allow a kayaker?”
4. OK… So the school has a Chile bound container for creek kayaks? Not exactly. Actually, the Chilean based Pucon Kayak Hostel pays a per kayak fee to the Chilean distributor (Rivers, Lakes and Oceans) in order to be able to import kayaks via their container.
“One of the toughest things was to rent a student a kayak at less than cost and then be criticized. I’d failed to be transparent and clearly illustrate the real costs and efforts required.”
Let’s face it shipping kayaks internationally especially creek boats is not cheap or easy. Here’s how we do it in a way that works for everyone.
Real Costs of Shipping Creek Boat to Chile via Rivers, Lakes & Oceans Container
Factory pro-deal rate: approximately $600-$650 + tax
US Factory Transport to Ladson, SC port $US 70
Rivers, Lakes, and Oceans freight fee
(RL&O serve as the “customs agent”) $125/kayak
Chile Impuestos (import taxes)
25% value of product ($650) $162.50
***Argentina charges 50%
Total Container Cost of Kayak = Approximately… $357.50
Other Costs: David Hughes will arrive to Chile 12 days in front of students. One responsibility is to pickup kayaks, a Suburban, a trailer, a van and transport 12 hours north from Pucon to Santiago + secure maintenance. It will cost approximately $1,000 to make this transport: gas ($5.50/gal) + tolls + hire driver + hotel + driver’s bus ride back. All this has already been included in tuition.
“Do I rent, buy or fly with a kayak?,” is the big question every kayaker going to Chile asks. The answers are simple and we’ll show you how your child has a superior price break to normal travelers.
- Renting- Normal travelers rent a kayak at 10,000 pesos/day = $US22. Our trip is 45 days/quarter ($US22) = $US990 (Uhhh… no thanks.)
- Buying- Buy a kayak from retailer Rivers, Lakes and Oceans for their $US1100-$1150. After seeing our shipping costs (~ $357.00) that price is pretty good. A kayak used for 2 months can expect to sell for around $700-$750. Leaving a $US400 cost difference after selling kayak. Better than $990 but still a lot.
- Fly with kayak. That $150 to $250 “Expected Flight Cost” is starting to sound pretty good right now. But are you OK with having your child fly with a boat after the school trains them?
What is the relationship between Pucon Kayak Hostel and New River Academy and how does this benefit your child?
David Hughes bought Rio Trancura riverside land six years ago and began developing it with personally secured finances. The number one reason David observed multiple small college prep schools going out of business was over-expenditures on their land/bases. Travelling high schools are not efficient as they are forced to rent everywhere they explore. The dilemma of land ownership becomes that if the high school buys land then it is forced to stay in one place vs. the cultural and educatonal advantages of travel. New River has found a way to balance the dilemma and reduce the school’s financial stressors.
Eg- David’s previous employer The Academy at Adventure Quest bought a beautiful lodge in VT. The purchase placed enormous financial stress on the program. First the school lost it’s cultural magic and ability to travel internationally and later had to close it’s doors as it could not pay the extensive bills on the base.
The Sustainable Solution: In order to remain sustainable Pucon Kayak Hostel has to rent more than the three weeks/semester New River Academy stays there. Thus, the pressure of ownership bills are on David Hughes not the high school. PKH rents to New River Academy at a discounted rate across the board due to personal interests in the success of the high school. At times those discounts extended are even at personal loss as part of the passion to see the school succeed.
Those discounts are further extended to the students: The goal is to give the student the at-cost price advantage with kayaks. While maintaining an up to date fleet allowing each party to survive a tough economy.
Student Option 1: Rent Creek/Play Boat in Chile: Student may rent a creek/play boat for $US200/semester. Meaning they’ll have a good choice of a creek boat and can also interchange it with a PKH play boat. ($US200 Comes to average of flight costs one way… that’s cheap and better than any traveler will get.)
Student Option 2: Fly Play Boat/Rent Creeker: Student flies with play boat + $150/semester to rent PKH creek boat. We’ll get you a pro-deal on your choice play boat and in-turn PKH requests first option to buy your play boat this March in Chile. Again you’ll get help to buy another new play boat for the US quarter in April/May. The buy, sale, buy ultimately means your child has a new boat in Chile and a new boat in the US for one price. And there is no charge to fly the kayak home. Again, this is super cheap and a common kayak traveler method to sell kayak at end of trip to avoid further airfare charges.
Student Option 3, Fly Creeker/Rent Play: As a third option you may choose to fly with a creek boat + $20/semester play boat rental = one day rental. PKH practically gives you the play boat cause it’s so valuable to get new creek boats in Chile. If you fly with a new pro-dealed creek boat then you’ll get to use a play boat $20/sem in exchange for first option to buy that valued creek boat in March. Yes, you’ll get another pro-deal in March for the US quarter.
Meaning buying an at-cost prodeal kayak in US and selling in Chile ends up being a wash. You end up only paying for the flight costs.
*** “What if my child’s creek boat is denied at the airport?” We’ve got you covered. If you miss you’ll still have the $200/sem option.
Samples Costs:
Creeker Flight Success
Joey decides to fly with a Liquid Logic Stomper creek boat and succeeds at the airline desk for a $200 oversize charge. David picks up group in Santiago with trailer.
Joey will pay $20 for first sem and $20 for second sem for a play boat rental. That’s a gift. Total: $200 (flight fee) + $20 (sem I) + $20 (sem II)= $240
We’ll order you a new creeker in the US for April. PKH requests first option to purchase creeker in March.
Creeker Flight Failure
Joey does not get his creeker on the plane and resorts to a backup plan to rent a creek boat in Chile at $200/sem. This option also allows him to interchange the creeker with a play boat as travel demands. Total: No Flight fee + $200 (sem I) + $200 (sem II)= $400
Play Boat Flight Success
Joey gets his play boat on for $200 and will rent a creeker for $150/sem.
Total: $200 (flight fee) + $150 (sem I creek rent) + $150 (sem II creek rent)= $500
PKH requests first option to purchase play boat in March.
What about storage over Christmas? During Christmas-season there are many guests, employees, and hosts around… meaning lots of folks to keep an eye on things. It is South America and theft is a concern, but power tools and electronics are more sought items than kayaks.
***Kayak lockers have been built under the deck of the bathhouse. For best storage it’s recommended your child use a sturdy lockable bike cable and lock to the structural beams + lock the kayak locker door.
- You own the kayak- As a benefit your child is allowed to store the kayak for free vs. normal guests storage rates. You’ll have to sign the normal storage agreement regarding theft. We’ve had zero kayaks stolen, but we do not insure guests storing equipment and hope everyone understands secure storage is a big deal. Your child is responsible to purchase locking cable and lock.
- You rent the kayak- It’s not your kayak therefore storage is not your problem.
***Traveler’s Insurance- Prior to break we’ll train students and write an article about traveler’s insurance. There are some great options that would cover broken or stolen laptop or kayak gear.
What if a kayak is damaged or stolen during rental? Students renting kayaks must sign the rental agreement. Even though, students receive an exceptional rate on rental they are responsible for the “pre-negotiated value” of the craft should it be stolen or damaged during their rental period. What are the chances of either? We’ve never had a kayak stolen but we constantly enforce the lock your kayak rule. It’s the individual’s responsibility to use their kayak/bike cable locking system as we travel. The most likely time for kayak damage is when a kayaker swims or runs monstrous rapids. (While this is not a huge risk for our group due to the fact that we seek clean, safe runs, any swim on the river carries the potential to lose and or damage gear. Imagine a swim resulting in a pinned kayak.)
How tough can shipping be? Four years ago our rival school went the entire Chile quarter with their boats not arriving through customs. A kayak school’s nightmare. They had to buy new boats retail and later we’d buy three of their kayaks. It is for security reasons that we invest in the shipping and maintain a fleet of options.
Is there more space on the Rivers, Lakes and Oceans container? I called in a favor securing 12 spaces. Those spaces have been filled and the container is set to ship. Once it hits the water it could take as much as a month and a half before those boats are out of customs. Meaning even with planning this far in advance it’s going to be tight.
What kayaks are available in Chile?
Click to view the kayak fleet.
Close up of the “z” in Z-drag. Notice the prussik, used to connect the rope via a carabineer.
