Surf's not up at BA after board ban

LONDON, England (CNN) -- As surfers try to catch a wave, British Airways is catching flak for banning surfboards in the baggage hold of its flights.

New restrictions which came into effect Tuesday 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," BA said in a statement.

The ban hit surfers like a sneaker wave.

"It came out of the blue," said Duncan Scott, chairman of the British Surfing Association, who is supporting a BSA petition to encourage BA to change the policy.

Scott pointed out that skis and golf clubs are still permitted in the BA baggage hold despite being 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.

Bicycles and bowling balls are also still permitted.

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).

British Airways recommends that passengers now use freight companies to ship their bulky gear. But Scott and Van Santen called that unreasonable and expensive, saying it would cost hundreds of extra dollars and sometimes take days longer for the equipment to arrive.

Scott said BA 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." E-mail to a friend