Airlines plain and simple give it to surfers straight up the bum. Winter is heavy travel season for surfers, and there are ways to get around exorbitant baggage fees. Here's some of those secrets and an airline fee rundown so you can save some cash this winter.

These days, surfers are less likely to drive to Big Sur or Santa Cruz "on a whim" to check surf spots, Copeland said, because online surf reports tell whether specific areas have rideable waves. But gas prices are discouraging surfers from making those drives, regardless of the wave quality.