You’ve finally done all the shit you had to do before heading off on your surf trip, leaving a couple of hours before you head to the airport. Plenty of time - as you told your mates, packing only takes 20 minutes.
The most important thing to remember is your passport. The second most important thing is to make sure that you have your boards, wetsuit and so on packed. By the time you’ve got your boards safely packed it’s usually just a matter of grabbing a load of clothes and throwing them in your bag. But the key to a snag-free trip is your hand luggage. Here’s a checklist to make sure you’ve got everything you really need.

1 - Bag. Get yourself a good sized rucksack, preferably one with a separate waterproof compartment so you can use it as your beach bag as well.
2 - Documents. Tickets, passport, visas, insurance and E111 form. Put them in a pocket and always keep them there. Never leave your bag on its own.
3 - Camera kit. Stored in its case and keep cool and dry. It's not a bad idea to take a disposable if you’re going some where particularly sketchy.
4 - Music. Pack your iPod and travel speakers to entertain you en route and at your destination.
5 - Wash bag. Keep bottles of shampoo, suncream and so on in a carrier bag to avoid leakage. Make sure you have all the usual stuff: deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, any hair product, aftersun, condoms, medication, travel sickness and/or sleeping pills.
6 - Sunglasses. Take them in a hard case if you have one.
7 - Reading. Take the latest CARVE, maybe an FHM and a decent book. Pornography isn’t a bad idea but can get embarrassing. Remember it’s actually illegal in some Muslim countries…
8 - Food. Take a bottle of water as air travel dehydrates you. Pack some fruit to boost your crappy travel diet (you're not supposed to carry food from one country to the next so eat it before you get there). Take some chewing gum to freshen up after a long journey.
9 - Mobile phone. Remember your foreign SIM cards or make sure you've got plenty of credit.
10 - Laptop. Great for getting work done, making use of airport wireless hotspots or watching DVDs (and more porn).