I've got a great idea for the airlines, total combined body weight and luggage formula would be much fairer system.
I weigh 80 kg plus 7kg carryon plus 23kg checked = 110 kg
Fatbastard next to me weighs 135.98kg + 7 + 23 = 165.98 kg
I should therefore have a 55.98 kg sports gear allowance !
And as I would eat less, drink less and fart less than fatbastard my carbon footprint would be smaller so i should get some carbon credits to sell to the airline to offset their carbon footprint. In fact I should fly for free 
there is actually a way to beat the weight restrictions... its called an oversized bag (i.e. kitebag) if u have 1 then u may know what i mean.. how to get around it.. its quite easy and easy to say.. but if i say it out loud then it may end.. so .. think about it and i hope u get my meaning
ok I'll say it.... oversize bags are weighed and you are then told to take it to the oversize baggage counter to hand it in. What finds its way inside the bag on the way to the counter is up to you as the bag is not weighed again .
I see you are in the UK. I flew out of Manchester on Monday back to QLD and it worked a treat :)
But I agree, doesn't work everywhere. Keen to know what works for you.
I usually just pack as light as possible. Carry all my clothes on board plus whatever heavy things I can. Put lots of stuff in the pockets of my coat. It really depends who you fly with, some of them only let you take 1 small carry on bag and nothing else.
You are allowed a carry on bag + '1 dress / suit bag'.
=
Try the oversized luggage sneak, if that fails.. in to the suit bag goes anything that isn' sharp.
Wetsuits are still suits!!
Funny enough going through NZ, they cross checked the oversized board bag, weighed my carry on bag (aka duty free grog bag)...offered them the suit bag to weigh, they said nah that's fine...it contained 2 kites, jackets, harness minus spreader, shoes, wetty. Just make sure it folds to fit in overhead.
Lol you got two kites into a suit bag! Thats genius!!!!!! I'm definitely trying that one next time I fly...
If you packed the kites in one of those vacuum storage bags inside the suit bag that should be extremely compact
Nice idea
This should be a challenge to the board makers.
the Travel board
Make a board that hinges/jointed in the middle to fit in a standard bag :)
Already done bud there are a few of them out there now.
mind you i wouldn't want to try anything too powered, with fear of snapping my knees.
www.baliwind.co.il/Kiteboarding.html
I've traveled everywhere with my Naish Golfbag and I've never been charged excess.
Just came back from Mauritius/Reunion Island with 27kg in my bag (2 kites, 1 board, 1 bar, harness, shorty, helmet, booties and towel - It was 24kg on the way over but bottles of Mauritian Rum add up and my gear was still damp 
I flew back from London on Qantas with 32kg in the same bag and they even put the bag through priority!
As long as you fly a full service carrier you tend to be OK.
My tips -
1. Pack all your clothes in a carry on daypack. You can get 3 days out of a tshirt if you are out on the water most of the time!
2. Only take one set of going out clothes
3. Leather hiking shoes double as going out shoes if you buy brown ones. (Took mine canyoning one day as well)
4. Check in as late as possible - that way they won't want to hold you up by making you pay excess and also your gear has to get to the plane!
5. Pool your equipment with your friends (works well if you have a weight difference to a friend and they ride one size down from you)
