getting gear on a plane??

[Snowbear]

reefseal once bubbled...
This happened to me.. I didn't secure the lock the switch so the movement in bag turned on light. Sure enough, when I got to my destination, the batteries were dead.

When I went to replace my batteries, I could not open the light.

If you put the batts in backwards, the light won't turn on.
As for the other problem - don't screw it shut all the way?

 

[rjdiver]

I don't know about putting in the batteries backwards. I used to have one light that would not work properly with Everready Batteries if they were in the way the diagram showed, but only backwards. Duracell would work in either direction. I guess the Duracell were a tad bit longer.

Back in '87 I was headed to Florida to dive Crystal River. We were late to the ticket counter, so they said to gate-check our luggage. Back then, the BC's had CO2 cartridges for emergency ascents (whose bright idea was that). We promptly lost our cartridges, but they checked the rest of the gear at the gate. I am sure we had our dive knives with us.

 

[Gilligan]

I recently returned from a trip to the Yucatan. It definetley pays to take all your gear except tanks and weights because rental gear can be expensive as well as unfamiliar to you. I took my mask (in it's plastic case) and my regulator setup as carry-on in a backpack. I checked the rest of my gear in with my clothes. I use a military duffelbag for my clothes and the dive gear as it all fits in one bag with the BCD, fins etc. at the bottom. The boarding inspection at Cancun airport is done manually and the guy looked at that duffelbag and didn't want anything to do with having me to empty it and repack it there on the table with all those people behind me. Be prepared to have your carry-on hand checked when the X-Ray machine sees those hoses from your reg setup. Tanks and weights are available everywhere as part of a dive. Taking tanks is out of the question as they have to be empty with the valves off. Many dive shops here on Maui will charge you for a V.I.P. on the tanks you bring in because they are empty and therfore could be contaminated. They will not fill them without re-V.I.P'ing them.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I use a pelican case for most of my gear except the reg which is my carry on bag. Never a problem as long as you stash those knives in your check in bag.

 

[Gilligan]

Don't use one of those gear bags for check-in luggage that has dive flags all over it. You are making it obvious as to what's in it and inviting a dishonest baggage handler or someone else to steal it.