Greetings Scubaboard Photographers! -
I hope your Christmas was merry, and you're recovering from your food coma smoothly.
Santa was very good to me this year, and now I have a problem I need to ask your advice on. As you may have figured from the thread title, I need help figuring out how to carry all this stuff, both on a boat and onto a (commercial) plane.
Right now, I have a Canon A720IS and its Canon factory housing, and a Fantasea two-handled arm & clamp light bracket system with Sea & Sea YS-110 strobe and focus/targeting flashlight. Nothing by comparison to what many of you have, but still enough gear to warrant some proper carrying capacity. In addition, it would be nice to be able to take a laptop to the hotel for evening reviews and editing while on a trip.
Should I carry this stuff assembled, or break it down for air travel? If assembled, in what and how do you carry it? Once at the dive destination, what do you suggest as transport/protection for the boat trip or other journey to and from the actual point of entry for the dive? It seems that some padding would be wise, as well as space for a couple of little boxes with batteries, diffusers, filters, lanyards, silicone grease, extra o-rings, lens cloths, extra memory cards, manuals, maybe a hand towel or two, etc., etc... For that matter, what kit do you bring with you on the boat other than the parts that actually go in the water?
I think if I had a DSLR rig, I'd invest in a Pelican case big enough to handle the whole thing, but I don't yet, and apart from being a little shy about springing for the price of such a case, I'm not sure I want or need to commit that much weight and space (I've been reading about divers' hassles with luggage weight restrictions as it is - another big heavy box may not be worth it if I don't need it yet).
I have a Tamrac photo gear backpack that I use for my DSLR stuff topside, and it carries a laptop as well, which makes it a great piece of carry-on, but it won't carry the housing, lights, tray, and arms without taking them apart, and even if I did take them apart, I wouldn't be able to take the DSLR for topside work (which may be OK, but I think I'll feel naked traveling without it).
So, lets assume a dive trip to a destination that requires travel on a commercial airliner, which may or may not have baggage restrictions. What do you take with you, and how do you take it and keep it safe for that flight? Does it go out on the boat in the same bag, or do you repack a separate boat bag instead of the airline bag, as one often does with dive gear?
Thanks in advance for your ideas, and have a Happy New Year!
I hope your Christmas was merry, and you're recovering from your food coma smoothly.
Santa was very good to me this year, and now I have a problem I need to ask your advice on. As you may have figured from the thread title, I need help figuring out how to carry all this stuff, both on a boat and onto a (commercial) plane.
Right now, I have a Canon A720IS and its Canon factory housing, and a Fantasea two-handled arm & clamp light bracket system with Sea & Sea YS-110 strobe and focus/targeting flashlight. Nothing by comparison to what many of you have, but still enough gear to warrant some proper carrying capacity. In addition, it would be nice to be able to take a laptop to the hotel for evening reviews and editing while on a trip.
Should I carry this stuff assembled, or break it down for air travel? If assembled, in what and how do you carry it? Once at the dive destination, what do you suggest as transport/protection for the boat trip or other journey to and from the actual point of entry for the dive? It seems that some padding would be wise, as well as space for a couple of little boxes with batteries, diffusers, filters, lanyards, silicone grease, extra o-rings, lens cloths, extra memory cards, manuals, maybe a hand towel or two, etc., etc... For that matter, what kit do you bring with you on the boat other than the parts that actually go in the water?
I think if I had a DSLR rig, I'd invest in a Pelican case big enough to handle the whole thing, but I don't yet, and apart from being a little shy about springing for the price of such a case, I'm not sure I want or need to commit that much weight and space (I've been reading about divers' hassles with luggage weight restrictions as it is - another big heavy box may not be worth it if I don't need it yet).
I have a Tamrac photo gear backpack that I use for my DSLR stuff topside, and it carries a laptop as well, which makes it a great piece of carry-on, but it won't carry the housing, lights, tray, and arms without taking them apart, and even if I did take them apart, I wouldn't be able to take the DSLR for topside work (which may be OK, but I think I'll feel naked traveling without it).
So, lets assume a dive trip to a destination that requires travel on a commercial airliner, which may or may not have baggage restrictions. What do you take with you, and how do you take it and keep it safe for that flight? Does it go out on the boat in the same bag, or do you repack a separate boat bag instead of the airline bag, as one often does with dive gear?
Thanks in advance for your ideas, and have a Happy New Year!