Travelling with scuba gear

[OyGevalt]

Hello All,

I know this is a very newbie question, but here goes...I'll be travelling by air for the first time with scuba gear, and I am trying to determine the best way to pack it. Most of the advice I've got recommends bringing my Regulator set up carry on (both because of its expense and because I won't want it to be delayed forcing me to rent equipment). I am also planning to bring my mask carry on. Pretty much everything else, I am planning to bring in checked luggage.

What I'm not sure how to pack is my BCD. It's too bulky to pack in a carry on, but I am hesitant to put it in checked luggage (again expense, but also instead of an octopus on my regulator set up, my alternate air source is coupled with the power inflator on my BCD so if baggage is delayed, I would still have to rent a regulator set up). One thought was to bring the BCD as a second carryon, but I do not want it crammed into an overhead compartment and possibly damaged. Anyway, I just wanted to get some thoughts on how everyone else handles air travel with scuba gear.

Thanks ahead of time for suggestions.

 

[RickyF]

I usually pack pretty much everyting in my checked bag except my computer and camera a long as I keep it under the max allowable weight (50 lbs) on the airlines I have used. The reason is like you, I use an Octo Z which means if my luggage is delayed, I would still have to rent everything.

 

[beaverdivers]

Wear it on the plane as if it were your jacket. Then carefully put it in the overhead or have the flight attendant hang it up.

It makes a better life vest than the one on the plane.

 

[Kilili]

Throw it all in suitcase/bag and check it. Cameras & dive computers as carry-on though. Never had a mishap [yet].

 

[BluewaterSail]

I put as much of my kit as I can in the max size wheeled carry-on. This includes bc, regs,mask, computer, compass, and a few other odd things.

 

[Ozwald]

I carry on my regs and computers. Everything else goes as checked luggage.

 

[dmoore19]

I carry all my dive gear in my Dive Caddy, including a change of clothes.

DiveCaddy - Travel Bag System

I put my camera and laptop in my personal item bag.

I put the rest in checked baggage. That way I have a change of clothes and all my dive gear if my checked bag gets lost. I haven't had any problems with lost bags but I know some people have.

 

[Frosty]

Op- I used to put all my gear in checked luggage but I prefer to carry my mask,snorkle and reg set in my hand luggage now.
Just a thought for you , Why not buy an inexpensive aas if you are really worried?

 

[OyGevalt]

Op- I used to put all my gear in checked luggage but I prefer to carry my mask,snorkle and reg set in my hand luggage now.
Just a thought for you , Why not buy an inexpensive aas if you are really worried?

Im hoping nothing will get lost, but for the sake of being prepared just in case of an emergency, how easy/expensive is it to find an LDS that will sell/install an AAS to my current regulator set up?

Also is it unwise to have a different dive shop work on my gear other than the one that sold it to me in the first place and does the regular servicing?

I'll be travelling to Roatan.

BTW, thanks to everyone for the ideas.

 

[OyGevalt]

Wear it on the plane as if it were your jacket. Then carefully put it in the overhead or have the flight attendant hang it up.

It makes a better life vest than the one on the plane.

Will most airlines let that fly? (No pun intended)