Choosing a Dive bag! Need help!

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Sicel1304

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Location
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Hey guys,

I was wonderin if anyone has information about this backpack. http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/Cate...ock/DescSort_0/Filter_2=103/AKNBWD.html?Hit=1

I'm thinking about buying it. May anyone recommend any good dive bags to me? I want something that can hold a full set of gear, but still be comfortable. Thanks!

By the way, for anyone who doesn't know, I don't even have my certification yet. However, I am in a scuba class, and we are doing our open water dives the weekend of October 20th in Arkansas! As of right now, I own my booties, and an extremly expensive mask w/ custom lenses, and a snorkel. I want something that can keep that all safe for me. Thanks!

Les
 
The key piece of information is missing: size.

Interior and exterior dimensions.

Just from the images, doesn't look close to "holding a full set of gear".

Here's my airline traveling "body bag" at http://www.mysimon.com/Luggage/9000-10945_8-0.html?mlpid=28745296

As far as carry-on bags for the day-dive boat, neither choice (yours nor mine) would be very good.

Plastic bags work best to hold anything wet inside of any nylon duffel.
 
Hi Les,

Welcome to Scubaboard. This is a little off your topic (that's nothing unusual around here) but since you're in Arkansas, check this out:

http://hsdfi.org/2006/10/Festival/underwater.htm

We're doing an underwater cinematograhy workshop at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival October 25 and 26.

Come join us, it should be a ton of fun.

Jeff
 
Will that bag hold a full set of gear? It looks like it may hold your logbook...
 
I own the akona mesh duffel bag and it works great, its big and holds all of my gear. If your mask is very expensive like you say you might want to consider buying a bag just for your mask that you can then put into the large bag with the rest of your gear -Tom
 
Sicel1304:
Hey guys,

I was wonderin if anyone has information about this backpack. http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/Cate...ock/DescSort_0/Filter_2=103/AKNBWD.html?Hit=1

I'm thinking about buying it. May anyone recommend any good dive bags to me? I want something that can hold a full set of gear, but still be comfortable. Thanks!

By the way, for anyone who doesn't know, I don't even have my certification yet. However, I am in a scuba class, and we are doing our open water dives the weekend of October 20th in Arkansas! As of right now, I own my booties, and an extremly expensive mask w/ custom lenses, and a snorkel. I want something that can keep that all safe for me. Thanks!

Les

For your booties, mask, etc, that above bag will be fine. But I don't think it's the right choice. That's a wet-dry bag. It's meant to keep stuff dry, like clothes while boating, etc. I think it'd be better fitted for keeping your clothes dry on a dive trip as to keeping your gear in.

Like the others, I think it's a bit small for a complete set of gear.


For choosing a bag, perhaps if you could tell us what you want it for, folks here could provide you advice based on that.

For example, the mesh bag referrenced above is great for short trip diving such as a beach dive, snorkel gear, local diving, etc. Of course everything will get wet or sandy in that bag, but some people like to use a mesh bag to rinse gear in also.

For diving that requires airline travel, you'll want a heavy duty roller bag that will hold up to airline abuse and is lockable. I would suggest one that doesn't have "dive gear logos" all over it as it advertises what's in the bag and says "steal me first" to any thief. You can get roller bags that have backpack straps on them also, but unless it's uneven ground, you'll be more likely to pull it through an airport instead of carrying it. The ones with the extendable handles I find easier to use. Remember you'll also have to deal with your clothes luggage also, which makes wearing a heavy dive backpack harder to deal with (for most folks).

For airline travel consider bag weight also. The airlines are enforcing a 50lb rule now on most flights. International can get away with 75-80 pounds.

You can get an "el-cheap-o" ruller duffell bag at Walmart. I did this and it worked for several trips. However the wally-world bags are just not made as well with lighter weight/thickness fabric and sewn to much lighter standards. Also the fabric seems to be much weaker and less resistant to the elements, as are the zippers, which are smaller and "wimpier". Well this came to an end on a flight back from the Caribbean when I picked up the bag off the luggage carosell by the fabric and the bag just tore apart. My gear almost ended up taking a seperate ride down the luggage path if I hadn't grabbed it in time. With that I learned my lesson and bought a much better built bag. I'm just glad it happened to me and not to some airline employee, especially in another country. Chances are I wouldn't have gotten all my gear back. Also replacement bags in airports aren't that easy to come by. - My advise, get a good bag to start with.

BTW.... you can get a small mask case for your mask that will fit into any bag.

-mike
 
Sicel1304:
Hey guys,

I was wonderin if anyone has information about this backpack. http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/Cate...ock/DescSort_0/Filter_2=103/AKNBWD.html?Hit=1

I'm thinking about buying it. May anyone recommend any good dive bags to me? I want something that can hold a full set of gear, but still be comfortable. Thanks!

By the way, for anyone who doesn't know, I don't even have my certification yet. However, I am in a scuba class, and we are doing our open water dives the weekend of October 20th in Arkansas! As of right now, I own my booties, and an extremly expensive mask w/ custom lenses, and a snorkel. I want something that can keep that all safe for me. Thanks!

Les

Well the link says AKB305 and a lot of other sites give the AKB305 dimensions as
19in x 12in x 9.5in
so that would be useless for me.
My fins wouldn't fit, nor any of my my wetsuits except maybe my 3mm shorty for warmwater diving.
I could just squeeze in a BC and nothing else...
 
For what it's worth I use these to keep four sets of gear ready....

Snorkeling at the pool: XS Scuba Snorkeling Backpack BG330 - $28
I bought this after driving to the YMCA without equipment once too often. This holds my fins, boots, snorkel and mask, plus swimsuit and Aquadry towel.
I also use the soft mask case in my boat bag or my lock box, and add a zip bag of Sea Gold, Swimmer's Ear and a cheap submersible watch. My mask's slap strap keeps the face plate from being scratched.
The bag is left behind on actual dive trips.

Beach/Boat dives: ProMate and Dacor make mesh boat bags that top load, with padded shoulder straps, inside fin pockets and a small outside pocket for a mask, towel, etc. I picked up my ProMates at ScubaToys in Dallas. They work great getting from the car to the surf or pool, and then stuff into the outer pocket for storage.

Padding for those expensive regs and computers: Aqualung Legend Regulator Bag UDRLRB - $25
Case for my Sherwood Wisdom: Suunto Padded Console Cover SQTPCC - $10
The case fits into the gauge sleeve inside the reg bag. Very convenient, and keeps the computer from being scratched up or falling out. The regs and computer are in the bag 90% of the time. The logbook and c-cards are kept in the outside pocket.

Car trips/ rinse stations: 66 qt. Sterilite or Rubbermaid lock boxes. Great for rinsing gear and for keeping equipment from blowing out the back of the pickup. Tape or bungie cord the lids down, though. Also, the sweater boxes work as save-a-dive kit, underwater lights/batteries box, neoprene box (hoods, gloves), etc.

Airplanes -- still clinging to the theory of keeping all essential gear with me:
22" generic carry-on bag for BC, regs, computer, mask, boots, and a change of clothes. I add a small emergency bag for essentials, just in case they require all luggage to be checked in.
Personal items (underwater camera, laptop) and whatever usually goes into a purse zip bagged and in my pockets -- at least, until I clear customs and bring my purse back out of the carry-on.
30" generic check-in bag for all prohibited or oversized items like dive knives or shears, wetsuits, and fins. Almost all clothing goes here, too. Hopefully this will not be lost/stolen/damaged, but I can still buy or rent replacements. Too many horror stories from friends about delayed luggage and missed boat dives.

Good luck.
 

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