Airline Travel with BP/W in Carry-on

[CGE925]

What's the current situation re traveling with a backplate in carry-on? Is anyone aware of recent negative experiences, will the TSA regard the aluminum plate, cam bands, STA or webbing as a weapon? I will be packing the wing and Trilobyte in checked baggage, but I don't want to run into problems at security with the rest. I'd hate to run into a TSA agent who's also a GUE Instructor and regards the D ring on my right hip as evidence of suicidal tendencies ;o)

The main suitcase is getting full and I wanted to distribute some of the load into carry-on. If there's ANY chance I will have problems, I'll re-think and try to re-distribute it into checked baggage

Thanks in advance...

 

[AlexL]

i'd check it. after experiences in MX with them confiscating small wrenches, dont want to even think how they'd react to an edged plate.

both mine and the wife's gear (my plate and wing, her ladyhawk, fins, boots, smbs, reels and boots) both fit into a duffel roller, and weigh 47lbs total, wheels up.

 

[cb5150]

I usually carry on a small backpack. Inside the backpack is my backplate, regs and mask. Wing and harness are usually in checked baggage.

Never had a problem other than just the occasional TSA worker who asks me what it is. After I tell them what it is, they usually continue to stare at me with the same dead eyes and confused look they always have. I just smile and go about my business.

 

[parzdiver]

Never had a problem with my back plate in my carry on. Traveled with it to many places in the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Palau.

More often they are looking at my canister light and regulator hoses.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I just returned from a Bonaire trip on Delta, with a carry-on in which I had a steel plate and a reg set. They flagged it at the X-ray machine, but after opening it up and seeing it was dive gear, they let me proceed through. But that was Delta--a major US-based carrier. I'm not confident a small foreign airline or foreign security checkpoint personnel would see things the same way.

 

[CGE925]

i'd check it. after experiences in MX with them confiscating small wrenches, dont want to even think how they'd react to an edged plate.

both mine and the wife's gear (my plate and wing, her ladyhawk, fins, boots, smbs, reels and boots) both fit into a duffel roller, and weigh 47lbs total, wheels up.

Good to know about Mexico, thanks for the heads up. For now, I'm only talking about security here in Canada, at Fort Lauderdale airport and on the cruise ship (which shouldn't be a problem; anything they don't like or understand, they'll hold at security until you need it). I'm only bringing my basic gear and I'm trying to avoid a dedicated checked bag at $35

 

[parzdiver]

Good to know about Mexico, thanks for the heads up. For now, I'm only talking about security here in Canada, at Fort Lauderdale airport and on the cruise ship (which shouldn't be a problem; anything they don't like or understand, they'll hold at security until you need it). I'm only bringing my basic gear and I'm trying to avoid a dedicated checked bag at $35

Watch the cruise ship, they don't like tools in your luggage. I had to "check" a small wrench and screwdriver with security when boarding the ship. It was in my checked bag and I had to leave the ship prior to departure and deal with security before they would put the bag on the ship.

 

[tbone1004]

Never had a problem with any of my gear, lights, regs, backplates, wings. Obviously no to the knives, but haven't had any other problems. Nice thing is with the steel plates they don't generally weigh carryons so as long as you don't look like you're struggling putting it in the overhead they don't question.

 

[CGE925]

Watch the cruise ship, they don't like tools in your luggage. I had to "check" a small wrench and screwdriver with security when boarding the ship. It was in my checked bag and I had to leave the ship prior to departure and deal with security before they would put the bag on the ship.

Yup, I've heard there are big differences with security policies between different cruise ports, where security is generally of the rent-a-cop type. Some places are hard-asses about little things like simple tools, but apparently, Port Everglades isn't too bad, they are used to Caribbean divers boarding ships. I've even seem mention of them allowing walk on with Swiss Army Knives and dive knives shorter than 3". Or not, depending on the day or the screener....

The ship I'm not too worried about, if they don't like something, Security will hold it and I can pick it up the day of the dive as I leave the ship. The big concern is facing the problem of being in line at airport security and being denied boarding something very expensive, like a BC. Based on most experiences in the US, it seems I should be OK though.

 

[AlexL]

I'm only bringing my basic gear and I'm trying to avoid a dedicated checked bag at $35

in that case, id go for it. i never tried to get the plate past TSA, did not want to deal with a hand search at the checkpoint due to the x-ray shadow. our checked gear bag has never been searched (zip tied zippers).

Cruise ship security went over our carry ons that had reg bags in them with a fine toothed comb; had to play twenty questions as they pulled each part out. not sure if because of security, or they were just curious. just don’t bring a dive knife as other's have mentioned. did not have any issues with sheers or trilobites.

after confirming with the staff it was ok, we cleaned our gear up on the pool deck under a stairwell next to the rinse showers. so much easier then in the berth. downside was that it never ceased to draw a crowd, but i always like answering questions about scuba stuff