Airlines and cave diving---Aaargh!!!

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boulderjohn

Technical Instructor
Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
Messages
31,643
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Location
Boulder, CO
# of dives
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This is just a bit of a frustrated rant--hope you don't mind.

I worked with a student on Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures last year. She was already full cave, with 100% of her experience being in Mexico. She done her cave training in sidemount, and she had just gotten a new Hollis SMS 75. I had jsut gotten the same thing, but it was not exactly the same as the prototype on which I had trained the year before, and not having a lot of sidemount dives myself, I was unsure about the best way to use it. Some minor issues had me puzzled. She was also very interested in explaining he cave background to include colder water systems.

I go to Florida every winter, and it seemed like the perfect way to help her out. My wife and I would stop in Marianna for a couple of days, and she would fly in to meet us for two days. She and I would dive, and we would get the latest in SMS tutelage from the best possible source. I arrived yesterday in the afternoon. I went to the shop, and john tore my whole system apart and set it up the way it should be. I am ready to go. My buddy arrived in Tallahassee last night, right on time. Perfect so far.

He luggage is in Dallas.

She has nearly no dive gear with her. It will not get here until late this afternoon. She has the airline's apology, but that's it. We will head over to see what we can salvage from today's plans.
 
When we did our trip to Cozumel, years ago, one of the folks on the trip had all his luggage go missing. He had to do his first day of diving in a stab jacket with a rented regulator, and all he had to dive in was a pair of swim shorts.

I did a day of skiing at Sun Valley in a rented, screaming pink jumpsuit for the same reason.

It's annoying to have bags delayed, but to me, it's almost more amazing that as many of them get where they are going in a timely fashion, as that a few go astray.
 
My buddy arrived in Tallahassee last night, right on time. Perfect so far.

He luggage is in Dallas.

.

Something to be learned from this IMHO would be to avoid flying into small airports, try for hubs or busy airports and rent a car and drive the rest of the way. I think most of the traffic in&out of TLH is commuter jets i.e. flying cigar tubes. Fly into Atlanta or JAX and only fly full sized aircraft. Not sure which springs you are diving, but flying into Tampa may be a much better idea.
 
When we did our trip to Cozumel, years ago, one of the folks on the trip had all his luggage go missing. He had to do his first day of diving in a stab jacket with a rented regulator, and all he had to dive in was a pair of swim shorts.

I did a day of skiing at Sun Valley in a rented, screaming pink jumpsuit for the same reason
.

It's annoying to have bags delayed, but to me, it's almost more amazing that as many of them get where they are going in a timely fashion, as that a few go astray.

I'd pay to see pictures of that!:D
 
This is just a bit of a frustrated rant--hope you don't mind.

I worked with a student on Advanced Nitrox and Deco Procedures last year. She was already full cave, with 100% of her experience being in Mexico. She done her cave training in sidemount, and she had just gotten a new Hollis SMS 75. I had jsut gotten the same thing, but it was not exactly the same as the prototype on which I had trained the year before, and not having a lot of sidemount dives myself, I was unsure about the best way to use it. Some minor issues had me puzzled. She was also very interested in explaining he cave background to include colder water systems.

I go to Florida every winter, and it seemed like the perfect way to help her out. My wife and I would stop in Marianna for a couple of days, and she would fly in to meet us for two days. She and I would dive, and we would get the latest in SMS tutelage from the best possible source. I arrived yesterday in the afternoon. I went to the shop, and john tore my whole system apart and set it up the way it should be. I am ready to go. My buddy arrived in Tallahassee last night, right on time. Perfect so far.

He luggage is in Dallas.

She has nearly no dive gear with her. It will not get here until late this afternoon. She has the airline's apology, but that's it. We will head over to see what we can salvage from today's plans.

I try and get all my dive gear on those types of trips into my carry on setup (one roller bag and one knapsack/duffle). You can get pretty much everything but the knife if you plan properly... avoids a lot of grief in the smaller airports....
 
Out of curiosity, has anyone ever had gear seriously questioned or refused onto a plane? I could imagine a rebreather looks a lot like a bomb to the bumbling halfwits running TSA.
 
Out of curiosity, has anyone ever had gear seriously questioned or refused onto a plane? I could imagine a rebreather looks a lot like a bomb to the bumbling halfwits running TSA.

Attempting to bring primary lights in carry-on luggage on flights out of Cancun has caused problems from time to time. I haven't had anyone question my rebreather yet, which also goes as carry-on.
 
Update:

The luggage arrived in Tallahassee schedule, and the people who take all the lost luggage out to people gathered the lost luggage up to take out to desperate people. They left hers behind, though. Ooops! Apparently they only make two trips a day, even if they screwed up the first one, so there will be no second attempt until late tonight.

She was supposed to be camping this weekend, but her luggage included her camping gear. She spent last night in the only room available in our motel, a luxury room at a luxury price. When the luggage did not come in today, she was out of luck--there is a major cheerleading competition nearby, and every room in the area is filled with cheerleaders and their families. Out hotel had booked some extra rooms at another place for emergencies, and she is spending the night there. We are hoping the gear comes at maybe 11:00 tonight so we can dive tomorrow morning.

Fortunately, I blundered into a very nice group of divers from Ohio, so I got in two dives at Jackson Blue today. We are planning to do Hole in the Wall tomorrow, hopefully with my buddy finally able to dive.

This was American Eagle airlines. Remember that name, my friends.
 
Three check-in bags at nearly 32kg/70lbs each full of Tech gear, United Airlines Excess Weight baggage fees totaled $870 from LAX to Weno/Chuuk State FSM, with stopovers in Honolulu & Guam. For that gross penalty charge/expense, United better not lose my bags in transit. . . !

So far in seven consecutive years of travel to Truk Lagoon, TSA on inspection of my check-in luggage has broken one second stage regulator (shattered exhaust tee); and "disassembled" my Helium Analyzer -probably to verify its internal functionality.
 
No problems with my rebreather so far. But on the last trip to Mexico, I had my tools confiscated! Guess they thought I could disassemble the aircraft. The tools were titanium and not easily replaceable - I am pissed since there was not sharp edges or other "weapon" type use for them.

I carry-on my rebreather, computer, primary light, and bail-out regulators. Now I even carry-on my masks since on one occasion, my mask arrived shattered in its hard box.

I don't trust TSA or any other like-organization. Considering that baggage handlers have been caught stealing (yes, in the US), nothing is safe!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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