Lead shot weights in carry on luggage

[elliottchow]

have any of you ever carried lead shot in a carry on and have you had any problems with airline security for doing so? I'm going to asia for an extended dive trip and the parts i plan to dive won't have many dive shops etc. i thought i'd ask the experts first to see if it would be a good idea...i'm sure it looks like packaged shrapnel in an airport xray machine. thanks for the help.

 

[TSandM]

When I dive in warm water, I dive my backplate plus a grand total of two pounds -- but I need the two pounds. And I divide it up into one pound on each side of the tank, so I carry two one-pound ankle weights with me. Dive ops rarely have one pound weights. Anyplace I put them, they get searched, but I expect it and don't mind. They've always gone through without problems once the TSA folks see what they are.

 

[Damselfish]

My husband used to pack some ankle weights and it wasn't a problem. I wouldn't think they would have problems with soft weights though likely to get searched. (Hard weights in carryon you never know, someone might decide they could be used as a weapon?)

I can see taking along a couple 1# weights as it's hard to get small ones, but if there's a shop to get air I think they'd have weight. Might be worth doing without your soft weights to travel a little lighter?

 

[Sideband]

You might consider shipping them to where you are staying ahead of time. Might be cheaper. Airline prices for over weight bags can be pretty steep.

Joe

 

[Rick Murchison]

If it turned out there was any problem getting weights in a particular dive destination, I'd probably buy or rent some from the "last shop on the way" rather than wasting precious airline weight and space allowances with lead... If there were no other way to get the lead there than carrying it on the airlines, I guess carry-on would be the way and I'd take 'em out and put 'em in the little basket for wallets & watches at the check point to speed the security check-in process.
Rick

 

[RICHinNC]

I just came back from Barbados and took my bp and wing on board with 8 lbs of shot weight in the pouches. The xray machine picked up on it and it was the only thing TSA wanted to see. Once they confirmed it was shot weight they just said thanks and that was the end of it, but I got checked for the same thing coming and going.

 

[Doc]

I'm with Captain Rick on this one. rent them on scene, or just understand: if you are going to become a serious traveller to dive destinations, you might want to get a bit more flexible and adapt your system to accept hard weights, at least for travel configurations.

Soft padded neoprene weight belt pockets can be a viable alternative if skin bruising is the issue.

Obviously, the TSA could care less about your "shrapnel" concerns. Even those dunderheads understand that it is an inert metal. Put it in carry-on? Not if you are a serious dive traveller. Carry on weight is limited and once your destinations become more involved, you are not going to want personal control over that extra weight. Ugh.

Many resorts and liveaboards have soft weight as a standard or an option. I frequent one resort that rents them out, but if you schlepp some down with you to add to the pile, your rental is free. Contact the resort or dive shop on premises and inquire.

Best advice, again- adapt your system to what is commonly available.... or face the baggage weight limits when you start thinking about other dive gear.... cameras, video, all the toys!

 

[ClayJar]

Makes me wonder if I could get away with wearing a heavy weight belt, should I ever actually travel to dive. There are plenty of people who weigh *much* more than I would, even with a weight belt, after all.

Hmm... I guess if I really wanted to, I could get a prescription for wearing extra weight (as part of physical therapy for re-acclimating myself to dry land, of course)...

 

[ShanChan]

I got stopped going into and out of Miami on my way to Utila. Had lead shot weights in my dive bag, and had to take EVERYTHING out of the dive bag, stack the ankle weights, show every pouch in my BC to the TSA guy (who was really nice, btw), etc. etc. etc. It took about 20 minutes, but I had a long layover so I didn't care.

 

[Charlie99]

I flew a couple weeks ago with a 3 pound and a 5 pound lead shot weight in my checked luggage --- not dive weights but some weights for my wife's neck traction therapy.

Neither bag was opened --- that is unless the TSA guys had 4" fluourescent pink tiewraps to replace the ones I had sealing the bags.

For my own scuba use while traveling, I just slip hard weights into the integrated weight pockets of my SeaQuest Pro QD. The disdavantage is a bit of extra wear and tear -- the pockets are beginning to wear through in a couple spots and I just replaced them this year, after about 350 dives and a lot of time sitting around bouncing on boats.