Traveling with Dive Gear

[tschmitt]

Greetings!

I'm a recently certified OW diver with very little experience. My girlfriend and I are taking a trip to Maui next month and will be doing some diving. I have purchased some of my own gear - BC, Reg/Octo, Computer, Mask, Fins, Lights, etc. Can anyone offer some best practices for traveling with your own personal gear?

Specifically:
-check luggage / carry-on
-travel insurance (does DAN cover it)
-other things to bring that I might be forgetting ("Save a Dive" kit, etc.)
-tips, tricks, etc.
-any other advice you have.

Best,

Tim Schmitt

 

[Twistedarts]

I just did grand cayman, and did it all carry-on. had to leave my fins at home though. you can cram most everything else into a carry-on and a backpack.
YMMV

 

[Doc]

Hawaii ? No problem there finding first rate rental gear.

You're going to be seeing more and more destinations react to the Airline Baggage Rage.

If you have to take it- understand that nobody steals dive gear out of checked bags. It is statistically an urban myth. Check what you can, carry your computer and camera. The rest will survive anything a baggage gorilla can do to it.

Experienced dive travelers, I mean the 4 and 5 trips a year kind, the ones that are going to strange places... it all gets checked. In that Hawaii is a non-stop, one shot deal, this isn't so much an issue, but if you're dragging a load of carry on through transit airports- you'll wise up pretty quickly.

 

[TSandM]

We bought inexpensive rolling duffel bags from Costco. We check everything that isn't fragile -- Light heads and computers go in carry on, as well as cameras. The two of us can easily get the gear and clothing required for two weeks of cave diving (which includes two regulators each, as well as reels, spools, canister lights and batteries, and heavy fins) under the baggage weight requirements for normal airlines (like the ones that fly to Hawaii).

As far as save-a-dive stuff goes, I take spare o-rings for just about everything, a Scuba tool and an o-ring pick, and because of the kind of diving I do, I take spare bolt snaps and cave line. So far, that's pretty much sufficed, although there was the frantic day of trying to replace a broken pressure gauge on Cozumel

 

[Teamcasa]

I just returned from a week of diving in Kauai. (see Kauai Dive Report - Links to Video/Pictures)
I like using my own gear and since (for me) Hawaii is a non-stop affair, bringing my own gear is very little hassle. We had to pay the second bag cost ($25.00 each) but it is a bargain considering all the other costs of the trip. Add to that I own it, why should I rent it.

From another post.
My lovely bride and I both brought a full complement of gear. Mask, fins, Apeks WTX harness, 3mm full suits, gloves, boots and hoods, empty Aqualung mesh boat bags, swim suits and empty weight belts, all neatly packed in our Akona dive bags. Roller Backpack - AKB144. Each bag was just shy of 45lbs when you add in a few extra goodies like fish books and small lights.

Plus one smaller roller suitcase each with clothes, save a dive kit and I used the Akona Pro Camera Bag - AKB988 for my video gear and lights. The regulators and computers were also carried on in the regulator bag that came with the AKB144. My wife carried a small backpack with her stuff, the laptop and her purse.


I would do it the same way again, no issue.

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

We always travel with our own gear. We purchased a dive bag which we regularly check and have had no problems....additionally since it is a designated "sport equipment" bag of scuba gear the weight limitations do not apply and you are not charged if it exceeds 50# as long as it contains nothing other than scuba gear.

 

[robint]

always always always carry-on your reg/computer setup and any other gear you can't dive without or is very expensive.

we always take our cameras and regs in carryon bags, along with a spare swimsuit and a mask.
check bags have the fins, BCs, booties, wetsuits, camera housings, etc. and a few clothes.

 

[nereas]

When I travel, these I the only items that I carry on:

Dive computer(s)
Lights, but not batteries
Land camera & film
Oxygen sensor kit

Everything else fits nicely into a hard suitcase.

To protect your mask(s), you can tuck these into the foot pockets of your fins. Then I wrap the fins with my wetsuit for further padding and put them into the suitcase.

 

[Diver Lori]

We always travel with our own gear. We purchased a dive bag which we regularly check and have had no problems....additionally since it is a designated "sport equipment" bag of scuba gear the weight limitations do not apply and you are not charged if it exceeds 50# as long as it contains nothing other than scuba gear.

Not all airlines have this policy, so be sure to check with the specific carrier you will be flying with. I have yet to fly one that does and I fly several times a year to dive.

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Yes some have no weight sport gear luggage, and since we fly first class we usually always have special perks like that.

But bottom line if they charge for more weight, its worth it If the bag is big enough, more than one bag is just a pain in the A$$, airport, car, bus, hotel room,.

Suggested Earlier reg, computer, mask, you can rent the rest till your bag shows up to be comfy.

Now I really agree with the other suggestion, Mask, rent the rest and let them deal with it, it feels like a real vacation now.

Happy Diving