Who uses dive gear bag?

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

I have been using a roller bag to lug my gear around through airports as well as road travels. It is starting to rip on me after a good 6 years of abuse and wheels are getting rusty. I was wondering if anyone would have suggestions about a gear bag. I know a lot of people use regular roller bags to transport dive gear but what has your experience been when it comes to taking them on the boat? Do the wheels collect rust with the water splashes?

I am looking to buy something that could go as a check in baggage on planes and would also be loadable directly on the boat. If you have had solid experiences with a dive bag please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Insta-Gator]

We put our mesh dive gear roller bag in a regular roller bag along with all our gear and little bit of clothing we might need. The mesh bag is very accommodating and it's probably best not to advertise the contents of you bag.

 

[CAPTAIN SINBAD]

We put our mesh dive gear roller bag in a regular roller bag along with all our gear and little bit of clothing we might need. The mesh bag is very accommodating and it's probably best not to advertise the contents of you bag.

Can they not see your dive gear through the mesh?

 

[Insta-Gator]

Can they not see your dive gear through the mesh?

During travel it is all in a standard travel rolling bag. Mesh bag is only used once we are at the dive location.

 

[Peter Guy]

After spending quite a bit of $ on a very high end piece of luggage and then having it "have issues" I've concluded that cheap wins! We use "roller duffels" from CostCo (or Walmart when one bag ripped during a trip) which seem to be good for 5 or 6 trips (roughly 44 pounds per bag per trip) at least. With a cost of under $40/bag, I guess we are spending around $8 a trip for luggage.

Things do get rusty, zippers do come apart, etc. but since they are cheap, after a couple of years I'd not averse to throwing them out.

Just checked the CostCo website and the one they now have is $50 but it has a hard, molded bottom and appears to be much sturdier than the older, and cheaper, ones. We have two and I'll be interested in seeing how they hold up.

 

[BluewaterSail]

I use standard luggage to travel through airports, mixing clothes, toiletries, etc along with the dive gear. I also pack a mesh wheeled dive bag, which I put the dive gear when I arrive at my destination. In addition, I bring along a couple of large plastic trash bags, in case some gear had to be packed to go home while still wet.

 

[fisheater]

I just throw a mesh Akona backpack in my generic (& cheap) checked luggage.

At the hotel, I transfer my dive gear into the mesh backpack and head off to the dive boat.

I really hate bringing anything onto a dive boat that I can't stow in a small place.

 

[agilis]

I use a SP mesh bag on dive boats. I recently found an unused new old stock bright blue Dacor mesh back pack. It fits everything I need on a boat, except the fins. How many Dacor items of any kind do you see these day? Traveling through airports all dive equipment is carry on luggage. I prefer looking at things over taking pictures so everything fits in my properly sized carry on, with a little spill over into my non-diving wife's hand luggage. I have always been reluctant to check through any dive equipment, and this preference has been reinforced by the occasional conversations I've had with TSA/ Homeland Security types.

 

[ChinatownBus]

Yes, I have recently purchased two such bags. These are free of getting rust at wheels, zips, any metallic parts when in contact with water. You can get good ideas by visiting the following websites:
VCI Bag Sheet Roll and Liners
Akona Roller Bags

 

[miked]

Regular luggage for the plane, roller mesh bag for the boat. The mesh bag does take room/add weight to the regular bag, but it's a trade-off that IMO is worth it.