Hard Weights in Checked Bags?

[atagirl]

I have not been able to find any information on traveling with weights in checked luggage. Has anyone done this? I have read about people being allowed to take soft weights in carry ons. What about hard weights in luggage?
I am not using my full luggage allowance and only need one of two bags, but I am thinking of checking a bag with about 25lbs of weights. Will this be allowed? Flights are on United and include Hawaii, Saipan, Micronesia with one leg on Hawaiian airlines.
The two of us are looking at about 15 days of shore dives over the trip. With weight rentals up to $1 a pound per day this adds a lot to the cost of a shore dive!

 

[pjhansman]

Not sure where you've checked, but I've never paid for weights when renting tanks in Maui.

 

[BRT]

We have checked weights into Mexico. Nobody ever said anything.

 

[atagirl]

Not sure where you've checked, but I've never paid for weights when renting tanks in Maui.

If someone knows of a place that rents weights for free with tanks near Kona that would be great (also need in Saipan). We checked a few places in Kona. Jack's Dive Locker seems to be the cheapest at $8 per person per day with up to 25lbs per person for 24 hour tank rental.

 

[tursiops]

With weight rentals up to $1 a pound per day

Where are you finding this price? That is outrageous.
There is no problem traveling with your weights in checked luggage, if you want, but for sure TSA will be opening your bags to see what those pieces of solid metal are. In carry-on, they are nice weapons....

 

[atagirl]

Where are you finding this price? That is outrageous.
There is no problem traveling with your weights in checked luggage, if you want, but for sure TSA will be opening your bags to see what those pieces of solid metal are. In carry-on, they are nice weapons....

It seems the $1 a pound was from a blog I was reading so that information could either be old or inaccurate, sorry. The dive shops I have actually sourced quotes from all say $10 per diver per 24 hours for weights. As I will need 12 lbs for shore diving that isn't too far off of $1 per pound. One place if you get tanks from them for 5 days only charges $8 per 24 hours per diver for weights. This is in the Kona area. 15 days of shore diving would be $240-$300 for the two of us in weight rentals. Versus no $ for checking them then throwing them in the car with all the other gear. I was wondering if anyone had their luggage held at their departure airport because of the weights or not allowed on at other airports. In Palm Beach area I was shore diving and needed an extra 2lbs and looked into renting from the place I was renting the tanks. They wanted $5 (didn't matter that it was only 2lbs). I just bought the weights there.

 

[peterak]

While we have not packed dive weights on flights to Hawaii, we have brought all manner of other heavy things such as boxes of tiles, heavy tools, heavy stones (don't ask), etc., all without problem. So while I don't have a definitive answer, I very much doubt ~25 pounds of dive weights would be a problem.

It just so happens I've recently bought weights from Jack's. Cost was something like $4.80 per pound. For less than rental costs (and ~$8/day sounds about right for Hawaii) you could buy and then either give the weights away at the end off your trip or try to send them home in checked luggage.

Enjoy your diving in Kona, and make sure to do the manta night dive!

 

[JamesBon92007]

This reminds me, I need to call Alaska Airlines and ask them about this very thing. The cheapest I've found is $6/day (Nautilus Dive, Hilo, Big Island) and for two people for 14 days that's $168. If I can put them in my checked bag then it seems like it would be worth it, or at least bring enough for one diver and rent one belt. Alaska says I can bring one "set" of scuba gear which includes a tank, one speargun, one regulator, etc, but says nothing about weight belts. Well, since I'm not bringing a tank I expect the weights will be allowed.

Having said that, when I flew to Hawai'i in 2011 it was my first time flying and I put half of my hard weights in my carry-on and half in my checked bag. I didn't know it was not normal to be in the little booth with my hands up. They didn't like my weights because their x-ray machine could not see through them. I made it through security but it was a bit of a hassle. Now I'm TSA Pre-Select but I don't know if that will help with this situation.

Also, it's $10/day to rent a Dive Flag/Float so I bought one and made it fit into my checked bag.

 

[tursiops]

OP, if you already own the weights, and have spare weight-allowance for your checked bags, just take them. There is NO problem in doing this. Quit worrying about it!
If you don't own the weights yet, just buy them there and bring them home, or sell them back for their rental line.

 

[hammet]

every time I pack weight pouches in my checked bags I get a note in my bag that it was searched. Every. time.

I always get pulled for the full bag search when pitting it in carry on.