travelling with dive lights

[Matt S.]

My dive light looks like a jagged metal club. I always check it because the day I don't, some guy at the X-ray will say it can't go on because it looks like a weapon.

OP's note about dive lights specifically needing to go in carry-on bags is new to me. I wonder if they added this since I last scoured the rules online, which was a year ago. Last I saw, the rules say that you can check gear with lithium ion batteries installed, but you can't check loose batteries.

 

[DandyDon]

My dive light looks like a jagged metal club. I always check it because the day I don't, some guy at the X-ray will say it can't go on because it looks like a weapon.

OP's note about dive lights specifically needing to go in carry-on bags is new to me. I wonder if they added this since I last scoured the rules online, which was a year ago. Last I saw, the rules say that you can check gear with lithium ion batteries installed, but you can't check loose batteries.

I think that's right, the problematic word being loose. Packed securely in checked bags is legal.

Of course, it all varies with whoever is inspecting and where. Other countries' security systems agree to meet TSA standards, but not TSA rules. Batteries in carry-on bags are often lost.

Even in the US with TSA, it'll still vary with the agents. Some of that is designed to be flexible enough to prevent terrorists from working within rules, some of it is quality of work, some of it is difficulty in writing rules for all possibilities, and of course - some of it is the TSA being unable to guarantee anything with their people, even that they won't steal. Power corrupts.

 

[diversteve]

Actually it's not.

As of January 1, 2008, the Department of Transportation (DOT) through the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) no longer allows loose lithium batteries in checked baggage.

Loose in this case is taken to mean as not installed in a device. Installed in a device is acceptable according to this chart. Safe Travel as long as the battery contains less than 2grams of Lithium.

Do you really want to take a chance on a plane you're flying on?

Although given Boeing's record lately, I doubt it much matters...

 

[divad]

Just pull the batteries. If they're Li-Ion they can't go in checked luggage anyway. Safe Travel

That site indicates that batteries must be "installed in device", and that spare, ie, loose batteries are "forbidden."

 

[graham_s]

My dive lights run on AA or C cells, I just buy fresh ones wherever I land.

 

[Sunny2012]

I always place my dive lights without batteries installed in my checked dive bag in a separate plastic bag. This due to Cayman TSA stopping me once years ago when batteries were installed... Never a problem since.

 

[DandyDon]

My dive lights run on AA or C cells, I just buy fresh ones wherever I land.

That's a viable solution if you always go places that sell them. My dive computers use button cells tho, and I like to take a spare - so it gets safely packed, in checked even tho it wouldn't take much room in carry-on. The there's the 9v for my 2 analyzers, and I take a spare - safely packed in checked. My dive camera uses its own brand, so there's another spare & charger, checked probably. My strobe & land camera use AAs and go thru so many of those with alkalines that I prefer NiMH & charger - lots of AAs, so safely packed & checked. I know from experience that if I take very many in carry-on, that in itself will slow me down at security screening, and returning from other countries - I do want to bring those back, and agents often take those from carry-on. This, that, and the other - it varies and depends...

I just use C lights, so there's a dozen more - and I just don't like buying them at gift shop prices, so safely packed & checked going. Returning, I may donate those as I don't have special packing cases for used ones, and giving them up saves me a pound of luggage on check-in.

I always place my dive lights without batteries installed in my checked dive bag in a separate plastic bag. This due to Cayman TSA stopping me once years ago when batteries were installed... Never a problem since.

Years ago we saw dive lights confiscated in Mexico from divers who left batteries inside their lights, in checked. :crying2:

 

[Hawkwood]

I always put a piece of cardboard on top of the batteries when in transit. The light cannot accidentally come on. I have always put the lights in my checked baggage and have yet to have been asked to remove the batteries in all my travels. It might eventually happen.

Depending on where I have travelled to, the batteries often stay with the dive folks after I am done.

 

[diversteve]

That site indicates that batteries must be "installed in device", and that spare, ie, loose batteries are "forbidden."

Both device and batteries loose in your carry-on is permitted.

 

[nimoh]

The OP was in regards FAA restrictions, not TSA although TSA provides a link to the FAA restrictions on there website,

I only thought this was interesting, it is pretty rare to run into a TSA officer that is familiar with all of the TSA guidelines, let alone familiar with FAA ones