Cancun Airport

[Kharon]

I saw this advice on a Cancun Airport tips tab on the isla-mujeres.net site:

"DO NOT BRING any firearms, knives, sharp objects or anything that can be considered a weapon. Lighters are banned from carry on baggage."

I always have one or two dive knives when I dive. Does this mean I can't put them in checked baggage - they are not allowed to be brought into Mexico?????

 

[BRT]

Who knows. They xray our bags coming in every year and we bring knives.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

I have carried a small dive knife and a small pocket knife 2-3 times a year through the Cancun airport without any issues. Keeping in mind, that it is Mexico, and what the rule was yesterday may not be the rule today, your results may differ. With the recent "upgrades" to ferry security including metal detectors, I'm not sure how it will work now. The knives are in a dedicated suitcase filled with 2 full sets of dive gear so I don't think there would be a question as to if they were dive knives.

Safe travels,
Jay

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

I brought 200 external catheters down for a cave diver buddy (for a drysuit). Pushed the button - got a red light. They wanted to see my suitcase and wanted an explanation as to what I was carrying. When I pointed to my di.k the guy put down the one he was holding and I was free to go. The look on his face was priceless.

 

[Chris H]

I flew in and out of Cancun in February. I had a knife in my checked bag.

 

[smorneau]

Well just got back from Mexico a few weeks ago. When flying into Cancun we noticed they have renovated the customs area from the previous year. It is all new with an enclosed glass area now. No more pushing the red light, they now straight up profile you. We got selected to have our bags searched. While going through them the customs agent pulls out my 8" dive knife, pulls it out of the sheath, looks at it and calls over the guy wearing the military fatigues and a machine gun.

They both proceeded to admire my knife with great affection. He put it back in the sheath and put it back in my luggage and said we were good to go.

For a moment I thought I was either going to jail or getting shot. They saw we had a bunch of dive gear and sent us on our way. I got the impression that they were more concerned with people smuggling in cigarettes than anything based on the questions being asked of us and the other people in the room who were also having their bags searched.

 

[rick00001967]

every time we fly i struggle with the question on the form you fill out asking if you have any "weapons". i used to check "yes". didn't want to be accused of try to bring in something i was not supposed to.
on one trip through cancun, they pulled me aside because i had checked off that i had a weapon. after i pulled my small dive knife out of my checked luggage (obviously i would never try to carry a knife in my carry on.....not on purpose anyway. thats another story haha) the fella who of course spoke no english, managed to explain to me that i made a mistake and they made me fill out another form stating i had no weapons. ever since then i check off "no" to the weapons question. haha

 

[JamesBon92007]

I've flown in and out of CUN many times but I always have my knife and nail clippers and tools in my checked bag. I had a lighter taken away from me in Liberia (Costa Rica) but I had it in my pocket. I've never had any issues with one in my carry-on. The only times it was apparent that my checked bag had been opened was in the USA.

On my last couple of trips they came up to us and asked if we were TSA Pre-Select (both in Cancun and Puerto Vallarta) and whisked us through just like we were in the TSA line in the USA. They only real difference was I had to take my laptop out. They didn't even put my backpack or carry-on aside and go through it and they always used to put one or the other aside. One time they checked my carry-on for "dangerous substances" which made me a little nervous because I bought the thing used at a thrift store.

 

[horn34]

Well just got back from Mexico a few weeks ago. When flying into Cancun we noticed they have renovated the customs area from the previous year. It is all new with an enclosed glass area now. No more pushing the red light, they now straight up profile you. We got selected to have our bags searched. While going through them the customs agent pulls out my 8" dive knife, pulls it out of the sheath, looks at it and calls over the guy wearing the military fatigues and a machine gun.

They both proceeded to admire my knife with great affection. He put it back in the sheath and put it back in my luggage and said we were good to go.

For a moment I thought I was either going to jail or getting shot. They saw we had a bunch of dive gear and sent us on our way. I got the impression that they were more concerned with people smuggling in cigarettes than anything based on the questions being asked of us and the other people in the room who were also having their bags searched.

Same experience 3 weeks ago. I was a single guy with the 3 large bags (dive equipment/clothes/supplies/gifts for family) and they pulled me over into customs right away. They saw my small blunt and large pointy dive knifes, didn't say a word though.