SueMermaid
Guest
If you have a knife in your dive bag or attached to your BC, take it off and put it in your checked bags, for heaven's sake!
Airport security
- Thread starter scottish2
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diver_paula
Contributor
Dave,
The best advice I can give you is to get to the airport long before your scheduled flight. We already need to do that with the increased security checks but whenever I take SCUBA gear it seems to take even more time.
About 50% of my group would get pulled over each time we had to go thru a checkpoint. Some xray operators know what SCUBA gear looks like, others don't. I've gotten 'What's that spider looking thing?' or 'What's that valve with all the tubes coming out of it?' & Lead bags to protect film will get you pulled over for a more thorough search almost every time.
You can take any of your 'non-pointy' gear as mentioned by others. You just need to be prepared to get pulled aside and thoroughly searched. Patience is the key!
Have a great trip!
Paula
The best advice I can give you is to get to the airport long before your scheduled flight. We already need to do that with the increased security checks but whenever I take SCUBA gear it seems to take even more time.
About 50% of my group would get pulled over each time we had to go thru a checkpoint. Some xray operators know what SCUBA gear looks like, others don't. I've gotten 'What's that spider looking thing?' or 'What's that valve with all the tubes coming out of it?' & Lead bags to protect film will get you pulled over for a more thorough search almost every time.
You can take any of your 'non-pointy' gear as mentioned by others. You just need to be prepared to get pulled aside and thoroughly searched. Patience is the key!
Have a great trip!
Paula
Thanks for all the feedback.
Also on the Spare air question I did ask a friend of mine tonight who is a pilot with US Airways and he said basically the same thing DeepTechScuba said in the 4 or 5 post near top of thread. Though he did say it all depends on whose inspecting your gear as someone else pointed out here some inspectors know what gear looks like and others won't, but obviously a tank even spare air tank will get more questioned then other gear due to it being a container to hold air or other potentially hazardist materials it will be a little more trickier.
Also on the Spare air question I did ask a friend of mine tonight who is a pilot with US Airways and he said basically the same thing DeepTechScuba said in the 4 or 5 post near top of thread. Though he did say it all depends on whose inspecting your gear as someone else pointed out here some inspectors know what gear looks like and others won't, but obviously a tank even spare air tank will get more questioned then other gear due to it being a container to hold air or other potentially hazardist materials it will be a little more trickier.
My dive buddies and I have always carried on our regs and computers and never had any problems with the exception of having to open our bags for visual inspection on some occasions.
However, on one of our return flights we had not completely logged all our dives so decided to do it on the plane. So we each pull out just our computers. Just after we get started one of the flight attendants walked by and just about freaked out. We have the Cobra computers which I admit probably look a little strange to someone not familiar with scuba, especially when connected to what looks like a thick cable running into a bag on the floor. I don't know who jumped more her in a moment of panic or us trying to figure out what was going on. Anyway, we got her settled down once we showed her what we were doing. Unfortunately, she also got all the nearby passengers alarmed. We decided to put our stuff away for another time. In after thought probably not a wise idea.
Bill P.
However, on one of our return flights we had not completely logged all our dives so decided to do it on the plane. So we each pull out just our computers. Just after we get started one of the flight attendants walked by and just about freaked out. We have the Cobra computers which I admit probably look a little strange to someone not familiar with scuba, especially when connected to what looks like a thick cable running into a bag on the floor. I don't know who jumped more her in a moment of panic or us trying to figure out what was going on. Anyway, we got her settled down once we showed her what we were doing. Unfortunately, she also got all the nearby passengers alarmed. We decided to put our stuff away for another time. In after thought probably not a wise idea.
Bill P.
JHAM
Guest
I generally check every thing with the exception of the regulators and computer (they are all attached as one unit). The thought is that:
1) You are correct in that these shouldn't be trusted to the airline baggage handlers. they are too valuable.
2) Security is likely to have questions regarding these items. If they are in your carry on they can ask you when they search your bag.
1) You are correct in that these shouldn't be trusted to the airline baggage handlers. they are too valuable.
2) Security is likely to have questions regarding these items. If they are in your carry on they can ask you when they search your bag.
ianr33
Contributor
If I remember correctly it is 80 lbs on international flights
blackice
Contributor
While it may not have been a great idea ,,. .. it was funny reading it back .. I could imagine how it must have looked ... live and learn
My Case I got really lucky. I dabble breifly in the stock market and managed to pick one penny stock that I bought under a dollar and it went to $6 fairly fast then crashed and I managed to sneak out near it's peak which gave me some nice play money so I went out and bought myself a hoseless Oceanic Data Trans Computer. But have only had chance to use it once since buying. Not great diving in this area just a couple sites and one dive shop so....but with this trip to Hawaii I plan on having it with me to use.
RICHinNC
Contributor
I just went and came back from Barbados and maybe this will help.
I contacted US Air (and Delta because I fly them a lot too) and got in writing from both what their policy was regarding scuba gear. Both limit the items you can carry...either on board or in luggage and both have a fee. (which i think is totally unfair considering who they dont charge....hang gliders...golfers...)
Anyway, both indicate you can take a bottle, they dont specify regular or pony, but it should not have more than 41 psi. Well, you cant prove what the psi is...and....if TSA catches it, kiss it goodbye. So drain and plug it.
I also called TSA HQ and found out each airport has a TSA Customer Representative. I called the one at the airport I was departing from and he very much admitted he didnt have a clue about scuba gear but he would get back with me. And, he did!!
He had no problem with me carrying on my regs, computer and other smaller items. Yes, the knife goes in the check in and while both airlines and TSA written rules do not prevent you from carrying on a pony.....he said he would be much happier if I put my pony in my check in luggage.
Now that is a key phrase ...he would be much happier....because when I called TSA HQ....I found out that no matter what their web site says...or what the airline policy is....the last TSA person that inspects you makes up the final rules. I asked, you mean if the last guy I get got turned down by the wife/gf last night and he is upset and wants to take it out on me......he could stop me from taking my approved gear on board. After a short giggle, the TSA person said, YES!
What a way to run a company.
So, in carry on it is cameras, regs, signal devices, and computer. In bags....everything else. If I was in the market for a bcd right now .....the ability to put it in a back back would be a prime consideration.
OH....I have also found while not having a bag that screams scuba gear steal me.....is not a good idea........ wearing a t-shirt with some scuba thing on it at check in is a good idea. It helps the brain cells of the TSA rep when they look at the gear all confused but see a diver on your tshirt........YOU DIVE??? YEP.
I contacted US Air (and Delta because I fly them a lot too) and got in writing from both what their policy was regarding scuba gear. Both limit the items you can carry...either on board or in luggage and both have a fee. (which i think is totally unfair considering who they dont charge....hang gliders...golfers...)
Anyway, both indicate you can take a bottle, they dont specify regular or pony, but it should not have more than 41 psi. Well, you cant prove what the psi is...and....if TSA catches it, kiss it goodbye. So drain and plug it.
I also called TSA HQ and found out each airport has a TSA Customer Representative. I called the one at the airport I was departing from and he very much admitted he didnt have a clue about scuba gear but he would get back with me. And, he did!!
He had no problem with me carrying on my regs, computer and other smaller items. Yes, the knife goes in the check in and while both airlines and TSA written rules do not prevent you from carrying on a pony.....he said he would be much happier if I put my pony in my check in luggage.
Now that is a key phrase ...he would be much happier....because when I called TSA HQ....I found out that no matter what their web site says...or what the airline policy is....the last TSA person that inspects you makes up the final rules. I asked, you mean if the last guy I get got turned down by the wife/gf last night and he is upset and wants to take it out on me......he could stop me from taking my approved gear on board. After a short giggle, the TSA person said, YES!
What a way to run a company.
So, in carry on it is cameras, regs, signal devices, and computer. In bags....everything else. If I was in the market for a bcd right now .....the ability to put it in a back back would be a prime consideration.
OH....I have also found while not having a bag that screams scuba gear steal me.....is not a good idea........ wearing a t-shirt with some scuba thing on it at check in is a good idea. It helps the brain cells of the TSA rep when they look at the gear all confused but see a diver on your tshirt........YOU DIVE??? YEP.
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