Carry On Full Set of Dive Gear

[carolrose]

I just did my first dive trip this past week, and my setup for carrying my gear was absolutely crap. I carried on my regs, camera, actually pretty much everything except my fins and bc. I hate checking luggage, so my goal is to figure out a way to carry on everything before my next trip which is in about 3 weeks. I'm flying on US Airways who have lost at least one bag on every trip I've taken with them, so I really don't want to give them a chance to keep up that stellar record again on this trip.

I was checking out the Stahlsac Cayman Brac carry on at Beneath the Sea last week (http://www.stahlsac.com/products/W419-B.shtml), and I'm thinking I could potentially fit everything in there besides fins, and I could carry those in my snorkel bag/backback as my personal item. I really like this bag, and the guys I met from the company were very helpful, so I'd be happy to buy from them. The other option I was considering is the Aeris Nomad bag which I also checked out at the show (http://www.diveaeris.com/p_bags_nomad.html). This bag claims that you can carry a full set of warm water dive gear in it, and I believe I probably could, and then use a backpack for my clothes etc.

Has anyone used either of these bags, or any other setup and managed to not have to check anything? I'm a really light packer aside from my dive stuff, so the other things are not an issue.

 

[bubba105]

I carry 2 sets of regs on the plane, for the bride and myself. She carries her DSLR w/ all the lenses in her camera carry-on. Oh yeah, and I carry a bathing suit, shorts and t-shirt for both of us, THAT'S IT. I'm at the point in my life where I'd rather pay someone else to schlep my stuff. Everybody who touches my stuff, while in sight of me, gets $5. We always bring 3 bags, gear, clothes and the bride's camera housing, which somehow makes the weight limit but is the most unweildy SOB ever. My only job is to get those suckers outside the house and hand out $5's. If they lose your stuff you rent, on them. They lost one bag, our clothes, Continental paid $125 a day, each, to buy clothes. I had to lay out and it took about a month but I had new diving related t-shirts and shorts with a dive flag on them, from Cozumel, my contribution to the orange shovel thread.
It's not that I can't lift the bags or that I'm lazy. I'm on vacation.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Tip: if you are flying USAirways, avoid Philadelphia at all costs. Apparently USAir managers thought they could lay off all the baggage handlers at their major hub and somehow the bags would magically get to the appropriate destination.

Apparently that did not work. Too bad USAir doesn't have a hub at Hogwarts

Jeff

 

[carolrose]

Charlotte is not much better. They lost my stuff on a direct flight between there and NY on my last trip, and managed to find it 3 days later but broken. I'd rather carry my own stuff, and if it breaks because I drop it or packed it carelessly, then I can accept that. I am not nearly as zen like about this stuff as you are Bubba105. I know I *could* rent gear if they lost it, but I'd be so aggravated about it that it would ruin my day if not my dives. I'd love to have your attitude, but I'm just not wired that way

 

[Teamcasa]

I'm with you Bubba. Carry on only the real expensive stuff. Tip for the heavy stuff.
Life is too short to lug bags on vacation!

Dave

 

[diversteve]

and I'm thinking I could potentially fit everything in there besides fins, and I could carry those in my snorkel bag/backback as my personal item.

Can you? I don't know, it just seems like fins would be too long to fit in the sizing box at the counter. Maybe it would be ok since they're pretty flat. And I've seen people carry-on tennis rackets before.

I have a roller the same size as the Stahlsac bag. If I put my BC in it, I'd have room for maybe a pair of shoes. Regs/computer always go in a sort of fold-out space you'd normally put good clothes in on the inside of the top cover. I think mine is a better idea since it doesn't have the divided pockets on the front but is just a big, open rectangular box with a small flat pocket on top for paperwork etc. It's a TravelPro, literally the one that you see a lot of flight attendents with.

Also mine has the 2" expansion, but if you do that it's almost impossible to get it into the overhead on some USAirways planes.

 

[EvaL]

I agree with the above posters - take your most important equipment for the reasons that you don't want to lose them or get them banged up in transit. In my opinion, the make of the carry-on is unimportant. The critical point is that it fits your airline carry-on size limits (carry-on dimensions may vary between carriers) and is functional for your use (this is subjective - I prefer carry-ons with wheels and are lightweight, others may prefer shoulder or backpack straps, hard cases etc). I use a $40 carry-on like the Stahlsac (but much cheaper) that fits most airline limits that I know of. It takes my regs, computer, BCD, mask and BCD, in addition to a set of clothes (T-shirt + shorts). But my fins are too long to fit in it, though. I also have a small backpack which takes my camera+housing+strobe and toilettries. I check-in my wetsuit, fins, snorkels and other less important stuff - I can live with it if they get lost. You might want to know airlines have a weight limit on carry-ons (it varies from 20-40 pounds) but these are seldom enforced except on the smallest inter-island flights.
Have a good trip and dive safely.

 

[bubba105]

I wouldn't quite call what I do "zen", just that we go away for at least 10 days, 7 seems too short. Between gear and clothes it has to be 2 bags. The bride's camera has more rights than I do, so that always comes. That's 3. As long as I have my own reg and computer, whatever they give me I can make work. I would probably buy a mask, on the airline and I could always use a new wet suit.
I have to admit, I never deal with the airlines. The Mrs. can be a PITA. She NEVER stops writing letters and Oh God, the phone calls. Sometimes I goad her on "you take that crap from them?".

 

[Garrobo]

I've gotten my carry-on down to my regs/prescription mask/computer/camera, some candy and a couple of sandwiches. I figure that I can sustain myself with the food items and I really don't want to lose my personal life support which I know works perfectly or breathe through what someone else has been breathing through a few hours before. I also now realize that about half of the stuff I have been lugging around I never need or use or that I can purchase most of the necessary stuff at my destination. So I am now down to a roller bag which will weigh around 40 pounds and a small bag. Maybe some day I will get over wanting to use my own BC/wetsuit/fins etc. and could get used to the same clothes for a week. (I actually know a guy who does this. Rents all dive gear and takes two sets of clothes. Wears one, washes one.) At that time I might be able to get it down to a carry-on. I'm working on it.

 

[cowdog77]

Gotta love that Zena....
comes apart at hips and shoulders. Goes into the rolling carryon along with fins (laid on edge against side). Then fill the center with 1 pair shorts, dive light, spare batteries, save-a-dive kit, mask wrapped in swimsuit, 3mm shorty, & low rise dive booties. Backpack carries small camera, regs & gauges, novel, meds, dive log blanks, extra mask and other personal (including chocolate, ear plugs, & an essential oil). Money, credit cards and passport go in tote around neck under long sleeved white shirt over t-shirt, wear the jeans, visor and sunglasses. I think the only reason this system works for me because I have small feet so fins are short enough to fit in carryon.

Traveling light like this has saved my trip on numerous occasions when I had to run for a rescheduled flight or fly standby. (Also, makes me first one out to the cabbies on the curb at my destination:>}