Flying with dive equipment tomorrow. Any suggestions?

[lmorin]

If you are flying out of MacArthur Airport in Islip, be prepared to have your carry-on searched, especially if you put your regulator in it. We have traveled Southwest to FLL from Islip numerous times and about 50% of the time the TSA official at the scanner does not recognize regulators and a luggage search ensues. Inspectors at FLL, on the other hand, know what a regulator looks like.

 

[firemaneast]

If you are flying out of MacArthur Airport in Islip, be prepared to have your carry-on searched, especially if you put your regulator in it. We have traveled Southwest to FLL from Islip numerous times and about 50% of the time the TSA official at the scanner does not recognize regulators and a luggage search ensues. Inspectors at FLL, on the other hand, know what a regulator looks like.

Thanks for the info. From what I gathered going to check my regulator. I wrapped it with some left over shipping bubble wrap so hopefully I don't have to worry about a strip search from a frisky Tsa agent or it getting damaged. Thanks all for the responses!

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I check our regs in checked baggage, but each is in a padded "reg bag" ( zippered 12 inch square item) which is then placed in a piece of luggage designed for scuba gear, though it is soft sided. Your gear will be fine, but in the future lose the generic duffle bag for a designed gear carrier. It's worth the expense to protect you precious cargo. The only piece of gear I ALWAYS carry oin is two prescrip[tion dive masks, for obvious reasons. I can rent everything else if my bag is delayed, but I want to see when I dive.
DivemasterDennis

 

[nimoh]

the thing I don't like about "scuba luggage" is being able to identify luggage as containing several thousand dollars worth of gear. I don't put scuba related stickers on my truck for the same reason.

I use hard sided suitcases, and use clothing for padding, but my regs go carry on.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Computers, regs, Mask, BPW, and back up lights go in the carry on. Along with my 3 mil if I'm diving water warm enough for it. If going to the keys I ship some of my stuff a few days before and allow enough time for it to arrive. Most shops there will accept your gear if you are diving with them. Some though may charge a fee to do it. Most I heard was a whole dollar per bag. I strap my fins to the side of my carry on and can quickly remove them and shove em under the seat if need be depending on the size of the overhead. I try to avoid checking any gear whenever possible. Never check my regs, computer, or mask.

---------- Post added April 10th, 2013 at 05:39 PM ----------

Want to check something make it stuff that you can easily replace. Like your clothes. Use the hotel toiletries.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Always regs, mask, computer in carry on. Others may not mind having to rent regs if checked bags go astray, but I want to dive my own regs. As for TSA, and/or CDN equivalent, my carryon used to get opened and checked 70% of the time. Lately it is more like 20-30%.

I pack them lovingly and loosely coiled, first stage upright and as close to center as possible, then pack clothes around in protective way.

 

[muzikbiz22]

Thanks for the info. From what I gathered going to check my regulator. I wrapped it with some left over shipping bubble wrap so hopefully I don't have to worry about a strip search from a frisky Tsa agent or it getting damaged. Thanks all for the responses!

Skip the bubble wrap, and use your socks, undies and T-shirts.

 

[boulderjohn]

the thing I don't like about "scuba luggage" is being able to identify luggage as containing several thousand dollars worth of gear. I don't put scuba related stickers on my truck for the same reason.

I use hard sided suitcases, and use clothing for padding, but my regs go carry on.

We've had a lot of threads on this topic over the years. People whose job is airline security have said that thieves are not interested in your thousands of dollars in scuba equipment--too big and too hard to fence.They can only get a fraction of its actual worth. Theft of scuba equipment is extremely rare. They are looking for stuff that is easy to walk off with and easy to sell--especially jewelry.

 

[Hockeynut]

I'd carry the reg and computer on and resist the urge to say "It's a regulator you stupid f'ing idiot!"

 

[uncfnp]

We've had a lot of threads on this topic over the years. People whose job is airline security have said that thieves are not interested in your thousands of dollars in scuba equipment--too big and too hard to fence.They can only get a fraction of its actual worth. Theft of scuba equipment is extremely rare. They are looking for stuff that is easy to walk off with and easy to sell--especially jewelry.

The greater risk are bags that look like everybody else's.

We had a bag temporarily lost returning from Aruba because it was identical to another and some one pickup up our bag at the transition stage between check in and customs. Fortunately for us, they obviously went through custom thinking the bag was theirs so it was loaded on the plane and we got the bag at landing at Atlanta. But because their bag was not taken through customs by us for obvious reasons, I don't know if they ever got their bag. We did report the mistake while still at the airport in Aruba so hopefully they did.Moral of this store.

Moral of this story. Mark your bags with hot pink ribbons.