Question Gear Travel Bag Option

[ScubaJoy65]

Both of our scuba travel bags that we've flown with many times are officially worn out.

While buying new travel bags is an option, we are also exploring alternatives.

We both own sturdy ScubaPro roller mesh bags and love them.

Instead of buying new scuba travel bags, would it work for us to put our gear inside a canvas bag and put that inside the mesh bag with a lock on it?

Thoughts?

 

[Kendall Raine]

Personally I am not worried about checked bags getting lost, it is not the problem some people seem to think. Perhaps it was in the past.

The issue is delayed, not so much lost. This happened to me last December in Chuuk. Two thirds of divers on our flight had luggage delayed for days. Four in my case. Same thing in Bonaire some years back. Infrequent flights, short runways and remote islands create weight issues for airlines increasing the chances of bags getting bumped/delayed for days. This is on top of much publicized post-Covid ground ops problems. As such I try to carry all essential dive gear in carry-on outbound with clothes and non-essentials getting checked. On the return I don't care.

 

[BoltSnap]

Flying Cathay Business a few years ago out of Jakarta (of all places?!) I had to pull items out of carry-on and put in checked because of carry-on weight limits.

In business class? Cheap bastardz. I never had issues when traveling business in terms of weight for carry-on even with the very frugal Swiss and Lufthansa.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Spirit and Frontier will also make sure you conform if you go with them anywhere.

The info on Volaris and Viva Aerobus is appreciated, but I have used Spirit several times and never had my carry-on weighed.

 

[MRadke]

I pack all of my dive gear except for my knife, dive bouy and a pair of one pound trim weights in a Dive Caddy carry on. I even fit my wetsuit, boots, trunks and mesh bag. It fits in the overhead bin better than most roller bag style carry ons. As previously stated, it's comforting to know that you will have all of the diving essentials when you arrive at your destination.

 

[Kendall Raine]

In business class? Cheap bastardz. I never had issues when traveling business in terms of weight for carry-on even with the very frugal Swiss and Lufthansa.

Right?! On a 777, not a turboprop. Just goes to show just when you thought you'd seen every example of airline nincompoopery along comes a new one. I could maybe see getting gigged in Hong Kong (under the gaze of Big Brother), but Jakarta? Probably just got a puppy fresh from airline school.

 

[Damselfish]

The issue is delayed, not so much lost. This happened to me last December in Chuuk. Two thirds of divers on our flight had luggage delayed for days. Four in my case. Same thing in Bonaire some years back. Infrequent flights, short runways and remote islands create weight issues for airlines increasing the chances of bags getting bumped/delayed for days. This is on top of much publicized post-Covid ground ops problems. As such I try to carry all essential dive gear in carry-on outbound with clothes and non-essentials getting checked. On the return I don't care.

Delay is certainly more likely than loss. I think one is more likely to be sensitive to the possibility if you've had some bad luck. After 30+ years of dive travel we've had stuff delayed twice ever. Once was on the way home from Curacao so no biggie. Once was in Barbados on the way to St Vincent when the airport was a construction mess, delay was less than a day. Never a problem on Indo-Pacific trips.

It's a drag if it happens, but I consider little "essential" for rec diving. I do have mask and computer in carry on and probably a lycra skin. Sometimes reg, depending. I can rent a BC and whatever big stuff I checked. Of course I prefer my own stuff but I can dive in anything. I actually care more about having my bathing suits and some of my clothes and other stuff I carry on. (Maybe it's a girl thing.) I also enjoyed all those travels more, or at least hated them less, by being less burdened along the way.

 

[Kendall Raine]

I actually care more about having my bathing suits and some of my clothes and other stuff I carry on. (Maybe it's a girl thing.) I also enjoyed all those travels more, or at least hated them less, by being less burdened along the way.

LOL. Fair point on the rental gear. I'm pretty obsessive about having my own stuff (deep seated childhood trauma?) so delayed gear takes on boogeyman proportions, I'll admit. That said, I dive in some pretty remote locations, SM, caves, and wrecks where rental gear is often iffy and specialized gear simply not available. Clothing, on the other hand, is semi-optional.