Get Serious! 44lbs!?! What do you travel with?

[LJinFLA]

Get serious, DAE airlines has a limit of 44 lbs of checked baggage from Curacao to Bonaire!

This is my first trip traveling with gear by air. Since I live in Florida I almost always drive to great diving, or take a cruise. i have not had to try to squeeze my gear into a plane. I did a lot of reading hear before I started to try to figure out what to take. Though there are not a lot of specifics, the best advice I got from here was to start by making two piles, one pile of the the "must have" things, and one pile of the "nice to have" things. i did this, and then split out the things that I will carr on in my travel vest and my backpack. I am still WAY overweight on the must have in the checked baggage. and I have not even gotten to clothing or toiletries!

Here is what I have:

Carry-on: (weight unknown)
Two sets of Regs(might only take one)
Sav-a-dive kit, parts, bulbs, light sticks, etc. (not even in normal box, in a bag to save 2lbs)
One Mask
Dive computer
Dive Alert
One small submersible dry box
Camera
Strobe (for Camera)
Lots of Batteries and a charger


Must have dive gear in Checked luggage: (36lbs not including any suitcase, clothes, or toiletries)
BC - SP Knighthawk XL (9lbs)
Fins
Sausage and finger spool
Knife
3/2 wetsuit
boots, gloves, hood
Snorkel
compass
Second Mask (I know, questionable)
two flashlights (no Batteries)
Strobe light/marker (no batteries)
Slate and fish ID cards, and Deco Tables
Two Plastic Hangers for gear
suntan lotion and bug stuff
Dive log

Now I need clothes, Toiletries, swim suits, and worst of all, the suitcase. I need to get one for this. My boat bag just won't cut it. I was going to get a Storm case since they seem as strong as the Pelican ones but are much lighter. Now I am thnking even the Storm is too heavy. The big Peilcan is 35lbs by itself. The same Storm case is 22lbs. The cheap Samsonite hard suitcase I am looking at as an alternative is 15 pounds. Maybe I should even go to a soft side case and save another 3 to 5 pounds but I am afraid of damage to the gear. Which one should I get?

I also thought about taking my laptop, and my video camera and housing instead of the still camera, but that would be even more weight!

Wow, how do you guys do it? Suggestions? What really is the weight of the gear you take. Am I going to really that far over what you really take with about 60 lbs of Gear, clothes, and suitaces? I don't think I have over done it here, and I haven't even touched my "nice to haves" like power steip/surge protector for charging batteries, a reel, Gatorade powder, Etc.

Help me out,

LJ

 

[Martha]

I've never flown DAE, but I do know that I'd be paying a lot of excess baggage fees if I did. I usually take the red-eye out of Houston and my husband and I use Samonsite hard cases. On our recent trip we had four checked bags (all around the 50 lb limit).

 

[Penopolypants]

Are you planning on doing penetration dives? If not, I would get rid of pretty much anything not essential such as:

The extra reg (bet you can rent one if yours conks out)
The extra mask
save-a-dive kit (most boats have o rings, etc. or you can pick up the save a dive stuff at any dive shop if you really need it)
parts (ditto)
light sticks (since I don't use them - also, you have the strobe of you need to be seen at night)
the dry box (nice, but not necessary to me)
gloves and hood (the water is pretty warm there)
the extra light
the reel
cut down the number of batteries, you're going to have a charger, right? Keep two sets, one to use, one for charging.
Fish ID cards....boats and resorts have books, plus you have your photos, you can always look them up when you get home.
The gear hangers are nice...but not really necessary.
Go with soft-sided luggage and wrap your gear in your clothes to protect it.
Skip the laptop (again, nice, but not necessary) - why worry about getting it stolen?

Have a good trip! I'm envious! Our water is in the mid-40's right now.

 

[reefdiva]

In addition to leaving out all of the above (btw gloves are not allowed in Bonaire)you can leave out the surge protector -- just do not leave your charger plugged in for long periods. Then look at your clothes and take only about half of what you think you might need. I would however include the Gatorade powder (transfer to a plastic bag)!

 

[undercbon]

LtinFL,
Leave the gear hangers. Where ever you stay will provide them. Cut the extra batteries by 75% allowing only enough to fill your gear once and a set of backups for your camera. Leave the gloves (illegal to wear here). Do bring the gatorade.


I gave up my Pelican cases when the 40-50 lbs limits came into play and bought a Samsonite F'Lite. It weighs in at around 9 pounds. It may be that changing your luggage will allow you to carry all the stuff you want to. It also does not advertise what you are bringing. Even with my camera/housing/strobes I am able to travel with one checked bag, rolling carry on and a back pack. My rolling carry on is very heavy though.....:14:

 

[herman]

If DAE is like most other airlines the 44lb limit is per bag with a per person bag limit of 2. Its a lot easier to get your stuff in 2 mid sized bags than one large one, they are easier to handle at the airport and if one gets lost maybe the other will not....don't why it happens but it does. We travel with soft side cases all the time. A little rough handling will not hurt your BC. Amazing how fast the weight builds isn't it?

 

[Damselfish]

If DAE is like most other airlines the 44lb limit is per bag with a per person bag limit of 2.

nope 44lb total.

 

[robint]

---just bring what you need and if you have to pay a surcharge don't sweat it. Sometimes you just have to do it. I would rather pay $25 or so for extra weight than to spend hours or days worrying about it. Call the airline and find out what they charge for overweight bags.


robint

 

[LJinFLA]

Are you planning on doing penetration dives? If not, I would get rid of pretty much anything not essential such as:

The extra reg (bet you can rent one if yours conks out)
The extra mask
save-a-dive kit (most boats have o rings, etc. or you can pick up the save a dive stuff at any dive shop if you really need it)
parts (ditto)
light sticks (since I don't use them - also, you have the strobe of you need to be seen at night)
the dry box (nice, but not necessary to me)
gloves and hood (the water is pretty warm there)
the extra light
the reel
cut down the number of batteries, you're going to have a charger, right? Keep two sets, one to use, one for charging.
Fish ID cards....boats and resorts have books, plus you have your photos, you can always look them up when you get home.
The gear hangers are nice...but not really necessary.
Go with soft-sided luggage and wrap your gear in your clothes to protect it.
Skip the laptop (again, nice, but not necessary) - why worry about getting it stolen?

Have a good trip! I'm envious! Our water is in the mid-40's right now.

Yes i was supposed to do the redeye out of houston but I booked at the last minute and couldn't get anything other than Miami to CUR and CUR to BON. After all, this is Memeorial day weekend. DAE limit is 1 Checked bag and 1 Carry on. the limit on the checked is 44lbs. it is $2 per Kilo over the limit. I am thinking it is better to take one big bag (60 lbs.) rather than two small bags to save the weight of the extra luggage.

As for the gear:
Extra regs (yes i think I can do without)
Extra Mask (safety thing, i would prefer to keep, but)
Light sticks and strobe (for marking exit points for night dives)
Dry Box (for taking keys, money, credit cards, and sunglasses under with me so I don't leave them in the truck)
Hood and Gloves (yes gloves are banned, Hood I can do without)
Finger spool for SMB (not taking reel)
Already at minimum for batteries (lights, Camera, Strobes).

So the stuff I can easily take out is fairly minimal in weight. What is the average weight of your travel gear? This is an open question to all SBers out there.

Also, has anyone had damage to gear using soft sided gear bags? or should this not be a worry?

 

[waynel]

Are you planning on doing penetration dives? If not, I would get rid of pretty much anything not essential such as:

The extra reg (bet you can rent one if yours conks out)
The extra mask
save-a-dive kit (most boats have o rings, etc. or you can pick up the save a dive stuff at any dive shop if you really need it)
parts (ditto)
light sticks (since I don't use them - also, you have the strobe of you need to be seen at night)
the dry box (nice, but not necessary to me)
gloves and hood (the water is pretty warm there)
the extra light
the reel
cut down the number of batteries, you're going to have a charger, right? Keep two sets, one to use, one for charging.
Fish ID cards....boats and resorts have books, plus you have your photos, you can always look them up when you get home.
The gear hangers are nice...but not really necessary.
Go with soft-sided luggage and wrap your gear in your clothes to protect it.
Skip the laptop (again, nice, but not necessary) - why worry about getting it stolen?

Have a good trip! I'm envious! Our water is in the mid-40's right now.

I agree with just about everything here. No need for hoods, gloves, gear hangers, etc. I would, however, bring a tank light and spare dive light (BC pocket size). Laptop, are you kidding me? I go diving to get away from my computer. A PC in paradise?? Do yourself a favor, disconnect from the net and reconnect with the real world. Forget it.

By the way, we flew Continental in Feb. to Cozumel and while regular luggage has a 50lb limit, they give you 52lbs for a dive bag.