How to travel with gear?

[uncfnp]

Absolutely, carry mask, regulator and computer set as carryon. If possible, include booties and wetsuit as well if you are as particular about using your own as I am. Like dvankirk, I can actually get my entire setup in carryon. I then check clothes, etc.

I use a soft duffle for carryon. I find it will conform very well to the odd shape of my gear. I put the booties and mask in the ends, fins along the sides, then lay the BCD in with the back down, wrap the regulator and computer inside the wetsuit and nest this in the BCD. I will but small items in the BCD pockets and leave the SMB clipped to the BCD. You can stuff an amazing amount into a soft duffle. The biggest limitation is long fins.

When I check my gear, I use a the rolling duffle from Costco, it has a structured base section and a soft upper section. Again, you can stuff tons of gear in, just watch the weight limit...

Edit...my rolling duffle sounds a lot like diversteve's

 

[mikeycanuk]

Reg case with regs, computer, lights - dropped in my backpack and carried onboard.

Soft duffel with exposure gear, BCD, fins, mask (in a hard case) and other assorted "stuff".

Absolutely no issues.

We bought a really nice cycling backpack from Mountain Co-op (around $100) that has a lot of support as the regs, comp, lights, ipad etc get heavy!! There are 3 of us so the rest goes in 2 Mares cruise roller bags - the WORKS -3mm suits, BCD, masks, fins, SMB +++. One suitcase for clothes, toiletries. Nothing lost, broken or left behind and we tend to do a puddle jumper to a smaller outer island (Cayman Brac, Grand Turk etc)

 

[greenliger]

Just thought I'd add, also check the airline rules for carry-ons. United allows one bag to be put in overhead AND a backpack/messenger/purse ect... that you keep with you or under your seat. Shhhh it's a secret. If you free up some room in your main carry-on of all the small items you might end up being able to put a bigger item in. +1 Dive Caddy a bit pricey but so worth it.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Debbie and I have carted our our gear around the planet on over 30 trips, and none has ever been damaged. I carry on my detachable console and a prescription mask. Everything else is checked. Regs go in a reg bag before the Akona gear bag we each have. We use the standard travel bag, one for each of us, and we pack clothes in to give extra padding and protection. Invest in a portable luggage scale, so you can balance things among you bags to avoid overweight charges.

 

[Gill]

I just got back from Playa Del Carmen (dove in the cenotes) and Cozumel this past Sunday.

I won't repeat what most have posted already. So I'll comment on the ferry...

For the ferry (on the Ultramar Ferry at least), they will not allow bags w/dive gear in the baggage room. If your bag looks like a suitcase then you can pass it as luggage for the crew to handle, but I already had two duffles: one for dive gear (regular rolling duffle, not a dive specific one) and one carry-on duffle. So they knew I had dive gear. The crew will also not handle bags with dive gear in it, I guess for fear of damaging your gear. Bags w/dive gear sit on the outside rear of the ferry so you will have to shuttle your own bag onto the ferry and place in the rear of the ferry and claim the bag before you walk off the boat. Regular passengers check-in their luggage and the crew handles the loading and unloading process.

 

[islanddream]

I agree with what most of the divers have already stated. I always think....what would I NOT want to rent if my gear was damaged or lost? My list is my two dive computers, mask, reg, C-cards, and camera so those go into a small carry on that I use as my "personal" item (like a big purse) that I can put under the seat in front of me. I also take a small duffel carry on that goes in the overhead compartment that has some of my clothing, prescription meds, my tablet, and all the chargers that I seem to need when I travel. I have a dive suitcase that has no dive emblems/markings on it that I put my BC, fins (side compartments that zip), two wet suits, cosmetic bag, knife, scissors, dive boots, boat coat, hood, running shoes,etc. We go to Coz frequently, and I've learned to not take too much clothing. It's so casual there, shorts and t-shirts are good for almost everyplace you go. No need to over pack on the clothing.

 

[maniago]

-1 on the DiveCaddy. I tried my life to buy one but you can't right now. The Gen2 model is out of stock and the Gen3 model isn't out until Xmas, so says the company owner. He offered me his Gen3 prototypes a few days ago, but I declined. That said, its as every one else has mentioned for packing - things you can't buy a replacement on a trip go in a carry on. Everything else in a checked roller suitcase. Fins, what a bother. If you have splits, youre GTG. My a-bit-longer-fins will wind up with a little bend in them. A little hair dryer action ought to straighten them out tho....

 

[Matt S.]

I'm with most other people... Rx mask, computer, regs in my carryon. BP/W, fins, wetsuit, boots, tools in checked luggage.

In addition I travel a light. It is a cheap Chinese dive light, not my good light, but it's OK for vacation diving. Because the light is a heavy metal club-like instrument I always worry that some checkpoint blueshirt will decide that it can't go in the cabin. So, I check the light too. Extra batteries are in my carry-on, in a case, per the rules (no loose rechargeables in checked bags).

My checked bag is a hard-sided suitcase with wheels on the bottom. My carry-on is a standard roller bag. I have enough room for everything without trouble, but adding a camera to the mix will be trouble. I simply won't have room to carry on regs, computer, mask, and the camera and strobe.

 

[TSandM]

First off, we pay luggage fees if we have to. It's a small part of the cost of a trip.

We use rolling duffles from Costco. They last a couple of years, and then we replace them. Everything goes in the duffle except computers, light heads, and camera equipment. We've got it down to where, for a warm weather/water trip with minimal clothing requirements, we can get everything into a checked bag each, a carry-on and a backpack. I've never put my mask (which has bifocals) into the carry-on -- I just stuff the mask into my fins, which seems to protect it very well. (Takes a fair amount to squish a Jet fin.)

Cave diving trips are a different story, because there is SO much more gear to take. That ends up with two bags each, plus carry-on and backpack.

So far, in eight years, we've had nothing damaged or lost. I guess we've been lucky.

 

[Tigerman]

Didnt your masks come with a hardcase? I just stick mine in the one mine came in and into the checked luggage it goes. Its actually kinda hard to bust up a mask in the first place though, my spare always ride along in the bcd pocket and never had an issue with it being broken - it is and always was a crap mask, but the fact that its pretty unprotected in the luggage havent made any difference in either way...