There have been many, many threads on this topic over the years. The consensus is that airline thieves are not after your scuba gear. They can't stuff your BCD in a pocket and walk away unobtrusively, and if they did, the amount of money they could possibly get on eBay or some other market is just not worth the risk. Electronics and jewelry are easy to steal and easy to unload. That's what thieves are targeting.
Hi BoulderJohn,
Great point.
We do a ton of research on lost, stolen and mishandled bags by the domestic air carriers. To date for '09, almost 750,000 bags have been reported as lost, stolen, pilfered or as misdirected by US air carriers.
Although dive gear specifically may not be targeted for theft, damage and misdirected luggage is a reality for all travelers and is especially problematic for divers.
We try to avoid the whole issue by taking our gear carryon. Also, rumor has it (per airline exec. with major carrier) that the airlines are going to be dropping the 50lb weight limit to 40lbs.
The reality is that if you don't have a carryon solution, you're going to be paying overweight checked bag fees or renting gear on vacation.
For more stats from the US Department of Transportation and a comprehensive bag review, check out the following web link: divecaddy.net/DiveCaddyInfo.pdf
Great thread, if anyone has any questions, cares or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Happy travels,
Chad
DiveCaddy
