Renting dive gear

[SparticleBrane]

My fiancee and I carried all of our dive gear for water water (kydex backplates, doubles wings, backup lights, HIDs [the Halcyon 13.5ah even!], doubles reg setups, mask/fins/snorkel, 2 wetsuits each, booties, miscellaneous gear, backup gear, etc] in our carry-on. We put everything else into our checked baggage.

We didn't go over the weight limits on anything, and we went to Truk for a week and then to Hawaii for a week. We also had enough room and weight left over to bring back souvenirs from each.



What are you carrying? Bricks? :11:

 

[bcleveland]

In the past we have carried on our regs and my camera and checked the rest.
I guess it comes down to the quality of rental gear and COST of renting gear vs $50x2 (round-trip) for an extra bag. Does it cost less than $100 to rent gear for a week?

 

[Damselfish]

I don't think you'll run into disastrous and dangerous rental gear very often at all. Regs that don't breath as well as you would like, BC that don't fit quite right and aren't as convenient as your own, will happen often enough and it's going to vary from place to place. Maybe at the same place. Checking with people who have been there is helpful but no guarantee.

But, I'm curious what airline(s) and how much luggage is going to result in 400-500 charges?

 

[DandyDon]

But, I'm curious what airline(s) and how much luggage is going to result in 400-500 charges?

If he packed 2 - 50-70# bags each, that'd be $200 each RT.

 

[trigfunctions]

we wore our BCs on the plane, with our soft ditchable weights....you can wear your BC just like anyone else wearing a vest or coat. And it stores right into the overhead with everything else.

That is a bizarre, brilliant idea! Didn't security do a double take when they went through the x-ray machines? And why bother to bring your own weights - most places down here rent you weights for free when you rent the tanks?

 

[Damselfish]

perhaps, but if someone is doing that they need to reevaluate their packing strategy!

 

[Hoomi]

My wife and I just got back from a little quick trip to Florida, we wore our BCs on the plane,

This could be fun, actually.

Other passenger: "What is that you're wearing?"

Diver: "This? Oh, this is a buoyancy compensator. You know; a flotation device."

Other passenger: "Okay, so why are you wearing it on the plane?"

Diver: "Oh, I'm a safety inspector for the airline, and there is NO WAY I'll trust MY LIFE to the cheap flotation devices they provide."

 

[DandyDon]

This could be fun, actually.

Other passenger: "What is that you're wearing?"

Diver: "This? Oh, this is a buoyancy compensator. You know; a flotation device."

Other passenger: "Okay, so why are you wearing it on the plane?"

Diver: "Oh, I'm a safety inspector for the airline, and there is NO WAY I'll trust MY LIFE to the cheap flotation devices they provide."

One of the Canadian airlines is discontinuing life vests. "In the event of a water landing, take your seat cushion with our complements."

But then when is the last time a life vest on a plane saved anyone? Before jets were introduced?

 

[GrandpaScuba]

... I calculated that it would cost us an Xtra 400-500 dollars in excess luggage charges to take our own. ...

What are you taking? A Mark V brass diving helmet?

I have a travel BC (Zeagle Scout), it and all the gear I need, minus tanks and weights, fit in a single carry-on sized bag or a larger bag with my clothes on top.

That includes: Apollo Biofins, 2 masks, Zeagle cutting tool kit, 1 4XC light, 1 8XAA light, snorkel, Zeagle Scout BC, slate, gloves, boots, safety sausage, Dive Alert, save-a-dive kit, Atomic reg with one "hosed" console w/computer and one hoseless AI computer and Sherwood Shadow+ Octo/inflater hose. Plus a small dry-bag and a mesh bag to carry on the boat.

I'm going to Hawaii next week and will be taking one checked bag with gear and clothes and one carry-on with computer and cameras. I will end up paying $15 because Hawaiian Airlines is one of the carriers that now charges for any checked luggage.

 

[MartianBeerPig]

I've never flown with my cold water kit; I imagine that might be a hassle. But the only time I've had to pay extra with my tropical kit was when I encountered an airline in Indonesia with a 10kg limit. The trick seems to be pack the absolute bare essentials.

Things seem to be easier in North America. Much more generous weight allowances. Most places I've travelled only allow max 20kg give or take.