Traveling with Equipment!

[scubadada]

I fly with all my gear several times per year. I check everything but my regulator and computers in a lightweight piece of regular, nondescript luggage, currently from Travelpro and weighing less than 10 pounds. I put extra shoes, jackets, toiletries, etc in the same bag and generally end up with low 40s pounds. Coming back with damp stuff easily comes in at less than 50 pounds. This bag has been searched by TSA a few times but generally gets locked back up without any problem.

I pack my regs and computers in a carry on bag. Occasionally this bag gets hand searched and/or swabbed for explosives but generally it just goes through xray without a problem. I fly out of Philadelphia and generally visit reasonably common dive destionations. Seems like more and more of the TSA employees and/or their supervisors are familiar with dive equipment.

We often travel as a dive family of 4 and have had very few problems.

Good diving, Craig

 

[apertyx]

Other the other hand, I usually check everything in my scuba travel bag except for my wrist computer, and have never had a problem..... but maybe I've just been lucky!!!!

 

[Doc]

Carry on every bit of your dive gear lest one of those airline baggage handling scallawags steal it and hock it for top dollar on eBay. They much prefer SCUBA gear for theft because it is so light, easily concealable on their persons, and retains excellent resale value in the used market.

If you carry it on the plane, you might have to deal with the dimwitted TSA, but if you check out ScubaBoard you'll see lots of stories about how dumb they are and can be fooled easily.

Carry it on in a Pelican case because regulators are very delicate and are life support gear.

Other the other hand,

....there are five fingers.

I usually check everything in my scuba travel bag except for my wrist computer, and have never had a problem..... but maybe I've just been lucky!!!!

I may have to try that. Maybe it will relieve some of my wife's backaches and strain.

 

[RJP]

Carry it on in a Pelican case because regulators are very delicate and are life support gear.

I'm confused...I thought regs were only "life-support" if you paid MSRP from an authorized dealer?

:shocked2:

 

[DandyDon]

...a titanium dive knive, a z-knife, and a pair of trauma shears in my carry-on. No one in the Cairo airport even noticed, though the bag was x-ray'd and hand searched. (They were so busy with my can light.)

Don't try that...!

Check closely on your airline's site for what that one allows, including for carry-on which is usually a roll-on bag and a personal bag. I bought the largest roll-on that would fit my airline's limits and put as much as I can in there: both regs, both computers, both masks, strobe & housing, and anything else I can get away with - but not cameras! In some cases the roll-on is gate checked and handled much like other checked luggage but you get it back sooner, and broken cameras are your loss there - seen it happen. My cameras, laptop, essentials go in my back pack which never leaves my body other than security inspection with me watching closely.

Oh, I have flown in and out of Montreal with regs in the roll-on once a few years ago.

Also check, but some airlines do not accept responsibility for broken or lost scuba gear, and international flights have lower luggage liabilities anyway. If you don't have trip insurance or other coverage, it's a consideration; I always do trip insurance along with at least the middle DAN dive insurance.

Batteries are a consideration. They don't like them loose where they could be hitting each other. TSA has more info on that. And you might find this thread helpful: How do you weigh your bags for the flights home?

Have a great trip. ilot:

 

[carehughes]

Thank you for all the suggestions! I will definitely bring my reg, computer, mask and whatever else I can fit in my carry-on with me on the plane. Great to hear!

 

[rcohn]

Just for fun I'm reprinting a post I made in Dec 2000 (pre 9/11) on a dfferent board.

TSA regulation specify that regulators are ok to carry on and I've never had a problem since that time.

Ralph

United Airlines considers scuba regulators Dangerous Weapons

I just wanted warn other travelers by reporting my experience when flying United Airlines out of Boston's Logan Airport. On November 23 (Thanksgiving Day) we flew out of Boston on the first leg of the trip to Fiji. As we always do on a diving trip, both my wife and I packed our masks, computers, and regulators in our carryon bags. I was stopped at the x-ray machine and asked to open my bag, they had seen a large object of some sort. I opened the bag and showed them the 1st stage of the regulator which they then had me remove from that bag, which required unpacking most of the carefully packed items to free the coiled hoses. I was informed that it was too large to be in a carryon bag and I would have to check it. When I protested, they told me that United Airlines was the actual judge of what was acceptable.

One of the security personnel escorted me back to the United Airlines Desk where I spoke to the woman in charge. She informed me that such an item must be checked. When I asked why, she told me it was because it is a large piece of metal on the end of a long hose and I could swing it in the air and hit someone! They threw it in a box, only adding a plastic bag for packing material when I protested, and it was checked through to my first stop in LA.

I have never heard anything so ridiculous. I'd like to see the day a plane is hijacked by terrorists carrying concealed scuba regulators. I assume the real reason behind this "logic" is to protect the flight crews from the air travel rage that results from the cattle car conditions. Also, note that my wife had a nearly identical regulator in her bag and security took no notice. It makes you wonder what could be easily sneaked onboard.

Anyway, in LA I retrieved the regulator, returned it to my bag, and proceeded through the rest of the trip without problems. When going through the x-ray in LA the operator remarked to my wife, "Oh, scuba gear."

Perhaps another airline would be better choice than United. Dive travelers should be prepared to remove and check their "dangerous" regulators.

Ralph

 

[scubafanatic]

....usually my carry on regs just go through the X-ray scanner without any comment/problems.....a few times they've opened my carry-on and done a hand search of the reg bag......and a couple of times they're pulled it aside and done an explosive's 'swab' test on my regs.......but I've never been told I had to 'check' my regs.

...also, it is quite possible to have a very sizable investment in one's regs/computers....I always bring 2 complete regs sets with computers.....and if I bring a pair of my top-of-the-line reg/computer sets, their combined replacement value is on the order of $ 10,000 U.S......and I'm not kidding!

 

[RJP]

if I bring a pair of my top-of-the-line reg/computer sets, their combined replacement value is on the order of $ 10,000 U.S......and I'm not kidding!

Congratulations - your parents must be very proud.



Would you care to share what brand and model of "top-of-the-line reg/computer sets" add up to $10,000?

 

[Martini]

I just got back from a recent liveaboard trip to Socorro. Great trip will post video soon. I travelled with my complete rebreather and regs for bailout in my carry on. I was stopped once and swabbed after that no problems after that. And RJP that was well more than 10K .