Tips for 44 lb luggage limit please!

[Diver Lori]

Hi!

I'm one month away from my trip to French Polynesia. We're doing Bora Bora, Rangiroa and Moorea for two weeks. We have a 44 pound limit on the island hops, with an 11 pound additional allowance with presentation of a c-card.

Any packing tips for me? I've already come to the conclusion I will be packing my Quattro fins instead of my beloved Jets, and I'm checking the dive shop for lighter booties than my DUI rockboots I normally wear with my wetsuit. And I'm sure I'll be sozzeling out some clothing during the two weeks as well.

How have the rest of you done it in the past? Any and all tips are appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[Scared Silly]

Get in line behind the person that weighs 50 lbs more than you and complain that they did not charge them for their extra body weight.

Pull the hoses from your first stage and put it in your pocket. Put all of you batteries in your pockets. Wear your dive computer and booties on board. Etc.

I have done each of these or similar in the past.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Get an aluminum plate, take clothes you don't want. When they get too nasty just toss em. It's a dive trip not a fashion show. Buy t shirts there and mail em home on the last day.If you're wearing rock boots buy a pair of converse all stars. Chuck Taylors you can wear any place. take a pair of crocs for surface time. Mine weigh next to nothing. How heavy of a suit are you taking? 3 mil should be fine and will save a little bit. I have a polar tech that is just as warm as a 3 mil and weighs half of what my three does. Plus it has no inherent buoyancy so less weight diving. The 11lb limit should cover an al plate and wing, regs,mask, fins, and light boots. What could possibly weigh the other 44. Certainly you're not taking that many clothes? ALso buy any shampoo, sunscreen, etc there and toss it before coming home. Get the smallest size you need. Do not take hair dryers, curling irons, more than 2 pairs of shoes including your dive boots, and other useless stuff. I have had a few years to teach my wife what to take and it is still too much most times. I need about 4 tshirts, 2 swim suits, 2 pairs of shorts, maybe 1 pair long pants, and 3 boxers if laundry is available for a week. 2 weeks might need a few more boxers. The other stuff can be washed or rinsed out. I take a few disposable razors and soap at the hotel is good enough to shave with. Toothbrush and toothpaste and I'm set. I've even gotten her to leave most of her makeup at home except for a small eyeshadow and one lipstick that is stupid since it gets washed off first time she eats anything. Sunscreen also can double for face cream. if she wants blush I just set her out in the sun and tell her to look up. Cheeks get nice and red! And don't use roller bags if you can help it. A simple canvass duffle like the akona bags are rugged, cheap, and hold alot of stuff. We take two carryons, mine has all my warm water gear and one duffle with clothes and my wet suit. Enough for a week and less than 40 lbs for both of us.

 

[Diver Lori]

I do already have the AL backplate.....good there. And yes, I'm taking the 3mm. As to duffle, I've got both the rolling and regular LLBean duffles and figured my trusty roller was staying home.

And yes, the undies can be sozzled, so true.

 

[lil' castaway]

Check to see if they count your "personal" item in the weight limit. On my trip to Saba last month, Winair also limited the amount - 44lbs with an additional 22lbs for dive gear. They did not weigh any personal items (computer bags, purses, backpacks, etc...). I used a back-pack as my personal item and had 10 more pounds. I just put my purse in the backpack.

You will be surprised how much a piece of luggage weighs. As JimLap stated, roller bags do weigh more. Duffle bags are the way to go. Use a smaller duffle bag as your carry-on. It will hold most of your dive gear. (Don't forget to take your dive knife off of your BC if it's going in the carry on - I almost did.) You can then use the small duffle as your gear bag when you get to your destination. I bought mine at Walmart for $10 - it even had a zippered side that expanded so my fins fit when it became my gear bag.

Wear your "heavy" clothes and shoes on the plane. I always bring a light jacket, jeans and sneakers so I wore them.

FYI - Be sure to carry on a set of clothes, any medication and dive gear you really wouldn't want to rent if it wasn't there. One of our group's luggage did not turn up for a couple of days and her gear was checked. She said never again.

 

[deborahdelamar]

There are lots of ways to lighten up your clothing -- cotton can be heavy. If you have nylon shorts or skirts, poly clothing that's not too hot, these items can be rinsed out in a sink for multiple wearings. Microfiber is a great travel fabric, too. Forget the leather shoes, which are likely to get wet or muddy -- & take flip flops, walking sandals or crocs that you can dress up or down. If you're taking a towel, use one of the camping types like PackTowl by Cascade Designs.

Another weight grabber is toiletries & tools. If you can skip makeup, don't take it -- or just take a tinted moisturizer. Unless you're certain that you can buy it there, transfer only enough shampoo, etc. to make it through the trip into plastic travel bottles (and double baggie them!) Don't take cream rinse -- there are concentrated conditioners like Paul Mitchell's The Conditioner (a turquoise blue gel) that only takes a drop to do it's thing. Take a versatile Swiss army knife as your kitchen & emergency tool. Add a few plastic clothespins and piece of string if you plan to do laundry.

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

I agree with everything above, but when my wife and I went to French Polynesia for our 20th anniversary we took a different approach. We took our usual gear, photo equipment, etc and just paid the overage. They will put all of your luggage (including carry-on) on the scale by the way so distributing things into your carrry-on isn't helpful. There is a discount for paying round trip (we made three legs) rather than paying for each leg separately. We probably had double the weight we were allowed and ended up paying something like $300. When you consider the cost of a dream vacation to Tahiti/Rangiroa/Moorea/Bora Bora, what's an additional $300? Just another approach.

 

[scubamickey]

Leave the shampoo and other liquid toiletries at home. If you really need them then buy some while over there. Check with the resort or liveaboard and you will probably find that they provide the basics.

We carry on both sets of regulators (which are large since we both have long hose setups), depth gauges, 2 canister lights, extra hoses, and the compasses. Hubby carries that bag in an an Armour double regulator bag. That frees me up to carry on clothes and/or the video camera. I'm still looking for the perfect carryon bag that will meet the restrictions but still fit enough t-shirts and shorts for 2 people for a week.

But, my gear bag alone is 44lbs with my AL backplate. Hubby has the SS one and his bag is usually around 50 since he also has the toolkit which can't be taken as carryon.

44 lb limit is tough. I would never leave my Jetfins home, though. I'd rather pay the overweight fee