Delta Airlines PDX to Bonaire Carry-on Luggage Question

[Marna]

I hope I'm posting in the right spot. Am still figuring out the ScubaBoard forums.
I am newly certified OW, very inexperienced, but excited to learn. Am going to Bonaire in two months to a dive resort, hoping to have a wonderful time, work on my skills, and see lots of cool stuff. My question is about carry-on luggage on Delta Airlines. They only allow 22" x 14" x 9" overall size. (If you have a spinner, this includes the wheels.) What suggestions do you all have for a carry-on? I'll only be carrying my regulator, dive computer, mask & snorkel, and a few odds and ends. Everything else will get checked.

 

[markmud]

Hi Marna,

I use a dry-bag backpack (waterproof/resistant) for my regulators (2), my dive computers (2), mask, my certs, passport, travel docs, and few other things. This backpack is then used as a dry bag while diving. Clothes glasses, towel, and etc stay dry in a wet environment while on the dive boat in this backpack. This bag meets the criterion for a personal item (one carry-on and one personal item). It fits under the airliner seat.

My carry-on is a Tumi roller bag. Tumi guarantees that it will fit in a standard overhead bin wheels-out. Airline reps have required me to place my carry-on in their test stand at the gate more than several times. It slides right in every-time. In the wheels-out attitude it has fit in almost a hundred overhead bins (100%).

When you are flying RJs, or Canadair regional jets, the carry-on is taken from you on the jet-way before you board. It is then given back on the jetway at your arrival. I keep important travel docs with my dry-bag backpack because I lose control of my carry-on in that situation.

cheers,
markm

 

[Marna]

Thanks Mark! Do you use any waterproof bag or anything to carry credit cards, etc., when you are actually diving? Was advised not to leave anything in the room, due to high theft volume, to take everything with me.

 

[markmud]

Thanks Mark! Do you use any waterproof bag or anything to carry credit cards, etc., when you are actually diving? Was advised not to leave anything in the room, due to high theft volume, to take everything with me.

The rooms we stay in usually have safes. We have not had a theft problem on any of our scuba vacations. We have dived all over for many years.

So no, we generally don't take wallets or credit cards on the dive boat. But we have, and had no theft problems. When we do take a wallet, we put it in our dry-bag backpack with our other stuff.

cheers,
m

 

[dmaziuk]

The only way my wife's aquapro fits in cabin luggage is if she wears it on the plane. Ditto for my cressi aras. Plus we bring sharpies anyway, so we only have computers and documents (still renting regs) in carry-ons, everything else's checked it. We brought one of those "realtor safe" locks last time to store truck keys and a couple of cards and bills when shore diving. Laptops, phones, and documents go into the safe back in the room.

 

[boat sju]

Was advised not to leave anything in the room, due to high theft volume, to take everything with me.

That's completely wrong advice for Bonaire. (There should be a room safe.)

Bonaire

S3 T1000 Watertight Case

 

[Marna]

Thanks everyone! We confirmed that the resort does provide room safes, so I can check that off my "Things to Worry About" list. Appreciate your advice.

 

[herman]

Don't know who is giving you the "don't leave anything in the room advise" but don't listen to them. All the rooms have safes and in the many trips I have been on- 30ish, I have never had an issue with items in the room of a resort, including small amounts of cash in plain sight just to see if it would "disappear", it never has. Beside, exactly what are you going to do with the items if you take them with you. What you DO NOT want to do is take things along on a dive that does not go in the water with you, things that matter anyway. I leave old shoes, cheap sun glasses and towels in the truck all the time with not problems at all.

 

[Marna]

Don't know who is giving you the "don't leave anything in the room advise" but don't listen to them. All the rooms have safes and in the many trips I have been on- 30ish, I have never had an issue with items in the room of a resort, including small amounts of cash in plain sight just to see if it would "disappear", it never has. Beside, exactly what are you going to do with the items if you take them with you. What DO NOT want to do is take things along on a dive that does not go in the water with you, things that matter anyway. I leave old shoes, cheap sun glasses and towels in the truck all the time with not problems at all.

Thanks Herman. That is good to know. Everyone else who has been there have also affirmed what you have said, so I feel like we're good to go now with no worries.