All dive gear as carry on? To/from Mexico?

[swimmR]

I'm traveling to Mexico (Baja California) and want to know if I can bring all my dive gear (reg, computer, etc.) as carry on and make it through security (both ways). If I wear my BCD as a vest, I can fit all the rest in my carry on. Anyone have any experience with this in the past year or two?

 

[Seya]

Yeah some people even carry on their rebreathers like a backpack

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

 

[ColoDale]

We have done it to Cozumel with just the basics and had no issues with secuirty on either end. We had BCDs in carry on well folded. But we did have issues with certain overhead bins in some planes. One side was smaller than the other with American's older planes - S-80 or MD-80 - can't remember but one of them. Not sure how security will react to metal parts on your person if you don't send BCD through x-ray. I haven't tried it wither way. Someone who has done that can say. Our carry ons were stuffed but still legal. Is yours max size?

 

[maj2]

I used have used my Dive Caddy backpack with no issue, as recently as late July of this year on a trip to Grenada.
TSA (flying from Detroit) had no issue in either direction.
Fit in the overhead bin quite nicely.

In my experience, most TSA agents recognize dive gear quickly and have no problem with it. Only once did I have a newbie that was confused by my reg set on the Xray. On that occasion, they opened the bag, saw the regs and closed it within a second or so. No significant delay.

Safe to say that wearing the BCD as a vest through TSA inspection will not work. They will ask for it to be removed and Xray-ed (like a jacket), but should be able to be donned again for boarding the plane.

 

[swimmR]

Yes, I should have clarified - I'm happy to remove the BCD and send it through X-ray, I just can't fit it inside the (legal carry-on sized) bag with the rest of the dive equipment.

 

[Shasta_man]

Please post a picture of you in your BC at the airport. I need a good laugh.

 

[swimmR]

Hah! Will do, ShastaMan. I may look silly, but I won't be shelling out $180 to rent dive gear on the liveaboard if my bag gets lost...

 

[KeithG]

just remember to leave your dive knife at home.

 

[swimmR]

Check. No knife. No eyebrow tweezers either, which Mexican security deemed a dangerous weapon for me. Yeah, I was planning to take the plane down with my tweezers.

 

[waterduck]

Check. No knife. No eyebrow tweezers either, which Mexican security deemed a dangerous weapon for me. Yeah, I was planning to take the plane down with my tweezers.

Doesn't surprise me. My cousin had to give up a P-38 can opener that I gave him that I carried with me for a whole year in Vietnam.He had it on his keychain.No sharp objects!