canister lights on airplanes

[UP4AIR]

A piece of tape on the battery labeling it as such and separated from the canister. Then, if the maker of your light puts out a catalogue, open it to the page of your particular light, and fasten it to your light. This will serve to show anyone not familiar with the equipment that it is indeed a dive light and not a B...

 

[Brian Gilpin]

I recently took my Terkel light to Bonaire ... through security at Seattle, DFW, Miami, Curacao, Bonaire, Port-Au-Prince, and LAX (all the airports we visited round-trip).

I carried both it and my SEU's NiteRider in my backpack. The battery for the NiteRider is integrated into the canister ... you can't take it out. The battery for the Terkel light looks like three sticks of dynamite taped together with a couple of wires sticking out.

At every stop I had to watch while my backpack was searched. They run a little wiper pad over everything and check it for explosives, then they let you repack it and go on your way.

A minor inconvenience ... at worst.

FWIW - our checked bag containing our dive gear was searched by TSA in both directions.

So my recommendation is hand-carry the light. Make it easy to get to, and easy to repack. Keep a friendly demeanor. It'll work out just fine ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I had the same experience going to Mexico last week. On the way there they said I did the right thing carrying it on . On the way back however they insisted I check the reg bag I had the light in. They were concerned it could be used as a club. Next time I am going to take it completely apart and split the pieces among three bags. Nearly everything is being xrayed and the light drew attention every time. Although frustrating I like this randomity because it makes it hard for terrorists to figure out what to do also.

 

[IslandHopper]

keep in mind ... if the light uses a Lead-Acid battery, that cannot be shipped except as checked baggage, and it must be labled as hazarous materials.
Now, the security screeners don't necessarily know this (or care)... but the airline DOES... if they happen to notice it, they will definitely enforce that particular regulation.
(just something to consider, when determining the benefits of bringing your can light )

 

[Potapko]

Labeled as hazardous materials means exactly what? A piece of sticky tape? Or a 10 page document including the federal regs on it's handling and environmental impact statement

 

[grazie42]

I took a canister from europe (sweden) to the US (Fla) and back in my carry-on without problems in august this year...
I got stopped (both ways) because I was also carryin 3 regs, comp, bt and camera in the same bag (I can imagine what it looked like in an x-ray). But after opening the bag and letting them poke around (not more than a minutes worth of delay) they let me thru...You should have no problems...

 

[TX101]

I just came back from Egypt with my diverite 10w HID. The battery and can were in the checked baggage and the light head/cable/top of can were in carry-on. I didn't get pulled up once in either direction.

A friend was pulled up in Rome because the battery looks like a stick of dynamite (don't get many divers through Rome). I think he had to assemble everything and turn it on before they let him through. But he also insists on taking a 7L stage cylinder with him too...

 

[Spectre]

AirSpeed Press has some nice labels you can put on your NIMH or SLA batteries for transportation:

http://www.airspeedpress.com/batterylabel.html

Personally I've only had any sort of trouble once; But he finally backed off when I told him there wasn't a chance in hell I was just going to 'check it' without pulling my bags to pack it somewhere safely.

All other times I've never even got much more than a second glance... my camera housing gets them curious more [don't know what it looks like though]. I have a reg bag that I carry on my regs, my camera housing, and my can light. Since I know they always want to pull the regs out of the bag and pass them back through the x-ray machine; I go ahead and empty the bag into one of those plastic totes for them. They often say 'you don't need to empty it', to which I respond 'trust me, this'll save us all time'.

I always run the reg tote through last, so I'm already on the other side putting my shoes on and watching them. When they start looking concerned and calling other agents over, I giggle and say "It's dive gear."

I also keep my light manual in the reg bag, just in case.