Catalina Express Checking Weight of Luggage

[SoBay Jim]

The 50# rule is still in effect, but they did change a couple of other things for us. They increased the maximum size allowed, which should work for our larger boxes. They relaxed the "one trip down the ramp" rule and will allow multiple trips, be sure to tell them at check in. And, we are allowed a total of three bags, not including tanks, weights or dollies (though, having never personally packed that much gear, I'm not sure that's actually a change).

I asked why, if we load our own luggage on the catamaran hulled boats, why worry about the weight per bag. The response was that for scheduling purposes they can't guarantee the same boat on the return trip and it may be a mono-hull. In that case the crew would be handling the gear below decks, hence the need for the standardized 50# limit both directions.

I thought it was a reasonable compromise. See this link for the details.

 

[Leejnd]

I meant to post this earlier, but forgot...just FYI. I rode the Catalina Express out of Long Beach to Avalon last Saturday (6/4). I recently had back surgery, so I needed help with my luggage. A friend carried on my tank (THANK YOU AGAIN DENNIS!!! ) but he also had his own gear so I had to deal with my soft Akona dive bag, which was definitely more than 50 lbs. I knew I was going to have trouble both going up and going down the ramps. My gear wasn't weighed, and a couple times I asked a crew member for help (explaining that I'm temporarily disabled from surgery). They quickly jumped up to help, no questions asked.

Both trips were on the catamarans, don't know if things would have been different on a mono-hull...but I just wanted to pass on my experience.

 

[Hatul]

I meant to post this earlier, but forgot...just FYI. I rode the Catalina Express out of Long Beach to Avalon last Saturday (6/4). I recently had back surgery, so I needed help with my luggage. A friend carried on my tank (THANK YOU AGAIN DENNIS!!! ) but he also had his own gear so I had to deal with my soft Akona dive bag, which was definitely more than 50 lbs. I knew I was going to have trouble both going up and going down the ramps. My gear wasn't weighed, and a couple times I asked a crew member for help (explaining that I'm temporarily disabled from surgery). They quickly jumped up to help, no questions asked.

Both trips were on the catamarans, don't know if things would have been different on a mono-hull...but I just wanted to pass on my experience.

That's the advantage of being a woman.

 

[Leejnd]

That's the advantage of being a woman.

Well, I certainly hope that's not the reason. I would hope that they would be willing to help anyone who was struggling.

 

[DennisS]

That's the advantage of being a woman.

I used to work on an oceanographic ship, if a scientist sent a lot of gear with their male tech/grad students, they could be there all afternoon carrying gear aboard. If female tech/grad students showed up, there would be 10 crew members carrying everything aboard in 20 minutes.

 

[Clammy]

It's nice that they upped the size limit to the EXACT dimensions of the stanley 50 gallon box but the box empty weighs 31.75lbs. 32lb if you never wash the salt build up and maybe less if it the metal parts start rusting away They really do need to consider that if it's on wheels, the box weight shouldn't have to count or, as others have mentioned, up the weight of hard box on wheels to 75 or 80lbs.

 

[Rainer]

Wheels or no wheels, a crew member is going to have to lift it below deck on the mono hulls. It's due to injuries in that particular case that the new rules were instituted. I have no problem with them. I just hope they don't bother weighing bags when boarding catamaran hulls (where *I* can wheel my gear without crew intervention). If I happen to get a mono hull on the way back, only *then* force me to deal with resorting gear to make the weight allowance.

 

[leabre]

I just hope they don't bother weighing bags when boarding catamaran hulls (where *I* can wheel my gear without crew intervention). If I happen to get a mono hull on the way back, only *then* force me to deal with resorting gear to make the weight allowance.

That is actually one of the most sensible suggestions I've seen to address this problem and would probably largely eliminate the complainsts. Seperate the gear only if needed. So that means every diver should be prepared to seperate but only foced to if the need dicates it. *That* should be suggested to Catalina Express in hopes of a policy change reflecting such.

 

[Clammy]

I understand the weight limit is for safety but like many others have mentioned, I've never seen them actually put a large dive box on the belts. They certainly never made me, I had to pull it up and take it the bow or stern depending on the boat.

 

[merxlin]

Anyone been on the Catalina Express recently? Are they still weighing dive bags/boxes?